Supporting the unseen: how the National Pot broadens impact

Chapter 5 -

When Cluberly was first being developed, it was clear from the outset that many members would naturally gravitate towards supporting well-known causes. This might be a local football club with a large following, a nationally recognised charity, or an organisation with an established profile and strong fundraising reach. These causes do vital work and already play an important role within their communities. However, they are often better equipped to attract support simply because of their size, visibility or existing networks.

At the same time, it became equally clear that there are countless smaller organisations across the country doing extraordinary work with far fewer resources. These are grassroots clubs, niche charities and community-led initiatives whose impact is often profound but largely unseen beyond their immediate locality. In many cases, their challenge is not a lack of purpose or commitment, but a lack of reach. Their communities are simply too small to generate the level of awareness or funding needed to scale their efforts or even sustain them comfortably.

The Cluberly National Pot was created to address this imbalance. Its purpose is simple but important: to ensure that support is not concentrated solely where visibility is greatest, but also directed towards organisations that are delivering real impact without the benefit of scale. By pooling a portion of Cluberly’s donated revenues into a central fund, the National Pot provides a mechanism to redistribute support more evenly across the community landscape.

What makes the National Pot distinctive is that it is not allocated behind closed doors. Decisions are shaped by member engagement. Through participation, voting and interaction within the app, members help identify which causes are most deserving of additional support at any given time. Monthly and annual allocations are informed by this collective input, ensuring that funding reflects the values and priorities of the wider community rather than a single central authority.

This approach does more than direct money. It gives smaller causes visibility, validation and momentum. Being recognised through the National Pot can help organisations attract further support, form new partnerships and demonstrate their impact to a broader audience. In this way, the Pot acts not just as a funding mechanism, but as a platform for amplification.

To take this idea further, Cluberly plans to bring the work of these organisations into sharper focus through an annual awards gala. Scheduled to take place in the summer or early autumn, the gala is intended as both a celebration and a catalyst. It will bring together supported causes, partners, sponsors and members to recognise outstanding contributions across the community and social impact space.

The event will serve multiple purposes. It will provide an opportunity to raise additional funds through sponsorship and allocations from the National Pot. It will also culminate in the presentation of awards to causes that have demonstrated exceptional impact over the year, as voted for by Cluberly members. These awards are not about prestige for its own sake, but about shining a light on meaningful work and giving organisations a platform to tell their story.

This initiative will be further strengthened through collaboration with strategic partners operating within the social impact sector. By working alongside organisations that share similar values and expertise, Cluberly aims to ensure that the gala is not only celebratory, but credible, inclusive and genuinely beneficial to those it is designed to support.

Ultimately, the National Pot and the annual awards gala reflect the same underlying philosophy that runs throughout Cluberly. Impact should not be dictated by size alone. Communities should have a voice in where support is directed. And organisations doing vital work, no matter how small, deserve the opportunity to be seen, supported and celebrated.