Monthly Archives: November 2010

To tweet or not to tweet?

The recent discussion about the use of Twitter and other social media sites by fundraisers flagged up some really interesting points both for and against.  Both sides were compelling. However – and this is probably unsurprising, considering I’m the online editor of Third Sector and champion of all things digital – I came down in… Read more »

Is volunteering too much hard work for charities?

Two weeks ago, at a round table hosted by the European Association of Philanthropy and Giving, I listened to a group of people working in the charity sector talking about the difficulties they faced using professional volunteers. You would think this would be easy – get in an accountant, an IT expert, a designer, and… Read more »

Should we be putting financial value on volunteering?

On Monday, the front page of the Guardian carried a story about a scheme being proposed in Windsor & Maidenhead where new volunteers get Nectar Points in exchange for carrying out good works: hold a tea party for pensioners, get money off at Argos. There seems some potential problems with this idea. First of all,… Read more »

Trick or treat in the big society

Like many people, I imagine, I spent lot of yesterday evening answering the door to children in a variety of hideous costumes squealing ‘”trick or treat?” Unlike in previous years, I had anticipated it and spent a fiver at the local shops on an assortment of tooth-rotting gunge to hand out as insurance against getting… Read more »