Popular opinion has it that charities are reluctant to share expertise and resources with one another. Which is why Child’s i Foundation‘s promise to make available for free its digital tools to other charities stands out as an act of goodwill. Digital expertise is something Child’s i has in spades. The British charity, which was… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo…how about you, you, you?
A woman of principle, or a bit of a crank? The question relates to Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, who has made it clear that she’s not prepared to attend an event at London Zoo because she’s a strong supporter of animal rights and a patron of the Captive Animals Protection Society. That… Read more »
The Right to Ask campaign misses the point
The question of whether charities have a “right to ask” the public for donations has been stirring up controversy lately. The Institute of Fundraising wants to remind the public that fundraisers – whether they stop you on the street, knock on your door while you are in the middle of dinner or phone you at… Read more »
Gift Aid reform: here’s one reason why progress is slow
What is the charity sector trying to get out of Gift Aid reform? Many systems have been proposed, but none have gained much traction with either the Government or the sector. Should we have an amended opt-in system or an opt-out system? What about an accounts-based system? Or a composite-rate system? Or a system whereby… Read more »
What is it like to be a chugger? I asked one, and this is what he told me
I never used to stop for chuggers. Before I became Third Sector‘s fundraising reporter, I was one of those annoyed members of the public who walked past quickly, avoided eye contact and mumbled “No, sorry” to any fundraiser who tried to stop me. I still maintain that I will never sign up for a direct… Read more »
A new youth activism magazine: just so crazy it might work
In a move that flies in the face of received wisdom on the best way to grab the attention of today’s young activists, Christian Aid’s youth campaigning arm, Ctrl+Alt+Shift., launches a biannual print consumer magazine this week. Although the charity is not saying how much the magazine cost to produce and distribute, the amount is… Read more »
Why do charities want a fourth term for Labour?
The sector wants another Labour government – not by a slim margin but by a massive one. That is the finding from the State of the Sector survey Third Sector carried out with research agency nfpSynergy. These results do come with caveats; it’s a self-selected online survey for a start, but I doubt many would… Read more »
Consolidating NHS charity accounts into those of trusts is a terrible idea
I have spent a lot of time recently listening to charity finance specialists talk about the concept of consolidating the accounts of NHS charities into those of NHS trusts, and they’re pretty much united in describing it as one of the worst ideas they’ve ever heard. The first thing to say about this debate is… Read more »
Charities should take notice of the anti-X Factor campaign
For me, two recent and seemingly unconnected events have highlighted the power of ideas and the ability of civil society to harness them. First, the recent visit to the UK of Eboo Patel, founder of the USA’s Interfaith Youth Core. Eboo’s thesis is that we are living at the collision-point of four seismic shifts:… Read more »
Has Gift Aid reform come any closer?
Some experts on giving and philanthropy have been wary about the idea of redirecting to charities the tax rebate that can be claimed by higher-rate taxpayers on Gift Aided donations. Such a move might have unpredictable effects on giving by the rich, they warn – especially in a continuing recession with a new 50 per… Read more »