Senior charity managers should be more involved in fundraising, says Shelter chief | Third Sector

Senior charity managers should be more involved in fundraising, says Shelter chief | Third Sector: Speaking at an event on successful fundraising at Cass Business School last night, the former director-general of the Office of the Third Sector - the forerunner of the Office for Civil Society - said many people in the voluntary sector almost wanted to pretend that fundraising happened by magic.

"For many in the voluntary sector, board and chief executives in particular, fundraising is their dirty secret," he said. "For me this is an untenable position."

He said senior management should show that fundraising was important and should be involved in it.

Uncertainty over postage costs hampers direct mail campaigns, agency warns | Third Sector

Uncertainty over postage costs hampers direct mail campaigns, agency warns | Third Sector: Uncertainty over how much the cost of postage will rise in April is making it difficult for fundraisers to plan direct mail campaigns, a direct marketing agency has warned.

Nick Pride, managing director of the agency DMS, which puts together direct marketing campaigns for 19 charities, said he had been told by Royal Mail that the cost of stamps would be increasing in April, but it would not be able to say by how much until late February.

Oxfam launches its first investment fund - Civil Society - Finance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Oxfam launches its first investment fund - Civil Society - Finance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: Oxfam has launched an investment fund, with social and financial returns, which will target small and medium companies in developing countries by investing in local financial intermediaries which focus on small enterprise development.

The fund, called the Small Enterprise Impact Investment Fund (SEIIF) is a joint initiative between Oxfam and asset management group Symbiotics, which already manages $200m in 24 microfinance funds. It will target small and medium enterprises in developing countries, and give investors both measurable social impacts and financial returns. Investors are being sought for the fund.

Institute of Fundraising sees role in boosting giving - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Institute of Fundraising sees role in boosting giving - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: The Institute of Fundraising sees itself as having a role to play in boosting giving, according to a newly-published consultation document on its proposed new strategic objectives.

Impact group: charities could allocate percentage of funding for impact measurement - Civil Society - Finance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Impact group: charities could allocate percentage of funding for impact measurement - Civil Society - Finance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: The Inspiring Impact Group, a coalition of voluntary sector bodies seeking to provide collective leadership on measuring impact over the next 10 years, is considering encouraging funders to allocate at least 5 per cent of funding to evaluation and measurement.

The group, which includes NCVO, Acevo and Charities Evaluation Services (CES), met for the first time this month. Andy Gregg, chief executive of CES, said the group was thinking about encouraging funders to make sure 5 - 10 per cent of their funding is spent on the evaluation and measurement of that funding.

UK should strengthen links with private foundations on philanthropy, say MPs | Global development | guardian.co.uk

UK should strengthen links with private foundations on philanthropy, say MPs | Global development | guardian.co.uk: The Department for International Development (DfID) must foster closer ties with private foundations in order to maximise the impact of philanthropy in the developing world, according to a report by the House of Commons international development committee.

The report, published on Friday, acknowledges the positive potential of private foundations, highlighting the results that can be achieved by philanthropic bodies unfettered by political and financial constraints.

Consultation asks whether charities should be registered as lobbyists | Third Sector

Consultation asks whether charities should be registered as lobbyists | Third Sector: A Cabinet Office consultation on plans to set up a register of lobbyists asks whether charities and groups lobbying on their behalf should be required to join the register.

The consultation document, Introducing a Statutory Register of Lobbyists, was published today.

Nonprofits in China � Local Governments Bring Transparency to Charity

Nonprofits in China � Local Governments Bring Transparency to Charity: From the Guo Meimei-induced Red Cross scandal to the Lu Meimei-led China-Africa Project Hope controversy, China’s charity causes underwent a trust crisis in 2011.

During the Fourth Session of the 11th National People’s Congress in early 2011, representatives suggested that Charity Law or Social Donation Law be established soon in order to position China’s charity causes for healthy growth in the future.

Institute of Development Studies - IDS welcomes Parliamentary report on philanthropic solution to aid in tough times

Institute of Development Studies - IDS welcomes Parliamentary report on philanthropic solution to aid in tough times: DS researchers working on the Bellagio Initiative welcomed the UK Parliament's International Development Committee (IDC) report into private foundations and called for a new relationship between private foundations and those working to end global poverty.

Welsh government to investigate alleged abuse of charitable funds - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Welsh government to investigate alleged abuse of charitable funds - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: The Welsh government has launched an investigation into the All Wales Ethnic Minority Association (Awema), which is mired in a trustee row over alleged misuse of charity funds by its chief executive.

Vice-chair of the charity Dr Sibani Roy has resigned in protest at the refusal of Awema’s chief executive Naz Malik to step down following an inquiry report commissioned by some of the trustees, which found instances of serious abuse of funds and other misconduct within the organisation.

Welsh government to investigate alleged abuse of charitable funds - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Welsh government to investigate alleged abuse of charitable funds - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: The Welsh government has launched an investigation into the All Wales Ethnic Minority Association (Awema), which is mired in a trustee row over alleged misuse of charity funds by its chief executive.

Vice-chair of the charity Dr Sibani Roy has resigned in protest at the refusal of Awema’s chief executive Naz Malik to step down following an inquiry report commissioned by some of the trustees, which found instances of serious abuse of funds and other misconduct within the organisation.

Blackbaud Take Over of Convio - Little Impact on Australian NFPs | Pro Bono Australia

Blackbaud Take Over of Convio - Little Impact on Australian NFPs | Pro Bono Australia: While the US and UK are abuzz with news that the international software provider to Not for Profits, Blackbaud, has announced a $275 million acquisition of rival company Convio, there’s likely to be little immediate impact in the Australian market.

United Way of Calgary sets fundraising record

United Way of Calgary sets fundraising record: The United Way set a new record in raising $54 million during the 2011 campaign.

Me and My Corporation: A Tale of Interest and Impact

Me and My Corporation: A Tale of Interest and Impact: You may have noticed the facelift Coke underwent this holiday season. For the first time ever, Coca-Cola changed the colour of its cans, from red to white. The exceptional transformation stems from a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund — a relationship dating back to 2007 focused on supporting conservation efforts — and a holiday campaign called Arctic Home.

Designed to protect the polar bears in the Arctic (hence the white hue), the multifaceted campaign has Coca-Cola matching individual donations up to $1 million until March 2012. Considering the iconic role of the polar bear in Coca-Cola marketing over the past 100 years, the partnership seems a logical step for Coke. "It was long overdue in my opinion," echoes Pete Ewins, WWF-Canada's resident polar bear expert.

Charities' online donations scuppered by broken Charity Choice links - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Charities' online donations scuppered by broken Charity Choice links - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: Hundreds of charities may have lost the ability to accept online donations after web-based donation service Charity Choice upgraded its website and changed the links from charities' own sites.

Charity Choice, which is owned by publishing giant Wilmington, provides services including an online basic donation facility to more than 4,200 charities across the UK.

Cameron, Clegg and Miliband pledge to leave 10 per cent of estates to charity | Third Sector

Cameron, Clegg and Miliband pledge to leave 10 per cent of estates to charity | Third Sector: Leaders of three main parties give their backing to the Legacy10 campaign
Click here to find out more!

The leaders of the three main political parties have backed a campaign that encourages people to leave at least 10 per cent of their wealth to charity in their wills

Creation Development Trust is the first Big Society Award winner in Wales - Number 10

Creation Development Trust is the first Big Society Award winner in Wales - Number 10: Creation Development Trust was set up in 2000 by members of the local community to tackle social and economic problems in the region. Since then they have helped local people and groups to set up projects to improve all aspects of life in Bridgend from the Creation caf�which is used to help develop internet skills to the Knitting Nannas group which produces knitted items for charitable organisations. Last year over 700 people benefitted from training and development activities run by the Trust, 20% of which had a disability

Stretched to charitable extremes

Stretched to charitable extremes: t is not just celebrities or their surviving parents who want good to come out of tragedy. Ordinary people may also desire a tangible memorial to a loved one that goes beyond, say, a scholarship in their name. One's own charity can serve many purposes: to do good work, to immortalise the child or partner and, quite often, to subsume the founders' grief in work, publicity and fund-raising.

Add to these inevitably small organisations the bigger foundations celebrated sportsmen and their ilk establish, and what we have in Australia, no less than in Britain, is a crowded and fragmented charity field.

Why charities and celebrity patrons are a winning combination | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional: Why charities and celebrity patrons are a winning combination

Jonathan Pryce discusses his experiences as a celebrity charity patron, and what it takes to make the relationship work

This million-dollar gift 50 years in the making - Winnipeg Free Press

This million-dollar gift 50 years in the making - Winnipeg Free Press: LAURIE Johnston took a gift of $200 more than a half-century ago and turned it into $1 million.

The retired pharmacist donated $500,000 on Friday to both the Misericordia Health Centre Foundation and the Riverview Heath Centre Foundation.

The impetus for his philanthropy dates back to 1949 when Johnston was a cash-strapped student in his fourth year of pharmacy school. He was considering taking a year off to work when a friend of the family called him over one day and handed him an envelope containing $200.

Metro - Warm weather not welcome for charities

Metro - Warm weather not welcome for charities: The balmy winter weather hasn’t been so great for Edmonton charities, many of which are struggling to meet year-end targets after a less than festive-feeling holiday season.

One Brand Taps 'Generation-G' And The Rise Of The Philanthropic Consumer

One Brand Taps 'Generation-G' And The Rise Of The Philanthropic Consumer: f what we buy is what we are, then we might just be getting better, according to Duncan Goose, the creator of the philanthropic consumer brand One. Goose believes that there is a seismic shift in consumption building up, where companies’ core values are as – if not more - important than their products.

“We are right at the infancy of a step change in consumer behaviour,” Goose told the Huffington Post UK in an interview.

Are South African NGOs Employers of Choice or Necessity? | NGO Pulse

Are South African NGOs Employers of Choice or Necessity? | NGO Pulse: Working in civil society organisations is viewed as conscientised work and is based on the premise that those involved in civil society professions are motivated by more than just a salary, performance bonus and cellphone allowance. For many people working in the development sector the opportunity to contribute to social change is far more rewarding than being able to buy the latest Audi Q1, but are our NGOs willing and able to reflect on their people management practices to ensure that they are able to hire and retain the talent both from the corporate and development sectors?

Institute of Fundraising lobbies peers over edited electoral register | Third Sector: Louise Richards, director of policy and campaigns at the IoF, is lobbying a number of peers in advance of the debate. It is strongly against abolition of the register and been warning for some time that the Ministry of Justice is likely to abolish it.

The register does not contain details of people who have opted out of receiving marketing materials and is available for general purchase. It is used by many charities in their fundraising.

I want to donate directly to a grassroots group - The Globe and Mail

I want to donate directly to a grassroots group - The Globe and Mail: It’s attractive to donate directly to truly grassroots projects, without the middleman of government or large international organizations. These local groups are more closely in touch with their community’s needs, and they don’t spend your money on advertisements or fundraising. However, besides not being able to grant charitable tax receipts, they’re also less likely to have audited statements, impact assessments or other formal means of oversight to ensure from a distance that your donation is being well used.

One in four Brits reduced donations in 2011 - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

One in four Brits reduced donations in 2011 - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: One in four Brits say they gave less to charity last year than the year before, according to a new study released today.

Charities saw a 12 per cent drop in total donation values in 2011, with the average falling to �186.15. Only one in ten of the more than 2,000 people surveyed, in research commissioned by Investec, claimed to have given more in 2011 than in the previous year. A minority of people, 6 per cent, who gave to charities in 2010 gave nothing in 2011.

Delight as East Coast Truckers told Norfolk charity convoy can go ahead this year - News - Norwich Evening News

Delight as East Coast Truckers told Norfolk charity convoy can go ahead this year - News - Norwich Evening News: A question mark was hanging over the event, which has been running for more than a quarter of a century, and which last year saw trucks take more than 70 disabled and disadvantaged children to a special day out at Pleasurewood Hills.

The concern was that issues around ensuring the safety of the event could prevent the much-loved convoy from happening.

Mixed results for charities over Christmas fundraising

Mixed results for charities over Christmas fundraising: CALGARY — Despite a miserly December, many city charities have come through the holidays with better than expected balance sheets while others are still struggling to meet fundraising targets necessary to seeing them through until next fall.

112 charities urge improving transparency, public trust - Home � Other Sections � Breaking News

112 charities urge improving transparency, public trust - Home � Other Sections � Breaking News: EIJING (Xinhua) -- A total of 112 Chinese charitable organizations called for promoting transparency and public trust after a spate of scandals discredited the country's philanthropic groups last year.

The charities made the pledge on Sunday at an annual meeting on Chinese philanthropy, vowing to make further efforts to improve self-discipline within the sector.

In 2011, the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), China's largest charity, was the focus of a major scandal involving a young woman calling herself "Guo Meimei." The woman claimed to be a general manager for "Red Cross Commerce," an organization that the RCSC claimed did not exist.

The charities chosen by the Kate Middleton - Telegraph

The charities chosen by the Kate Middleton - Telegraph: The charities chosen by the Duchess of Cambridge
The Duchess of Cambridge has announced that she will be patron of four charities and volunteer as a Scout Leader.

Government funding of universities to hit 100-year low - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Government funding of universities to hit 100-year low - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: Universities will have to rely increasingly on fundraising and student fees as a new report finds that government funding of universities is set to plummet to a proportion not seen since the early 20th century.

Government reforms to university funding will see the income universities receive from the public coffers drop to 15 per cent of total income by 2014/15, nearly half the proportion made up by government funding in 2010/11. The University and College Union (UCU) estimates the total government funding of universities in 2010/11 at �6.6bn and predicts it will fall to a total of �3.7bn in the following three years.

Why have national broadcasters ignored the heroism of charity rowers? | Media | guardian.co.uk

Why have national broadcasters ignored the heroism of charity rowers? | Media | guardian.co.uk: Portal and Cash are risking their lives to raise money for a charity, Facing the World, which exists in order to provide life-changing facial reconstructive surgery by some of Britain's leading surgeons to children from the world's poorest countries.

This incredibly brave pair set themselves the task of rowing, two hours on and two hours off, day after day for two months or more, in the hope of raising �300,000 for the charity.

New forms of disaster relief a better alternative to straightforward giving - The Mainichi Daily News

New forms of disaster relief a better alternative to straightforward giving - The Mainichi Daily News: But here, in this desolate town, some locals are undertaking new efforts. In November, Masaki Takahashi, 36, the head of the planning department at long-established fish-processing company Takamasa & Co., proposed a "local buying for local consumption" scheme for relief supplies. With the cooperation of the local association of commerce and industry, he created a system by which those wanting to offer assistance can do so by purchasing goods from companies in the disaster-hit areas. Whoever wants to send aid can contact the local commerce and industry association, which supplies the names and contact information of local companies carrying the goods the callers are hoping to donate.