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Afternoon All I was wondering if there had been any updates on MyLegacy? I was slightly confused on the whole thing and wonder whether anyone who is signed up

On behalf of PETA, acclaimed novelist JM Coetzee, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature, has sent an urgent letter to the members of Spain’s Culture Committee calling on them to reject the current initiative, proposed by bullfighting aficionados, to give bullfighting legal protection as a “cultural pastime”.

In the letter, Coetzee points out that bullfighting is nothing more than a cruel relic of a bygone era.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/10201-author-jm-coetzee-bullfighting-is-cruelty-not-culture

Hello Matt We have a Book of Remembrance displayed on a stand in our reception area at Alzheimer's Society. It is a large leather bound ledger type book and

Hi all, Bit of a basic query this, but we're looking to put a new Book of Remembrance in our onsite visitor centre. I was just wondering how everyone else who

Charities should get advice before they start trading or social enterprise activity – and think commercially

Recent research found that as charities start to see traditional sources of income dry up they are taking bold steps to try new ways of raising revenue and becoming self-sustainable.

The "Managing in the 'new normal' - adapting to uncertainty" report, released in March by the Charity Finance Group, the Institute of Fundraising and PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 55% of charities had increased trading or social enterprise activity since the start of the downturn.

This activity covers a range of industries, from retail outlets to nursery provision. But how easy is it for charities to start trading, and, when they do, how can they ensure success?

Craig Carey, head of operations at Social Enterprise UK, says charities should build on their core strength. "The most effective trading arms are from charities that do that rather than trying something very different to what they've done before," he says.

A strong business model is also important: charities should ensure there is a demand for their product or service; that the financials stack up; and that they have the right team in place, he says. "One common problem is when looking to set trading up people get fixated on the legal structure but actually the business model is more important," he says.

When it does come to regulations and legal aspects, one of the first to consider is whether or not to set up a separate trading company. Charity Commission CC35 guidance says charities can trade in carrying out their charitable purpose, for example a museum charging admission, without paying tax. This is often referred to as primary purpose trading.

However, according to commission guidance, non-charitable trading is classified as commercial. Charities can only do small-scale commercial trading under HMRC rules. For example, a charity whose total income is £20,000 or more can only earn up to a quarter of this, with a maximum of £50,000, from commercial trading.

"If a charity wants to carry out non-charitable trading beyond these limits, it will need to set up a trading subsidiary so it does not become liable for income and corporation tax," says Neal Green, senior policy adviser for the commission.

Green says charities should also look at operational risk when deciding whether to set up a trading company. "If it could go horribly wrong you may want to ring-fence it in a different company," he says. "The charity would take the hit if it didn't work out and a separate company was not set up. If it was ring-fenced you would have some protection against that."

He says one mistake charities sometimes make with trading is bailing out the trading company rather than letting it sink if it goes wrong. "The purpose of the charity is to meet its charitable objects," he says. "The purpose of the company is to make money. Their interests are not the same. That's why it's important for trustees to not be identical."

Jane Tully, head of policy and public affairs at the Charity Finance Group, warns charities against trading with high overheads, and instead recommends keeping non-primary trading "quite light touch". "Once you have a subsidiary you have to do two of everything, like accounts and another board," she says. "It's the admin that can become quite cumbersome."

She says it is important for charities to get advice on trading before they start. "We get a lot of questions about trading," she adds. "We are seeing the development and growth of a more entrepreneurial spirit."

One of these increasingly entrepreneurial charities is South London-based Caysh, which provides support, advice and accommodation for vulnerable people. As part of its housing provision, the charity provides a "concierge" service – a caring security team that checks on the people living there out of hours.

Kathryn Uche, chief executive of Caysh, says that a couple of years ago it was approached to deliver this service for other housing providers. It now delivers it for two of them, with plans for two more by October. "We are in the process of setting up a community interest company which will oversee this work," says Uche. "That will run separately to the charity but feed back all its profits."

Because the trading is at an early stage, Uche cannot provide figures for how much it is turning over, but says it is exciting "to think the charity could sustain itself in the long-term future without funds from things like grants".

She says one of the biggest challenges has been for the charity to think in a commercial way. "I've worked very closely with a group of entrepreneurs and chief executives of small- and medium-sized businesses to learn that way of thinking," she says. "We don't have to mimic commercial business but we have to understand the mechanics that make a business a going concern with a profit margin."

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Does your nonprofit have fundraising rules that would bewilder your average donor?

From Gayle Gifford at Cause & Effect, here’s the kind of story about donor-nonprofit mis-interaction that makes The Agitator’s hair curl.

To sum her story up:

She the would-be donor: ‘Please let me give now!’

The nonprofit: ‘You can’t. You can’t.’

And then, about eight months later, the nonprofit re-contacts her with a friendly reminder (I paraphrase): ‘In case you forgot … You didn’t. You didn’t.’

Please tell me your organization wouldn’t do this!

Before you do anything, draft anything, design anything … wear you donor’s shoes.

Tom

P.S. One way of looking at Gayle’s Kiva example is that they were trying inappropriately to ‘convert’ her from an ‘institutional’ donor (the kind most nonprofits would love to have) to a ‘microloan donor’. The next two Agitator posts get into a squabble about what constitutes acceptable ‘donor conversion’. Get ready for fisticuffs!

Andrea Fragata Ladeira of the new charity aims to raise the funds through commission on the sale of third party insurance and utility products

The money raised has supported the Rainbow mother and toddler group, Alcoholics Anonymous and a project for homeless people

Think Like a Rock Star: How to Create Social Media and Marketing Strategies that Turn Customers into Fans, with a foreword by Kathy Sierra
Mack Collier (Author)
Publication Date: 20 May 2013

Buy new: £14.99 £9.59

(Visit the Hot Future Releases in Web Marketing list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)

Electric Run, the country’s brightest and most outrageous 5K run/walk, is coming to Los Angeles on Friday, May 24th with actress Vanessa Hudgens leading the pack through a technicolor wonderland weaving throughout Home Depot Center in Carson.

Electric Run LA will partner with Smile Train, donating a portion of proceeds to the nonprofit that brings smiles to children’s faces by providing a child born with a cleft the same opportunities in life as a child born without a cleft.

Electric Run is like no other run: the original spectacular of its kind has attracted over 100,000 Day-Glo clad participants, including Carmen Electra and Seth Rogan, to its events. The all-ages, nighttime event features premier musical acts, an energized crowd and over 1 million watts of mesmerizing light art installations, such as glowing neon trees, rainbow-hued tunnels and lit-up lakes.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/10199-vanessa-hudgens-to-lead-the-electric-run-for-smile-train

The Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, in partnership with Get Schooled, today announced the launch of Graduate for Más, a program challenging teens to make a personal commitment to graduate high school.

Mark Wahlberg - Graduate for Mas

Actor and philanthropist Mark Wahlberg, who did not finish high school himself, also announced today his support of the program.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/10198-mark-wahlberg-leads-celebrity-movement-to-encourage-teens-to-graduate

EMMY, TONY, and Golden Globe-nominated star Matthew Morrison is proud to announce that he is partnering with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in support of LGBT equality.

Video: Matthew Morrison for HRC's Americans for Marriage Equality

Partial proceeds from the pre-sale of his new studio album, Where It All Began, will benefit HRC. The album, which will be released on June 4, 2013, features an assortment of classic standards, many of which were first made famous in Broadway musicals. Morrison turned to legendary producer Phil Ramone, along with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Gregg Field, to create the 12 songs featured on Where It All Began. The record marks the first release from 222 Records, the newly formed label from Adam Levine. Place your pre-order of Where It All Began now, on Amazon.com, and 222 Records in partnership with Matthew Morrison will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Human Rights Campaign.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/10197-matthew-morrison-to-support-human-rights-campaign-with-new-album

A return to the roaring good times of opulent fashion, decadent delicacies and lively entertainment will be a hotsy-totsy evening for all at Wheeling & Dealing for the After-School All-Stars, a Gatsby-themed night at the legendary Petersen Automotive Museum on Thursday, May 30, 2013 from 7:00pm – 11:00pm.

Top poker players, esteemed Angelinos and celebrity supporters including Jamie Gold (2006 World Series of Poker Champion), Damian Whitewood (Dancing with the Stars), Stephen Martines (Vampire Diaries, and soon to premiere on USA’s Burn Notice), Prophet (record producer, 2101 Records recording artist), LaLa Romero (recording artist), Austin Brown (recording artist), Jessi Malay (recording artist) and others to be announced soon, will be gaming for a good cause while being transported back to a Jazz Age Los Angeles with classic automobiles, trains and lots of whimsical memorabilia from the era.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/10196-stars-to-attend-gatsby-themed-charity-night

Lisa Ling, Nicole Scherzinger & Pascale Rothman talk to Erin Mooney about supporting the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST LA) during their 15th Annual From Slavery to Freedom Event at Sofitel Hotel Beverly Hills.

Click here to view the video.

Prince Harry ended his US tour by thanking the people of America for their “extraordinary generosity” and playing in his fund-raising Sentebale Polo Cup match to help fund the work of his charity.

Speaking to the 400 polo guests who helped raise the funds for his Sentebale charity, Prince Harry said: "This is the last day of my tour around the United States. Thank you for a wonderful week.

“I have witnessed the extraordinary generosity of the people of this great nation.”

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/10195-prince-harry-plays-charity-polo-in-the-usa

Dianne Thompson stresses the importance of strengthening the links between National Lottery players and the charity causes they support

Stand up for real food today, May 17th, as food revolutionaries all around the world take a stand for good food and essential cooking skills.

With over 1,000 activities on the map, Jamie Oliver's 2nd Annual Food Revolution Day will be a fun foodie filled day across the globe.

“I’m completely humbled by the amazing amount of support from all over the world this year,” says Jamie Oliver. "Food Revolution Day started last year from a little idea I had to have one day where everyone who cared about real food, home-cooking and better food education could join together, stand united and shout loud.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/10194-jamie-olivers-2nd-annual-food-revolution-day

Another fortnight has flown by and it is time for another summary of recent articles that have caught my eye. Enjoy.

Two excellent 101 Fundraising articles:

• A DIY workshop for lead conversion
• So you want to grow your income?

Karen with 15 ideas for testing in direct mail.

Pamela Burk shares some great comments from donors.

Agents of Good on jargon.

Stephen with the 21 habits of poor fundraisers.

Kevin on why charity branding is good for fundraising.

Beth with six steps to great graphs and charts.

John Baguley on zombie fundraising techniques.

Flat Earth Direct on value v values.

ifundraiser with 10 things to if you were to start again from scratch.

Good Works on creating a warm welcome for new donors.

The Fundraising Coach shares 21 social media tips from nonprofit experts.

Ian McQuillin explains why fundraisers are angry.

The Agitator: Generosity pays

Seth on typography.

Another new blog to share - Charity Winehouse. Check out this post which asks, "Who is your 'go to' guy?".

Dame Mary Marsh outlines the findings of a government review into skills and leadership among charities and social enterprises

Social sector organisations are aware of the need for continued development and taking on new ways of doing things to ensure we continue to deliver the high standards our beneficiaries deserve.

Over the past six months I've been leading a government review into social sector skills and how charities and social enterprises can attract, train and retain the high level of talent needed for the sector to perform at the highest possible level. We've engaged with the sector and other stakeholders through an online discussion forum open to all and consultation events.

We have shared online the findings from our short review into the sector's most vital needs – but, to summarise, here are eight critical areas where we think the social sector can try to improve:

Strengthen governance

Boards can lack the skills they need for the radically different challenges they face today. Lack of diversity remains a serious issue, sometimes limiting breadth of thinking and debate, and can create a real gulf between us and the beneficiaries we seek to serve.

This is not a new issue, but boards need to invest time in reviewing themselves against the sector's Code of Good Governance.

Attract and develop leaders

The quality of leadership is at the heart of success in the social sector. This includes aspiring and emerging leaders across all levels and positions, not just those at the "top" of organisations. Leadership is something that is learnt by doing it and by reflecting on the outcomes.

Funders should support the development of leadership capacity when considering investments, and simply widening access to mentoring and coaching skills could make a huge difference.

Routes into and through the social sector

There is a challenge for the social sector actively to attract and recruit more young people. Trainees leaving full-time education, apprentices and graduates should all have clear, supported pathways to join us. While there are good examples of best practice in some areas, generally getting a foot in the door is very hard.

We should appoint more people for their potential and provide clearer routes forward for them.

Skills sharing

There is huge benefit in relationships whereby time, expertise and resources are shared by people and organisations in the social sector as well as with those in the public and private sectors. We would all benefit from much more of this at all levels, not just among senior leaders and managers.

A key part of success is effective brokerage that helps make the connections, often at a local level. We should invest in this to both support and replicate it more widely.

Digital fluency

Increased digital fluency is an absolute necessity for the social sector if we are to engage effectively with our beneficiaries, supporters and other stakeholders

We must be ready to disrupt our ways of working to take advantage of the benefits of new technology, including social media, and not remain detached. We must be open to mentoring and skills sharing with digital natives, and this applies in particular to those in senior leadership positions.

Data-informed social change

The ability to gather, manipulate, learn from and share data will inform and drive the most effective social organisations of the future as is also the case elsewhere in the public and private sectors.

We need rigorous evidence to demonstrate our impact and inform our delivery. We must invest in data skills, be robust about the integrity of all our data and learn the value of being open with it.

Enterprise capability

The finance available to social sector organisations is changing significantly. There is a proliferation of new sources of revenue, strategic grants and capital for which we need to have the skills to identify with confidence what is relevant, make compelling cases for funding and manage such finances responsibly.

Funders could support the development of this capability as part of an investment relationship.

Collaboration in the social sector

Good collaboration rarely leads to merger. It can allow flexible working in horizontal structures and the complementing of respective strengths to yield greater value. It is highly dependent on attitudes, evidence and facilitation/negotiation skills which should form part of all leadership development.

Dame Mary Marsh led a government review into skills and leadership in the social sector, the details of which can be found at www.leadingsocial.org.uk. She is also founding director of the Clore Social Leadership Programme.

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