Finance

The recession presented charities with the greatest challenge they’ve faced in recent years as competition for funding increased and donor support fell to the wayside.

If your charity is concerned about moves to phase out cheques by 2018 and the impact it could have on donations, you have another opportunity to express these as the Commons Treasury Select Committee

Whilst all sectors of society – families, pensioners, students, trade unions and businesses – are fearful of the measures that George Osborne will outline in his budget on 23rd March, it is arguably t

Dear Trustees and Executives

The Sunday Times this week published its list of the top 100 third sector places to work, 76 of which were charities. Whilst the authors wouldn't pretend that the findings are representative of every single charity in the UK, they might help us (I am a Trustee too) as a collective of leaders to think about the factors which make our organisations positive places to work. It seems that there are still significant differences between the commercial and not for profit sectors in terms of what motivates people to work there (no kidding) so I recommend we start focusing on these:

• Charity staff value highly the opportunity to give something back. Perhaps we can make the results of their contributions more specific and more obvious? I'm thinking internal communications, appraisals and reviews... simple and sincere thanks?
• The vast majority believe their organisation makes a positive difference to the world - surely something that we should reinforce with evidence and beneficiary stories wherever relevant to ensure staff stay engaged with the cause.
  

Every couple of years, the tabloid media target charities that “waste money on fundraising and administration”. So how can you protect your charity from this charge?

Mobile applications for fundraising fascinate me - and they aren't all the obvious online transaction tools, significant that they are.

Five pound notes are popular and in demand, according to consumer surveys, so banks and building societies will be stuffing more of them into their cashpoints.

George Osborne MP's emergency Budget will clearly hit charities hard, with departmental budgets cut by up to 25% over four years.

The recent spat between the Charity Commission and the Department of Health over who owns the assets of some hospital charities highlights the peculiar no man’s land in which state controlled charities live, as well as seriously undermining their case for support.