The Charity Finance Group (CFG) and the Small Charities Coalition have launched a report into financial management in small charities. The two umbrella organisations are also seeking input on what they and others could do to improve standards of financial management in small charities. Making it count - a report into financial management in small charities for the first time takes a wide reaching look at financial management roles and practices in small charities, along with the challenges they face, and highlights key areas where additional support would be of most benefit.
The Charity Commission has today launched a consultation on proposals to introduce changes to the Annual Return and the content of the Register of Charities for 2014 onwards. All registered charities with an income of £10,000 and above are required to submit an Annual Return, which is used to strengthen the Commission’s regulatory work and keeps the charity’s record on the register up to date for the many members of the public and others who use it. Last summer the Commission consulted on the nature of information it should collect from charities to inform its wider information strategy.
Crisis has welcomed the report of the Work and Pensions Select Committee and its conclusion that the Work Programme is failing to move homeless people closer to work. The Work and Pensions Select Committee report, released today, states that the Work Programme is ‘not reaching the most disadvantaged’, singling out homeless people as one of the groups not receiving the help they need. Leslie Morphy, chief executive of Crisis, said: “The Work Programme has been a huge disappointment for too many homeless people. It has taken them no closer to what they really want: a better life through work.
A comprehensive package of measures to help the voluntary sector and mutuals compete for contracts to cut reoffending was announced today by the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Justice. This follows proactive engagement with a range of organisations from the voluntary sector, social enterprises and entrepreneurial staff in Probation Trusts looking to form new mutuals. Many of these measures are being introduced in response to the recommendations set out in social enterprise organisation 3SC’s action plan.
The late May Bank Holiday this weekend sees the start of a £10.5m campaign to bring people and communities together to sow, grow and support UK native wild flowers. Grow Wild – a new campaign funded by the Big Lottery Fund– aims to inspire people to get together to transform unloved urban sites, gardens and windowsills into wildlife-friendly wild flower patches.
Some British towns and cities contain welfare ghettos where more than half the working age residents depend on out-of-work benefits, according to a major new investigation into the anatomy of the welfare state. Parts of Denbighshire in Wales, Birmingham, Blackburn with Darwen, Wirral, Tendring and North East Lincolnshire are the worst affected, the report reveals. In Liverpool, there are nearly 70 neighbourhoods where the number of people claiming out-of-work benefits is 30 per cent or higher.
Government contracts must enable social economy organisations to provide decent employment conditions, says a new research paper, based on an international report produced by the Third Sector Research Centre for the OECD. There has been much political interest in the role of the social economy, or third sector, in providing jobs and supporting vulnerable people into the workforce. But Governments must recognise the pivotal role that state contracts play in financing many of these organisations, and therefore affecting conditions and services.
NPC has said that charities working with young people need to do more to measure the softer outcomes which impact upon youth employability. As part of the ongoing Inspiring Impact programme the charity think tank and consultancy has today launched The journey to employment, a new report which looks at the key factors which influence young people’s ability to get a job and how these can be effectively measured. New figures released yesterday show that for January to March 2013 there were 958,000 unemployed 16 to 24 year olds, representing an unemployment rate of 20.7%, down 0.1 percentage points from October to December 2012.
Ten charities have won GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) IMPACT Awards for their outstanding contributions to improving the UK’s health and well-being, GSK and The King’s Fund announced last night at the awards ceremony held at the Science Museum. GSK’s accolade, run in partnership with The King’s Fund, awards at least £30,000 to each organisation, and provides them with training so they are able to take their organisations to the next level.
The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) has today published two case study based reports on: DFID’s use of contractors to deliver aid programmes; and DFID’s Support for Civil Society Organisations through Programme Partnership Arrangements (PPAs). ICAI has given both programmes a rating of Green-Amber. Graham Ward, ICAI Chief Commissioner, said: “The case studies that we examined for both DFID’s use of contractors and programme partnership arrangements show promise for impact on intended beneficiaries. Civil society organisations and private sector contractors are valuable delivery mechanisms for aid and we have made a series of recommendations to increase the value that they deliver.”
The review into skills and leaderships needs in the social sector has today published its response on a new blog site: www.leadingsocial.org.uk. The response follows a six month review at the invitation of Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd, led by Dame Mary Marsh and supported by a working group of representatives from across the social sector. The review has identified eight critical areas where there are skills and leadership needs, with recommendations on how the sector and the Government can respond. Connecting these areas, the review points to three key themes that sit at the heart of the challenge...
New research reveals that companies gave over £470 million in cash donations to charities and community groups, with total community contributions reaching almost £600 million. However, compared with previous research the total value of cash donations fell by 9%, with community contributions declining by 27%. The 9th edition of The Guide to UK Company Giving, published by the charity Directory of Social Change (DSC), examines the charitable giving and community support programmes of 550 companies, including many big household names such as Lloyds Banking Group (£43.8 million in cash donations); Tesco (£26.5 million); and Marks & Spencer (£9.1 million).
Minister for Government Policy Oliver Letwin and Minister of State for Schools and the Cabinet Office David Laws are today publishing the second annual update on the government’s ambitious programme of public services reform. This includes the government’s response to David Boyle’s review into barriers to choice in public services, three further Choice Frameworks and a new Choice Charter. The Open Public Services Update 2013 sets out the significant achievements the government has made in modernising public services in education, health, neighbourhood services and many other areas.
Andrew Holt looks at the potential great rotation and eventual bounce in equities
In association with with Sarasin & Partners
Robert Boddington plots the lost decade and predicts equities will ultimately make good progress
In association with Sarasin & Partners
What is the role of charities? Are they unique? Or do charities increasingly ape what other organisations can do just as well? Hugh Wilson investigates
Andrew Holt chaired a thought provoking discussion on a much discussed, but often misunderstood, issue of cloud computing. Sponsored by Eduserv
Cloud Computing provides a quick way of accessing computing services and resources cost effectively...
Joe Lepper looks at 2013 charity investment opportunities and notes charities are set to face some tough decisions in 2013 on how the get the most out of their money
Diverse leadership in the sector is driving greater professionalism and innovation, finds Hugh Wilson
With morale in the sector at its lowest ebb, Duncan Jefferies asks what makes an effective leader and how charities can attract and develop the best management talent in the current environment
Target return funds are about being in the right assets at the right time, and being out of assets when they are not performing. Philip Smith weighs up the evidence for charities to take the plunge and Malcolm Herring shows how a targeted return approach seeks to achieve real returns on a consistent basis
Much hope and expectation is on corporates to fill the substantial gap left by government funding cuts and a fall in fundraising revenue. Peter Davy looks at how charities should be dealing with corporates to help fill a vast hole in charity finances
Those hoping to solve the problem of arts funding through private sector sponsorship suffered a further blow in November: Sherlock Holmes thinks it impossible.....
Criticised as vapid and a big fat lie, David Cameron’s vision of the Big Society faces critics from all sides. But for all that criticism, the Big Society does offer the sector opportunities it should embrace, finds Peter Davy
Andrew Holt investigates the vital and often unique work taken on by faith charities, the
part they play in the Big Society, and how they will survive in a testing environment
Faith-based charities form a significant part of the charitable sector, with 30,115 charities in England and Wales focusing on religious activities,equating to a shared income of £6.643 billion....
