Thirteen local charities working with some of the most vulnerable women and girls in Essex have received a much-needed funding boost from the Tampon Tax Community Fund.
The Fund, which was set up by the Government with money raised through the levy on sanitary products, is managed locally by the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
Grants totalling £85,000 have been awarded to local voluntary and community organisations to help them develop or expand their work with women of all ages, focussing on preventative services for those at risk of crisis.
Projects receiving support in this first round of grants are aimed at helping women and girls to improve their health and wellbeing, create and develop social networks and get into or back to work.
Among the organisations to receive funding are:
Parents 1st: £7,800 to run a ‘pregnancy pals’ project in Basildon that provides vulnerable pregnant women with a volunteer for support.
Open Road: £5,800 to help women on probation from prison across Essex to rebuild their lives and reduce the likelihood of reoffending.
Ark Family Resource Centre: £6,194 to expand their support service for women and families in Harwich that have experienced domestic abuse.
Home-Start Essex: £5,381 to expand a peer support group for mothers in Harlow. (pictured, right)
Southend Vineyard: £8,336 towards the salary of an outreach worker to help women exit the sex industry.
Southend Vineyard will use their grant of £8,336 to employ an outreach worker for ‘The Promise Project’. This community-based scheme runs a drop-in service for women and girls who are being exploited through prostitution, providing a safe place where they can have a warm meal and receive support.
Rob Carvosso, the Project Manager, said: “Southend Vineyard has been working with the local community for over 23 years. During the drop-in, we offer a range of support including making appointments at sexual health clinics, referrals to counselling and other recovery treatments for drug and alcohol abuse.”
Home-Start Essex was awarded £5,381 to expand a peer support group for mothers in Harlow focussed on improving their mental and physical wellbeing. Nic O’Brien, chief executive, said: “We offer a range of activities including art therapy, sessions on mindfulness, information about healthy eating and importantly, group discussions on any issues they are facing.
“We also provide a crèche where the children can play, allowing the mothers time to focus on their own wellbeing and forge valuable friendships.”
Parents 1st received £7,800 to continue their ‘pregnancy pals’ project for vulnerable women in Basildon. This includes exercise classes to promote a healthy lifestyle and pairing women with volunteers for support during pregnancy, labour and the first few months of their baby’s life.
Celia Suppiah, chief executive of the charity, said: “It can be incredibly daunting to have a baby when you don’t have a support system. The women we help, due to a range of circumstances, may feel isolated and unsure of where to turn to for help. Having just one person in their corner that they can talk to, makes a huge difference to their emotional and physical wellbeing.
“Our peer support scheme builds positive, trusting relationships where women can feel valued and listened to, rather than judged for their circumstance.”
Caroline Taylor, chief executive of ECF, said: “The grants awarded from the Tampon Tax Community Fund will enable these 13 voluntary organisations to expand and increase the support they offer to some of the most marginalised and vulnerable women and girls who are living in communities across Essex.
“We know there are many other local charities offering support to women and girls and we would encourage them to contact us if they have are in need of funding.”
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Lauren Weymouth
30/01/19
The majority of charities are ill-prepared for a no-deal Brexit and must do everything in their power to prevent it, new research has found.
A new survey conducted by Charity Finance Group found over a third of charities (38%) have made no preparations at all for a no-deal Brexit and just 8% are fully aware of the impact it will have on their charity.
The research found the majority of charities lack adequate preparations for a no-deal scenario – of the charities that responded, 83% said they have made little or no preparation.
According to the findings, the lack of preparedness was due primarily to a lack of understanding around the outcomes of a no-deal Brexit.
CFG found the vast majority (92%) had either a partial understanding or no understanding about what a no-deal outcome would mean to their charity.
When asked what their biggest concerns about a no-deal Brexit were, most respondents pointed to the lack of certainty.
“It is not surprising, but is worrying, that charities are ill-prepared for a no deal exit – the level of uncertainty has made organisational planning in this respect incredibly difficult,” CFG chief executive, Caron Bradshaw said.
“This level of unprecedented uncertainty, volatility and predicted economic disruption coupled with the non-tariff considerations, from workers’ rights to regulatory complexity, presents too great a risk to the UK and thus to civil society,” she said.
“So we call on all parties to prioritise the most vulnerable in our society, and do everything within their power to prevent a no-deal Brexit.”
CFG claims to have scrutinised the current withdrawal agreement and has called for MPs to vote against it in January’s vote, concluding that UK charities worse off than if remaining in the EU.
It claims a no-deal Brexit would be “the worst possible outcome” for civil society.
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Charity Times
25/01/19
Charities need to work to address the ‘structural barriers’ preventing people from volunteering, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, a new report has revealed.
The report, Time Well Spent, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the NCVO, found diversity continues to be an issue among volunteers, with those from middle class backgrounds almost 50% more likely to have volunteered in the last 12 months than those from working class backgrounds.
“Those from lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to say they have never been involved in volunteering, and those who have are less likely to be in certain leadership or representative roles, like being a trustee,” the report said.
“Research on volunteering, and on participation more broadly, consistently indicates that inequalities of resources and power mean that some people are more likely to be excluded from certain activities.”
The survey also found older people were more likely to volunteer than younger people. However, it revealed a higher number of 18-24 year olds found volunteering to be a good way of combatting isolation.
Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of the NCVO, said: “Volunteering can be truly transformative for people’s lives. It reduces isolation, improves confidence, provides new experiences, improves employment prospects and fundamentally it’s deeply rewarding. But sadly, those who stand to benefit the most from volunteering are less likely to be involved.
“Institutions – charities and the public sector – need to take a hard look at themselves and think about what barriers they may inadvertently be creating.
“In particular, we need to make sure it’s easy to start volunteering. Our research suggests young people have higher expectations of the process being simple and quick than older people.
“We know that building stronger connections within communities helps people live healthier, more satisfying lives, and takes pressure off public services.”
The report revealed one of the main barriers for those who have never volunteered is that they have never thought about it, highlighting the need for charities to raise awareness about volunteering and the benefits of getting involved.
“But providing opportunities that resonate with people’s own lives and aspirations, and ensuring they can shape the way they get involved are as important as raising awareness,” the report said.
Overall, the survey found 69% of respondents had volunteered at some point in their life. Of those who had volunteered, it found 38% have done so in the past year.
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Charity Times staff writer
18/01/19
The NCVO has launched its Charity Ethical Principles guidance, aimed at providing a benchmark of good practice among the sector.
The new guidance, formerly the Charity Code of Ethics, follows months of consultation and engagement with charities of all sizes.
Governing bodies, staff and volunteers are being encouraged to actively consider the principles and how they can integrate them throughout their work.
A summary of the feedback has been published alongside the guidance, showing the sector’s positive response towards the principles.
Putting beneficiaries first, integrity, openness and the right to be safe have constituted the overarching principles of the finished document. Each of the principles is accompanied by guidance on how it can be upheld, providing broad, instructive statements that charities using the code should observe.
In response to feedback, the original proposed title of Charity Code of Ethics has been changed to Charity Ethical Principles, to make clear that the guidance is intended as complementary to existing codes such as the Charity Governance Code, and also makes clear its status as a voluntary framework.
Commenting on the guidance, Dame Mary Marsh, who led on drafting the principles said: “It has been a privilege to lead this important piece of work and I would like to thank all those who contributed so thoughtfully.
“These principles demonstrate how much we all want to live our values in everything we do and show the public that charities aim to be places where everyone meets the highest ethical standards.’
NCVO chief executive, Sir Stuart Etherington added: “NCVO is pleased to have supported the development of the Charity Ethical Principles. I hope they will be widely used by charities in their decision making and in the development of their policies and procedures. This work does not end here and we are open to further development of this important guidance once organisations have started to use it as part of their decision making.’
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Lauren Weymouth
14/01/19
Charities face a financially challenging year ahead as a result of Brexit uncertainty, tight government budgets and a slow economy, the NCVO has warned.
According to the membership body’s annual report, The Road Ahead, charities are cautioned to be aware that a weak pound, high inflation and declining investment in the UK leave the economy and many beneficiaries ‘fragile’.
The NCVO’s research highlights that despite record jobs growth, the average pay packet remains £11 a week lower in real terms than before the financial crisis, while those who rely on benefits will also continue to feel their disposable income ‘squeezed’ over the coming year.
This could in turn have ‘bleak’ consequences for some beneficiaries, and charities delivering services such as debt relief, housing support and foodbanks are likely to see demand continue, the report claims.
“The uncertainty around Brexit makes it difficult to accurately predict where the UK economy will go over the coming year, although most experts remain downbeat about the short-term prospects,” NCVO senior finance analyst, Paul Winyard said.
“While government finances have somewhat improved since last year’s Road Ahead, limited growth and existing spending commitments made by government mean pressure on voluntary sector funding and support is likely to continue for the foreseeable future,” he added.
NCVO director of public policy and volunteering, Karl Wilding added: “I hope trustees and senior managers will use Road Ahead as a tool to reflect on how the wider environment will impact their own organisations, so they can feel prepared for what 2019 might bring.”
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Louise Thomson
11/01/19
Last year, the charity sector struggled with safeguarding concerns, reputational management issues, GDPR panic, executive pay and a new strategic intent from the Charity Commission, which continues to focus on and raise the bar on public trust. Has there ever been a busier time for governance advisers and practitioners? Probably, but governance just didn’t make the headlines then in the way that it does today.
The charity sector wasn’t alone in its governance challenges: do Carillion, Patisserie Valerie, Nissan, FIFA (again) and the PFA ring a bell with anyone? It is worth noting that some of the developments arising from governance failures in the commercial sector will likely impact the charity sector in the coming year. But let’s take a little look back before we scan forward.
2018 brought in the following charity governance developments:
• GDPR
• Changes to the Charities SORP
• Implementation of the remaining provisions of the Charities Act 2016
• DCMS’ third sector strategy
• NCVO’s Charity Ethical Principles
• Scotland’s Governance Code for the Third Sector
• The Charity Digital Code
• Civil Society Futures’ final report with challenges to change governance thinking in terms of PACT – power, accountability, connection, trust – and in terms of ensuring the sector’s ongoing relevance to the wider public.
For 2019, and beyond, the governance opportunities and challenges will continue to demand time from charity boards and regulators. Some matters will be familiar and others less so.
Safeguarding, and especially the requirement to report serious incidents to the Charity Commission, will continue to exercise many charity boards, with some organisations significantly increasing the number of reports they submit each year. With safeguarding taking on a very broad definition under the reporting regime, trustees and their advisers will need to spend more time thinking about the implications of adverse and unplanned actions and behaviours that put others at risk. Such considerations will also require trustees to review their communications strategy in order to deal with any media interest as a result of reporting serious incidents to the regulator.
There may have been a concentration of activity in the sector to ensure organisations were GDPR ready, however it does not mean that all the work has been done and does not need to be reviewed or revised. It is unlikely that the ICO or the media interest in the sector’s practices will diminish, which in turn means that it should not entirely disappear from the board’s agenda.
Ethics
The embedding of the Charity Ethical Principles will require attention by boards, especially as to what ethical considerations are taken into account when making decisions and how the principles are embedded within internal codes of conduct and staff handbooks. Allied to that will be a re-invigorated push for charitable companies to demonstrate their application of s172 of the Companies Act for the wider interests of stakeholders.
For those that may need reminding, s172 states: “A director of a company must act in the way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole, and in doing so have regard (amongst other matters) to the likely consequences of any decision in the long term, the interests of the company’s employees, the need to foster the company’s business relationships with suppliers, customers and others, the impact of the company’s operations on the community and the environment, the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct, and the need to act fairly between members of the company”.
Though this is something that is making more of an impact in commercial entities, it would be a wise board that looked at this matter too, even if there is a belief that the sector already does it better.
Following The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (UK) v HM Attorney General and others [2017] EWHC 1379 (Ch) ruling on the fiduciary duties of members of charitable companies, revised guidance from the Charity Commission will likely be produced to clarify the Commission’s approach to the matter. This, in turn, will require boards of membership bodies to think about their governance arrangements and ensure they are proportionate and appropriate.
Measures to improve board diversity, with particular emphasis on women and BAME candidates have been gaining traction in the commercial world over a longer period than in the charity sector. But given the communities the charity sector aims to help and represent, perhaps more impetus should be given by boards not just to recruit diverse trustees, but to ensure the workforce and volunteer corps are also suitably marbled with diversity – in its widest sense.
Reviewing the governance framework
Another development will be a planned ‘refresh’ of the Charity Governance Code. Reviewing the current version in light of the scandals and developments detailed above will be essential if the sector is to build robust governance arrangements that can meet and withstand any future adverse publicity. While a complete revision is not envisioned, it does need to reflect and reference the changing environment in terms of ethics, safeguarding, reporting and be better placed to anticipate and minimising the impact of whatever else is lurking out there about to be exposed.
And finally, there is the ongoing ‘will they, won’t they?’ anticipation of a consultation on the Charity Commission levy. Perhaps once the Brexit dust has settled there may be the political room and inclination to grasp this particularly thorny issue.
The sector’s need to review and improve its governance framework is as urgent as it has ever been, but it is not the only sector that should reflect and revise where necessary. The demand for, and interest in, governance is not waning.
We need, therefore, to be prepared to meet and respond to any questions that suggest that it isn’t essential to the frontline. Good governance is not the destination, it is the means by which each charity fulfils its objects legally, effectively and ethically. As such, it will require all involved in governance to continue to improve and anticipate future challenges so that each organisation can deliver their stated aims for the important people and communities they serve.
Louise Thomson is head of not-for-profit at ICSA: The Governance Institute
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Antony Savvas
09/01/19
In the past few months alone, some of the larger charities, such as the British Heart Foundation and Breast Cancer Care, have launched new Amazon Alexa capabilities to allow people to donate through Alexa gadgets.
These are the beginnings of organisations in the sector using much vaunted artificial intelligence. So, by this time next year, will other charities have followed this advanced path, including the wider use of digital fundraising platforms, innovative mobile apps, gamification to deliver better results, and the adoption of cryptocurrencies as part of their digital transformation efforts? Stuart Toller, director at DAM Digital, is slightly sceptical.
“Very few charities, such as the British Heart Foundation, have enough of their digital ducks in a row that they can justify spending on new technology over spending that money on improving existing services, systems or processes,” he says.
“Whilst being the first to market with an Alexa-based help and advice service might gain some valuable publicity, it’s unlikely to significantly increase income or improve service performance and reach for the majority of charities. It’s important to keep that in mind when looking at all the new shiny things.”
Another sceptic is Ed Gairdner, chief operating officer at charitable giving platform The Good Exchange. “While some larger players are making use of the latest technologies on offer – like voice-activated tools at The British Heart Foundation and the British Red Cross – even if smaller and local charities want to use new technologies, they’re unlikely to have the necessary resources to do so,” Gairdner says.
“The charitable sector is currently operating between five and 10 years behind the commercial sector when it comes to embracing the digital revolution.”
But Krystyna Grant, head of innovation at the British Heart Foundation explains that the BHF and other larger charities have a “responsibility to our beneficiaries to keep up with the technological pace of change and meet our audience where they are online.”
“Our Amazon Alexa skill opens up a new channel for donations and allows us to engage with a new audience. Almost a quarter of people in the UK now own one or more smart home devices and around one in 10 own a smart speaker like the Amazon Echo. This is likely to grow, highlighting a huge opportunity for engaging people with our work using this type of technology. Our new skill gives us a great opportunity to test the use of voice technology in a simple way at low cost,” she explains.
“We can’t afford to ignore the changing ways in which consumers behave or the potential of new technologies to enable us to have a bigger impact on our beneficiaries.”
Facebook
Social media and advertising giant Facebook recently made its Workplace by Facebook online collaboration tool free for all not-for-profits worldwide. A number are already using the technology to help expedite the work they do, such as WWF, Save the Children and Oxfam.
WWF has been using Workplace to power Earth Hour, its global movement to help protect different species and the planet. Annette Gevaert, head of Workplace for Good at Facebook, says: “Social media and collaboration platforms have become incredibly powerful assets for charities in 2018, and this will continue into 2019 and beyond.”
WWF has been using Workplace to increase awareness and engagement of their events. WWF’s annual conference was traditionally attended by senior stakeholders and C-level executives alone, but is now broadcast to the charity’s entire worldwide staff via Workplace live (HD streaming within Workplace).
“Features such as this led to employee engagement increasing by more than 200% and has given WWF the opportunity to gain valuable insight and suggestions from its employees at all levels,” Gevaert explains.
The Workplace mobile app also gives WWF employees in the field the ability to share photos and videos with headquarters or other teams easily. And auto-translation tools help break down cultural or linguistic barriers.
Also using Workplace, Save the Children volunteers were able to highlight the refugee crisis from boats in the Mediterranean back to their headquarters in real-time via live video streaming. Not only is this solution free, it also uses the familiar Facebook user interface, so there should be a smooth technology “buy-in” among staff at organisations of all sizes.
Mobile for giving
Generating hard cash through donors’ every day purchases is now a growing opportunity. The Give as you Live app is one of several that is now being taken up by charities. Annabelle Risdon, director and head of partnerships at shopping and fundraising website Give as you Live, says: “With cash use declining, many charities know how difficult it is to do traditional fundraising these days, so having other options is vital. That said, many charities don’t have the resources to build their own technology to fundraise digitally.”
To help solve this problem, the Give as you Live mobile app became available this year on Apple iOS, with an Android version for other devices due out in early 2019. Shoppers can use the app to raise money for charities as they buy things at more than 4,300 retailers.
The Border Collie Trust, located in Staffordshire, is one of the many charities benefitting. Recently, it had to relocate its kennels to make way for the HS2 high-speed rail link. Through the app and other digital assets provided by Give as you Live, the charity raised more than £10,000.
Lyn Prodger, corporate partnerships manager at children’s charity my AFK, another organisation using the app, says: “We’ve got hundreds of Give as you Live supporters who’ve raised more than £10,000 for my AFK. The unrestricted funding we receive helps fund specialist mobility equipment, employment opportunities and training for the disabled young people we work with.”
Cryptocurrencies for good
There are millions of computers that are left idle, so why not put them to good use to raise money for charity? Cudo is a technology that turns unused or wasted computing power into cryptocurrency.
Whilst computers are idling, Cudo uses this spare capacity to generate income for charities by “mining” for electronic currency. So far, Cudo Donate has been adopted by The Children’s Air Ambulance and War Child. Founder Matt Hawkins’ mission is to “raise $1bn for charity within the next five years”.
Hawkins says: “From UNICEF to the RNLI, charities are waking up to the immense power of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology [the secure data sharing and transaction system]. Using a technology-driven approach should allow charities to attract a new, younger but also tech-savvy demographic.
“This could be of critical importance when you consider that the average age of supporters for some charities is 60 plus. Who will replace this demographic if charities can’t attract the youth of today?”
Hawkins explains that cryptocurrencies do not have to replace any existing revenue streams, but could attract new supporters. “For example, many charities use direct debits to get people signed-up and committed to a payment stream. Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology does away with the need for direct debits and may attract a different kind of supporter, who either doesn’t want the hassle of setting up a DD, or worries about the security implications of having their financial data with a third party,” says Hawkins.
Gamification and measuring impact
It’s hard to collect data on the impact of campaigns, even though this is important to help raise future funds. Makerble aims to make it easier to collect the information by using gamification. It helps charities collaborate on projects, track individual beneficiaries, collect survey results, analyse progress towards outcomes and share ideas.
Wave Trust’s 70/30 Network is a grassroots campaign that has become a national movement powered by the Makerble platform, and The African Foundation for Development is now using Makerble to streamline its impact measurement and frameworks for reporting back to funders.
Charities can start for free, then upgrade if they need to, picking the services that are right for their needs. Charities with an annual income of less than £50,000 can apply for a year’s free pass on the platform.
“Impact measurement doesn’t have to be boring, we can make it fun, easy and accessible, with user-friendly tools and games,” says Makerble. The system replaces paper-based forms, surveys and spreadsheets with an all-in-one tool that staff, volunteers and donors can hopefully enjoy using.
All these technologies do not involve charities having to rip out the systems they already use, they are designed to complement what they have, which is a safer and more gradual approach to digital transformation.
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Charity Times
21/12/18
Last year, Brexit dominated headlines. Reeling in from the wrath of the referendum, 2017 was very much a year of ifs and buts. Whilst 2018 has not been any less uncertain, it has simultaneously been a year this sector is unlikely to forget.
Safeguarding
Brexit was well and truly trumped this year by safeguarding (or lack of). It became the new buzzword – the topic at the forefront of every conference, seminar and public speech. It was an issue that started with a news story and quickly spiralled into an endemic sector crisis.
Of course it all started with Oxfam. In February this year, Oxfam was accused of covering up for senior aid workers, who allegedly used prostitutes while working in earthquake-hit Haiti. According to a 2011 report seen by The Times, Oxfam allowed three men to resign from their positions and sacked four male employees for gross misconduct, after they launched an inquiry into sexual exploitation, bullying and intimidation.
The newspaper revealed one of the men who was granted resignation without disciplinary action was the charity’s country director in Haiti, Roland van Hauwermeiren, who had admitted to using prostitutes at the property rented for him by Oxfam with charitable funds. The incidents, which allegedly took place shortly after the Haiti earthquake in 2010, were raised by a whistle-blower who claimed the men had partaken in “sex parties” at the residence.
Oxfam subsequently launched an inquiry into the allegations, which also included the downloading of pornography, and noted there was a “culture of impunity”, that meant other members of staff didn’t feel they were able to speak up about the inappropriate incidents.
Naturally, following the revelations, Oxfam was accused of helping to cover up the scandal, by allowing Hauwermeiren to resign before the investigation had closed. But Oxfam certainly didn’t sit back and take it. After having its name branded across almost every newspaper possible, it took a number of steps to react appropriately to the allegations.
The first in a series of responses from Oxfam came in the form of a ‘package of measures’ unveiled by the charity’s chair, Caroline Thomson. In a statement published shortly after the story hit the headlines, Thomson said she “shares the anger and shame that behaviour like that highlighted in 2011 happened in our organisation”.
“In the words of our chief executive Mark Goldring, we are ashamed of what happened. We apologise unreservedly. We have made big improvements since 2011 and today I commit that we will improve further.”
However, no package of measures could prevent the charity from suffering any immediate effects. Within a matter of days, the charity had lost over 7,000 regular donors, later resulting in a considerable amount of cuts, reportedly worth £16 million.
The charity’s chief executive has also since announced he will be stepping down from the post, welcoming CIVICUS chief Danny Sriskandarajahr to the role instead. Upon the announcement, Goldring said he believed “fresh vision and energy” were required to shape Oxfam’s future as it implements the lessons learned from its past safeguarding mistakes.
Further reputational issues
Oxfam wasn’t the only charity to suffer a blow to its reputation, however. Save the Children’s handling of allegations of misconduct and harassment against its staff also became a topic of interest this year.
The charity was under public scrutiny after it emerged concerns had been raised about inappropriate comments made by former chief executive Justin Forsyth. Two trustees carried out two separate investigations into complaints made by three female employees that resulted in an “unreserved apology” from Forsyth, according to a Save the Children statement in February.
Save the Children subsequently made public details of two reviews of behaviour and culture at the charity, after leaked extracts were published by the BBC. This found failures in the way the complaints had been handed and was critical of the management culture at the time, finding “evidence of uncomfortable and/or unsafe behaviour towards colleagues at Save the Children UK”.
The charity also established an independent review in February, led by organisational ethics expert Dr Suzanne Shale”, into its workplace culture and met with the Commission at the time, as well as over 2015/16, to discuss allegations of harassment and misconduct.
Regulatory intervention
Following both safeguarding failures, the Charity Commission was quick to set out steps to improve safeguarding among the charity sector. The regulator said it had concerns that Oxfam may not have “fully and frankly” disclosed material details about the allegations at the time in 2011, its handling of the incidents since, and the impact that these have both had on public trust and confidence.
The Commission’s chief executive, Helen Stephenson met with the Secretary of State for International Development in February and claimed they both agreed that charities need to do more to ensure high standards of safeguarding and set the right culture and tone at the top and are committed to ensuring that this is the case.
“It is vital that trustees set a culture within their charity that prioritises safeguarding so that it is safe for those affected to come forward and report incidents and concerns with the assurance they will be handled sensitively and properly by charities,” she said.
“Full and frank disclosure to the regulator and the relevant authorities, nationally and internationally, is also key. Everybody has the right to be safe, and the public rightly expects charities to be safe and trusted places for all who they come into contact with.”
Civil society strategy
This year, the sector also witnessed the introduction of the government’s new Civil Society Strategy, which unveiled a number of changes to “strengthen the organisations, which hold our society together”.
Some of the government’s main announcements included releasing £20m from dormant charitable assets and placing the funds into grassroots community organisations. The inactive funds will also be plugged into the improvement of the take-up of the Social Value Act.
Upon announcing the consultation for the new strategy, Minister for sport and civil society, Tracey Crouch said the strategy is an opportunity to “explore ways to build partnerships between public sector bodies and charities, to mobilise resources and expertise and find new solutions to the problems the charity sector faces.
“It will reaffirm the value that government places on civil society. It will explore what more government can do to support its work,” Crouch said.
The strategy also pledged to strengthen corporate social responsibility by setting up a new Leadership Group with senior figures from business, investment and social sectors. It also promises to ensure charity trustees reflect the communities they serve.
Digital
Digital also featured heavily in the strategy, with the government pledging to launch regional pilots to trial creative ways of involving people in local democracy, such as through online polls for community decisions.
Following the announcement in the strategy, the government also announced plans to grant £1m to charities in need of support for digital skills, which Jeremy Wright, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said will fund training to help charities develop a better understanding of how technology can make it easier for them to achieve their goals.
A separate Charity Digital Code was also published in the latter part of this year, designed to provide charities with practical advice on incorporating technology into their work.
A need for the Code was recognised following the Lloyds Bank UK Business Digital Index 2017, which showed only 48 per cent of charities have full basic digital skills, and 50 per cent of charity leaders lack confidence in introducing digital change.
Minister shake-up
In other news this year, Tracey Crouch resigned from her role as charities minister due to a delay in changes to betting rules.
The former minister for sport, civil society and loneliness, who is responsible for wide range of cultural issues including charities, said it is with “great sadness” to have resigned from “one of the best jobs in government”.
The resignation follows reports of Crouch’s ‘fury’ after the government made an announcement in the Budget to delay plans to cut the maximum stake for fixed odds betting terminals from £100 down to £2.
Crouch, along with former Culture Secretary, Matt Hancock, reportedly pushed hard for this policy, which was designed to reduce the negative impact excessive gambling can have on society.
Following Crouch’s departure, Mims Davies, who is the MP for Eastleigh, was unveiled as her successor, taking on the wide-range of responsibilities the role involves, including sport, charities, horse racing, the National Lottery and society lotteries. The role also now involves work on loneliness.
Despite calls for the role to be split up, with many charity leaders arguing civil society requires a role of its own, there is still no sign of the position changing.
Davies was previously a minister in the Wales Office and has been a government whip since the beginning of the year. In 2017, she ran the London Marathon in aid of Cardiac Risk in the Young, raising over £1,000. She is also a trustee for military charity, Building Heroes.
Commenting on the appointment, ACEVO CEO, Vicky Browning, said: “It is great for the sector that we have a minister who has demonstrated her commitment and passion for charities by running the marathon in aid of a charity and by holding a trustee position in a small armed forces charity.
“Like her predecessor, it seems she will not need to be convinced of the value of charities but, also like her predecessor Mims Davies has a large brief and it is important that she demonstrates her belief in the value of charities by prioritising the implementation of the civil society strategy.”
“Charities and their boards don’t always help themselves when it comes to recruiting new trustees. With 90 per cent recruited by ‘word of mouth’ and only 10 per cent of trustee positions advertised (according to Getting on Board research), it is unsurprising that charities regularly report that trustee recruitment is challenging.”
“Individual trustees must be honest in the self-reflection of their performance and commitment. As human beings however, and for the best of intentions, we are not always that honest with ourselves. Unfortunately, this lack of self-awareness can have a real and adverse impact on those causes for which we claim to be working.”
“Contrary to my initial expectations, it became apparent that partnering with small local charities was not the answer. The key to the long-term sustainability and growth of the charity would only come with a larger national organisation, who could offer a much greater scope for expansion without compromising on our values and would help us retain our individual identity.”
“Funding for charities from the EU is currently worth at least £258m a year. Brexit will inevitably put this at risk, putting even greater pressure on everyone in the sector. Right now, the situation is that there is greater need and less money. With around 163,000 charities in the UK the desire to support good causes is there, but most have a very low income.”
“Wherever you are on the politics of this, there is one thing we must all do now – speak up for our beneficiaries. If you haven’t already done so, make representations to your MPs. Your voice is critical and we are fast running out of time for consideration to be given to the issues of most importance to our sector.”
The past few years have proven to be a huge challenge for fundraisers, who have had to work against a backdrop of media scrutiny and greater competition. Will 2019 be any lighter on the chaos? Becky Slack explores.
Fewer people are giving to charity but they are also donating more. This was the result of CAF’s UK Giving 2018 report, which reported a sector income of £10.3 billion, up from £9.7 billion the previous year. The figures also pushed the nation up five places to sixth in CAF’s 2018 World Giving Index.
“This is down to the incredible work of the fundraising community who inspire people to give and connect with the causes they care about,” a spokesperson for the Institute of Fundraising said at the time.
Finally – a positive story for fundraisers who, over recent years, have battled against a volatile economy, continued austerity measures, media scrutiny and much greater competition. Will 2018 be remembered more favourably than others? And what could 2019 have in store?
Time to wave goodbye to cash?
While traditional forms of donating remain popular for now – for example, cash remains the most common way of giving money to charity, with over half (55%) making gifts in this way – charities are mindful that this is likely to change and are taking steps to adapt.
For instance, UK Finance’s 2018 report, UK Payment Markets, showed that contactless payments have increased by 97%, meaning for the first time in the UK, payments by debit card are more common than cash. Charities are paying attention to this with Teenage Cancer Trust, Sue Ryder Care, Mary’s Meals, Blue Cross and the Barbican among those who have begun to use contactless technologies within their fundraising.
Spitalfields Music is another. Since June, it has been using contactless to collect donations at its performances. “We found it difficult to find a supplier at first,” explains the charity’s director of O development, Dominic Haddock.
“Lots of pilots had been set up a year or two ago, which hadn’t yet been reviewed and understood, and some companies were waiting for this analysis before bringing on new partners. We found ourselves stuck in the middle with nowhere to go. Then luckily, we found Good Box.
“We adjust the amount to be taken depending on the type of event we are holding, and we make an announcement at the start of the performance so that people know to expect it. Donors seem to be really enjoying it. For many of them, it’s the first time they’ve used it, so they find it quite fun.”
However, he reminds charities that the lack of data collection provided by contactless means this is a facility to “replace a bucket rather than develop a new giving programme”.
Digital adoption
Overall, the charity sector is still grappling with new and digital technologies. Hindered by a lack of skills and confidence, adoption of digital tools and platforms is lower than most organisations would like. Salesforce’s 2018 Nonprofit Trends Report, which looked at charities in the UK, North America and Australasia, found that while 60% use social engagement platforms for fundraising, only a third use “community platforms to connect stakeholders and marketing automation systems to foster personalised journeys”.
However, that looks set to change in the coming months and years: “While only 5% of non-profits have AI capabilities, that figure is forecasted to skyrocket by 361% over the next two years. The prevalence of constituent-facing mobile apps is poised to rise by 174% within the same time period, and the use of marketing automation is set to double”, the report said.
Retail trends
Digital is also playing an important role within charity retail. A trend that has continued from last year, there has been a large increase in online sales of goods via third-party websites with charities experiencing an 18% increase in this income year-on-year. However, this was tempered by a large decrease in sales through charities’ own websites of almost a third, meaning that overall online sales have increased by 2%.
The Charity Retail Association (CRA) confirmed that charities are feeling positive about the role digital plays within their retail businesses, with 89% expecting their online sales to grow in 2018/19 and none predicting a drop.
“Charity retailers are becoming more proficient in selecting which donated items to put online and using more expertise in displaying them. Retailers have realised that it can be valuable to list niche items online, so they are more likely to reach their target audience,” Matt Kelcher, head of Public Affairs and Research at the CRA says.
On the high street, the picture is also one of confidence. While the number of charity shops fell by 119 in the first six months of 2018, according to figures from the Local Data Company, this does not necessarily mean they are experiencing difficulties.
“Some charity chains are opening new stores, others are closing some outlets to consolidate their position. Shop closures are not necessarily a sign of problems, particularly as the charity retail sector is outperforming the commercial retail sector on high street as a whole,” Kelcher says.
GDPR
Time consuming, complicated, and in many cases, expensive to implement, the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implemented this year pushed data collection and data management to the top of many fundraising agendas. Ensuring compliance with the rules has not been an easy process for many organisations, particularly those such as Cats Protection, which have complex organisational structures.
“Much like everyone else, GDPR has been our main challenge for 2018. For us it was especially difficult as we have over 250 branches and adoption centres. We’ve managed to tackle the challenge head on through a GDPR working group, which involved a lot of our digital fundraising manager’s expertise and a specialised email project team to support our branches.”
While it is still very early days, it would appear that the hard work is paying off. The ICO pointed to its recent audit of eight large charities, which showed “a great deal of positives as well as areas that can be improved upon”, while the Fundraising Regulator said: “We’ve been particularly impressed with the proactive and progressive way in which the sector has risen to the challenges posed by GDPR.”
However, this does not mean the sector can rest on its laurels. More data regulation is on the horizon in the form of the EU ePrivacy Regulation, the draft of which is scheduled for 2019. It will update regulation around electronic direct marketing, including social media, and will deal with important issues such as confidentiality of information, treatment of traffic data, spam and cookies.
The Fundraising Regulator has confirmed it will be producing guidance to help charities prepare for any changes they may need to make as a result of the new regulation.
Charities rule
In addition to GDPR, 2018 saw a complete overhaul of the Code of Fundraising Practice by the Fundraising Regulator and a new, updated version being published for consultation.
Multiple changes over the years had made the Code complex, unwieldy and in places unnecessarily repetitive, so the revamp aims to simplify things. The new version was open to consultation during the latter part of 2018. Following this will be a full and technical legal review, with the new code scheduled for publication in March 2019.
This year also saw the Regulator bedding in, with its second birthday, the collection of 94% of its target levy, and an increased number of small charities engaging with it. Its profile in the wider world also increased, said a spokesperson: “For the year 2017 to 2018, we answered 1,325 enquiries, received nearly web 180,000 visitors and over 5,000 newsletter subscribers, while FPS has received over 20,000 suppressions.”
Elsewhere, the Charity Commission launched a new statement of strategic intent, which includes an enhanced focus on ensuring charities live up to their purpose and the high expectations of the public.
“Charities should fundraise responsibly in order to pay the generous public the respect it deserves. Our guidance for trustees is clear that decisions around raising funds should consider a charity’s best interests and not be at odds with its values,” Sarah Atkinson, director of policy, planning and communications says.
Diversity in fundraising
The increased focus on diversity within the workplace was embraced by the fundraising community in 2018.
The Institute of Fundraising has been leading the charge on this front – beginning with the foundation of an equality, diversity and inclusion panel; the launch of an access fund to support fundraisers from minority backgrounds to attend Convention, and the publication of a Manifesto for Change, which has set out how the Institute aims to become an exemplary employer as well as how it can support the fundraising profession to be the same. Expect much more focus on this through 2019.