News
Charities & Not-for-Profit - January 2010
Shelter teams up with Nationwide
On 25 January 2010, the housing charity Shelter reported that it has teamed up with Nationwide in fundraising for the homeless. The high street building society will donate £2 for each level term life assurance and mortgage life assurance quote it makes. An added incentive for prospective customers is £50 in Marks and Spencer vouchers for taking out level term life assurance.
A Shelter spokesman that this further reinforced the already strong working relationship it has built up with Nationwide. The building society already makes regular donation to Shelter's housing aid centres in the south of the UK,
In related news, a recent survey undertaken by Shelter showed that a lack of affordable housing has been the main reason quoted by respondents for almost a fifth of 18-to-44-year-olds delaying starting a family by up to six years.
Source: http://www.cafonline.org/default.aspx?page=18704
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CAF helps UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to fund-raise effectively in the UK
On 19 January 2010, the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) announced that it is working with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to promote the agency's global protection and assistance mission and to encourage tax-efficient donations to the agency which is almost entirely supported by voluntary contributions. CAF has set up a Trust to enable the agency to take donations from members of the UK public and to boost donations through tax effective means
Details: www.cafonline.org/Default.aspx?page18664
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Government grants to transform local community buildings
The Minister for the Third Sector, Angela Smith, announced on 21 January 2010 that 96 charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises will receive over £2.27 million in grants to improve vital facilities they provide for their communities.
The grants, worth up to £30,000 each, are part of the Capital Investment Programme delivered by Capacitybuilders. They support small scale improvements to resource centres that can make a big difference for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises whose services are suffering in tough economic times.
These small scale changes can provide vital improvements to the quality and accessibility of accommodation or facilities provided by organisations: for example enabling them to add additional meeting rooms, improve technology, or provide better access to resources such as a common library.
Last year nearly £1.4 million was awarded in the first round of grants under the programme, allowing over 61 local resource centres to make improvements to their premises.
Overall, the Capital Investment Programme is worth up to £7 million. The programme is broken into three streams which mean that a wide range of frontline organisations across England will have better access to high quality and affordable shared facilities and shared services within their local area.
The Capital Investment Programme is additional to the £42.5 million package of measures announced in the Government's Real Help for Communities Action Plan in February 2009.
Source: NDS - Cabinet Office
For the full text including the Funding by Region table please go to the following link:
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/ImageLibrary/detail.aspx?MediaDetailsID=1272
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CIPFA to roll-out training programme for Third Sector commissioners
On 18 January 2010, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) announced plans to deliver a comprehensive training programme for third sector commissioners and finance staff across the public sector.
Working as part of a consortium led by Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA), the training being delivered is a major part of Phase 2 of the Government's National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning and aims to help public and third sectors to develop tools and techniques to aid a more effective working partnership.
The training programme will start in early February 2010. Delegates can book on-line. To register your interest, email cheryl.flack@idea.gov.uk.
Source: The Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accounting
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Many charities have not considered effect of 2012 pension changes
Research has suggested that almost 75 percent of charities have not considered the impact of 2012 legislative changes to pensions.
The research, carried out by the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (Acevo) and employee benefits advice firm Foster Denovo, has found that almost a third of respondents had not considered what type of pension scheme they would offer workers and almost half had not even thought about the financial aspect of auto enrolling staff into a pension scheme.
With the new laws set to come into force in 2012, larger charities are thought to have planned their future strategy but the third sector has been warned not to leave things too late and to allow time to plan proactively.
Source: Charities Aid Foundation
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Charities are toughest places to work in Britain
Recent research into workplace practices undertaken by Cardiff University and the University of Glamorgan Charities has found that charities are among the toughest places to work in Britain. The research analysed nearly 4,000 interviews with UK employees. Indicators showed that charity workers are more likely to experience intimidating behaviour from people at work and are four times more likely to be humiliated or ridiculed in connection with their work.
Respondents are more likely to report negative behaviour such as violence, threats and injury but such behaviour is often perpetrated by clients or users of third sector services.
Source: Charity Times article 11/1/2010
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Fundraisers trustee campaign launch
The Institute of Fundraising (IOF) launched a campaign on 12 January 2010 urging its members to volunteer on the boards of charities. The campaign has been launched as a direct response to feedback from members indicating that lack of understanding by charity trustees often leads to unrealistic expectation of fundraisers.
The IOF believe more fundraisers serving on trustee boards would increase levels of support to fellow fundraisers & help individuals develop a greater level understanding of how things work, which will in turn lead to increased revenue for charities. It also provides a great opportunity for developing leadership and governance skills.
The campaign document, titled Career-long Learning for Excellent Fundraising was put out for consultation with the sector in 2009.
Source and full article: Institute of Fundraising
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Social enterprises working with prisons and probation services
On 11 January 2010, the Ministry of Justice published details of research on the work of social enterprises with prisons and probation services in England. Social enterprises are businesses that operate for a social purpose.
The report shows that social enterprises are involved in a substantial amount of work in providing education, training and employment support to help reduce reoffending.
The report also identifies ways in which the National Offender Management Service and the sector can develop further productive partnerships, both locally and nationally. It was produced as part of an action research programme funded by the Office of the Third Sector and the European Social Fund.
Source: www.justice.gov.uk/latest-updates/social-enterprise-prison-probation.htm
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Tax relief on charitable donations being missed
On 9 January 2010, research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) estimated that over £250 million of tax relief on charitable donations was being missed out on by higher-rate tax payers.
With self assessment tax returns due to be completed and returned by 31 January 2010, the CAF has predicted the level of taxpayers failing to claim on their charitable donations.
In 2009, £280 million was claimed in tax relief. The CAF reported that around 50 percent of taxpayers were ignorant of the fact that they could reclaim 20 percent personal tax relief on their charitable donations.
Charities could be losing out to the taxman as the difference between 20 percent and 40 percent tax paid on donations can either be given to a charity, or claimed back by the donor. For every £100 donated the charity would receive £160.20 in total.
The Government is looking at the rules regarding Gift Aid - there are concerns that the higher-rate tax relief on donations may be withdrawn in the future.
Mike Packham, Head of Private Clients at the CAF, advised taxpayers to take advantage of the relief while it was still available.
Source and access to full report: Charities Aid Foundation
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Save the Children charity shops hit by weather
Save the Children charity shops have been affected by the adverse weather conditions hitting the UK, it was reported on 11 January 2010. According to UK Fundraising, demand for warm clothing has greatly increased but donations have dropped due to the treacherous winter weather conditions discouraging people from venturing out. To counteract this, the charity is also offering a freepost delivery service from all Post Offices so people can donate easily without charge. It also called for large retailers to donate unwanted items.
The Save the Children charity aims to support families on a tight budget over the winter period by providing cheap, warm clothing.
For every £1 donated to Save the Children, 85p is spent on improving the lives of young people in the UK and abroad, with only 15p in spent on fundraising and campaigning.
Source and access to full report: Charities Aid Foundation
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Opposition to 'exempt charity' status for academy schools
Paul Jump reported in Third Sector Online on 8 January 2010 that the Charity Commission says removing schools from charity register would damage public confidence in the schools and in charity generally.
The Charity Commission has urged MPs to oppose a clause in the Children, Schools and Families Bill that would turn academy schools into exempt charities.
Academy schools, which were introduced by the Labour Government in 2000, are registered charities, accountable to the commission. But the Bill, which had its second reading on 8 January 2010, would exempt them from registration and automatically deem them to be charitable. The 200 existing academy schools would be removed from the charity register and overseen directly by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.
In a briefing for MPs, the Commission describes the move as a "retrograde step, at odds with the direction of government policy on exempt charities". The briefing says the spirit of the Charities Act 2006 was to stop the creation of new classes of exempt charities. Under the provisions of the Act, many formerly exempt charities are now required to register with the commission.
Source: Third Sector article
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