After some years of inactivity, the Commission is now proactively checking on whether charities have complied with their governance guidance. The checks are focused around whether there is compliance to the regulatory alert that the Commission issued last June. This is focused on larger charities but all charities need to be aware of this new more investigative stance. Read on
It’s never easy for any charity to turn down or return donations, particularly at the moment when many charities are struggling to raise money and need to be more creative in fundraising. The decision is rarely straightforward and it’s important not to lose sight of the situations where you can (and in some cases should) refuse a donation.
Charities are of course obliged to accept donations and they should only refuse or return them in exceptional circumstances
In some situations it’s clear a donation should be refused, for example where significant ‘red flags’ are found during due diligence checks on a donor, where a donor lacks capacity, or where donor conditions are too onerous or unlawful. However, outside these more straightforward scenarios are more difficult situations where a donation carries a concern about potential reputational or other damage to a charity. Read on
Third Sector have reported that charities are being urged to provide evidence about how the sector can ‘unleash its potential’ as part of a two-year inquiry into the future of the voluntary sector. The Law Family Commission on Civil Society is a two-year initiative that aims to examine how the potential of civil society can be unlocked across the UK. Read the article here.
The Charity Commission have put together a trustee toolkit to encourage charity trustees to refresh their knowledge and be certain they’re up to date on government guidance. View the toolkit here.
Tania Mason shares some inspiring stories of how charities have stepped up in response to the pandemic and assures the sector that the public is aware of its worth. Read Tania’s article here.
We continue our programme of virtual events, courses, book clubs, workshops and more throughout March – we hope you can join us.
Civil Society have reported that NCVO and Volunteering Matters are developing practical recommendations for the government about how a national volunteering passporting scheme would work. Such a scheme was one of the recommendations in a report about levelling up communities, which was compiled by Conservative MP Danny Kruger last September. To find out more about the proposals, click here.
Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) are campaigning to help charity supporters give more, and to better support the fantastic charities in the UK to meet the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis.
The sector is currently facing one of the biggest financial crises yet. This has resulted in huge falls in income, increased levels of demand for services. Therefore, needing to do more to respond to Covid-19 and care for the most at-risk and marginalised individuals and communities has created a perfect storm.
CAF are part of a coalition of charities, campaigning for a two year Gift Aid Emergency Relief package. The campaign proposes a 5% increase of Gift Aid from 20% to 25% and that the Small Donation scheme, which makes claiming gift aid easier for small charities, be extended to many more. This change could result in an additional £450m to help the sector survive the crisis and recover.
To read more about the campaign and join, click here.
Paul Ticher, author of Key Guides: Data Protection – for voluntary organisations gives us an update on how the charity sector will be affected by Data Protection changes due to Brexit. To read Paul’s article, click here.
Civil Society have reported that The Value of Small in a Big Crisis report finds that small charities responded effectively because they are distinctive in who they serve, how they carry out their work, and the role they play in their communities. Click here to read more information on the report.
sobus
20 Dawes Road, London, SW6 7EN
Telephone 020 7952 1230
Email info@sobus.org.uk
Registered Charity No.1071089
and Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No.03471416
Sobus is a new Community Development Agency for Hammersmith & Fulham. It has been created through the merger of the Community and Voluntary Sector Association Hammersmith & Fulham (CaVSA) and the Fulham Community Partnership Trust (FCPT). Building on the strengths of both organisations, sobus aims to provide a wider range of support services for local charities, community groups, social enterprises and start up businesses.