Robbie Macmillan, 22-year old graduate, Founder and Chairman of Children of Rwanda, a new charity promoting children's health and education in the western part of Rwanda, is contributing to our blog this week.
The charity world has a conflicted attitude towards companies. Our concern is that the relationship between companies and charities is becoming ever blander.
Charities face tough battles ahead on campaigning with many MPs – particularly Conservatives – new research shows. Two thirds of Conservative MPs think that the charity sector is too political, and one third think that charities should not campaign in Parliament at all.
It’s been a tough summer for charities in the media. From executive pay to fundraising practices, the third sector is experiencing a level of scrutiny they are unused to (and some would say unprepared for).
In recent times the charity sector has moved well beyond the idea that “brand” is only for the commercial sector and that engaging in any sort of advertising distracts charities’ focus from their core values and compassion.
The Conservative Party rarely talks about the Big Society agenda any more since its peak in 2011. Nevertheless, the idea that communities should step in where the state has retreated remains a core feature of Conservative policy in government.
The public’s trust in charities has fallen to its lowest level in almost a decade, new research shows. Barely half of people now trust charities; a figure that sees them drop to 8th in a list of Britain’s most trusted institutions as the Armed Forces, the NHS and schools continue to lead the way.
Trust in charities falls from 53% in Spring 15 to 48% in Autumn 2015
Charities have fallen from 8th place to 12th place in just 6 months in the list of trusted public institutions
Now behind supermarkets and TV & Radio stations in levels of trust
The growing mistrust of charities in the media and among politicians calls into question how charities would like to be seen by their supporters or the wider public.
Parliamentary campaign emails allow charities to harness the power of constituents to gain valuable support from MPs, but crowded inboxes make it difficult to make an impression.
There has been much soul-searching in the charity sector in recent weeks about how it is perceived by external audiences. Do the public, or even politicians and journalists, really understand how charities work today?
