A quarter of parents give to charity because their children ask them to, new research suggests. The poll, out today, also shows that the same number are talked into fundraising by their offspring and one in ten are inspired to live a healthier lifestyle.

The voluntary sector is facing up to ten years of turbulent times, warns a new report. The New Alchemy, published by research consultancy nfpSynergy, says volunteering is under-valued, under-prioritised and organisations could miss a huge opportunity by not responding to changes in society.

This is the first edition of our new measure of donor confidence. Similar to the one that measures consumer confidence, the Donor Confidence Index brings together six questions asked to the general public over the last four years to provide an invaluable indication of how they feel about charities.

Two in three volunteer managers feel they need a more powerful representative body, according to a new report. The New Alchemy, written by research consultancy nfpSynergy, also reveals that many of them feel volunteering suffers from inadequate leadership in several key areas.

Short, snappy and regular messages are the key to building public understanding of modern charities and how they work, according to a new report. “Getting the Message Across,” written by research consultancy nfpSynergy, says that there are huge misconceptions about charities and their spending, but they can be combatted with the right narrative and soundbites.

Most volunteers are now motivated by the chance to develop new and existing skills, according to a new report. ‘The New Alchemy’, written by research consultancy nfpSynergy, also says people want their experience to be personalised and flexible, rather than traditional “envelope stuffing and money-counting.

The charity sector has a great opportunity to reform Gift Aid and maximise donations if it speaks to the next government as a combined force, a new report argues. ‘Give and Let Give’, written by research consultancy nfpSynergy, evaluates Gift Aid since its inception in 1990 and argues changes are needed as it has become too complicated and bureaucratic, particularly for the small charities it was specifically set up to help.

Finding information on charity expenditure can take more than three times as long as making a donation or getting details of their services, a new report suggests. ‘Searching for Answers’, published by research consultancy nfpSynergy, also shows that success and impact stories were easy to find and transparency levels do not seem to be affected by a charity’s size.

Charities spend the bulk of their budget on direct mail, with it representing over two thirds of their spending at an average of 69% since 2006. In 2013, charities spent £238.

4 in 5 Conservatives happy for charities to provide frontline servicesHalf of MPs (47%) think it is ‘unacceptable’ for charities to pay some staff over £100k a year, while a third (35%) are in favourA survey of 480 charity staff showed 38% of them were also against it, with 47% in favour13% of MPs are happy with charities paying staff over £200k a year, with three quarters opposed (77%).