PACAC and FRSB reports
There has been more uncomfortable reading this month regarding the fundraising practices of some charities, with both the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee report into charity fundraising, and the Fundraising Standards Board Report into Charity Fundraising Practices instigated by the Mrs Olive Cooke case.
See NCVO’s response to the PACAC report.
Consultation on new fundraising guidance
A reminder that the Charity Commission is consulting on a new version of its guidance CC20 Charities and Fundraising.
Telephone fundraising
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has launched a consultation on requiring direct marketing callers to provide Calling Line Identification (CLI). CLI is a telephone number identifying a caller. The change would be introduced “in Spring 2016” by an amendment to the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR). The consultation runs until 23rd February.
Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill
The Charities Bill has now had its third reading in the House of Commons. This means the Bill, if approved, could receive Royal Assent and become law within a matter of weeks.
GASDS call for evidence
The government is holding a call for evidence to see how the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme rules could be simplified to improve uptake.
NCVO, CFG and IoF are conducting a survey to gather charities’ views on how the scheme has worked so far.
The survey closes on 12 February so there is still time to feed in your views, even if you have never used the scheme. Read why this is important and access the survey from Michael’s blog ‘Growing the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme: have your say’.
Welfare and Work bill
During the latest Lords debates, Peers voted to amend the Welfare Reform and Work Bill to make ministers report annually on income levels in the poorest families.
These important changes were championed by a number of children’s and anti-poverty charities.
But they could be overturned when the bill returns to the Commons later this year.
Housing bill
The Housing and Planning Bill is reaching its final stages in Parliament, having had its second reading in the Lords on 26 January.
Although the main aim of the bill is to make provision on housing, it will have serious implications for social housing tenure and many families.
Charities will be following closely how things progress, especially as the detail on how the bill will work in practice will be set out in regulations.
NCVO Annual Conference 2016: Creating the future for voluntary action
Join us on Monday 18 April to consider how charities have changed and what we need to do to set the agenda for tomorrow’s voluntary sector.
Hear Sir Stuart Etherington’s State of the Sector address and choose from a selection of workshops including ‘How to be a better leader’, ‘How can charities talk about inequality and make it matter?’ and ‘The future of charity regulation’.
Find out more and book your place.
Elizabeth was head of policy and public services at NCVO until 2020. 
