Arts Council England evaluation of Catalyst programme
Arts Council England recently published the final evaluation report for the Catalyst programme, an investment scheme helping arts organisations to diversify their income streams. The report (executive summary and full report) shows that as well as raising money the programme has left a legacy for participants in increased skills, confidence and the longer-term resilience of the sector.
The evaluation also provides practical ideas for how to shape future fundraising strategies, has a bank of case studies from funded organisations across the country, and identifies a range of good practices and approaches to fundraising.
Small Charitable Donations and Childcare Payments Act
The Small Charitable Donations and Childcare Payments Act 2017 will come into force from 6 April this year. The act makes a number of amendments to the legislation which underpins the gift aid small donations scheme (GASDS), introduced in April 2013. The purpose of these changes is to simplify the scheme and extend access to smaller and newer charities. The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on the act.
The gift aid donor benefits rules, which set out the circumstances in which charities can provide a benefit to a donor and still claim gift aid, are currently being consulted on by the Treasury. NCVO will be responding to the consultation alongside other sector bodies, emphasising the need for the rules to be simplified, and cater to the different needs of smaller and larger fundraising programmes.
Institute of Fundraising’s Fundraising Convention
Taking place 3-5 July at The Barbican in London, the Fundraising Convention is the largest event for professional fundraisers in Europe and brings together a mix of experience from the charity sector, engaging attendees through multiple sessions per day, within broad themes.
Fundraising and Regulatory Compliance Conference
Look out for the Fundraising and Regulatory Compliance Conference. Aimed at helping charities and other fundraising groups comply with the law, it will be held at Manchester Town Hall on Tuesday 21 February. It’s jointly organised by the ICO, Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator, and will set out the regulatory requirements and expectations for fundraising bodies and their boards under current and forthcoming data protection legislation.
Best of the fundraising blogs
- Five predictions for the future of fundraising – Beth Kanter
- What can British fundraisers learn from US ‘rage giving’? – Susie Hills
- How to craft a killer thank you letter – Gail Perry
Other fundraising and sustainability news
New funding programme for ‘problem prevention’ focused charities
Does your charity have a strong focus on ‘problem prevention’? Apply now to receive financial and professional support for two years from the CAF Resilience programme, Together with grant funding of up to £50,000 per year to use appropriately, each selected organisation will receive bespoke expert advice and training – this support will be tailored to each organisation’s needs. The closing date for applications is soon upon us, however: 14.00, Friday 10 February.
Launch of new Life Chances Fund policy themes
The Life Chances Fund (LCF) is an £80m fund, which aims to help those people in society who face the most significant barriers to leading happy and productive lives. The Cabinet Office and Department for Culture, Media and Sport is now accepting expressions of interest on the themes of early years and young people. Information on possible cohorts, interventions, and outcomes is included in the guidance documents about early years and young people. Expressions of interest are due by 31 March 2017, with other themes open to applications in June 2017.
Rise of the contactless charity box
The Telegraph reports that contactless charity boxes may be more widely introduced after a major trial involving organisations including Oxfam and the NSPCC..
Training and events
Go to the training and events section of our website to see all of our upcoming events.
NCVO Annual Conference 2017: Leading with purpose
Thursday 20 April, London
Hear Sir Stuart Etherington’s state of the sector address and further your professional development in expert-led workshops on topics including funding, volunteering and impact. Book by Friday 10 February for your 10% early bird discount. Find out more and book your place today.
NCVO/BWB Trustee Conference 2017
Tuesday 14 November, London
Register your interest for more information about this conference as it becomes available.
Upcoming training
- Certificate in Financial Sustainability – starts 21 February
- EU registration options for NGOs – Preparing UK-based NGOs for Brexit – 21 February
- Make Your Charity More Efficient – 24 February
- Understanding the numbers: Financial intelligence for trustees – 3 March
- Developing your theory of change – 9 March
- Cyber security and privacy essentials – 10 March
- Writing successful bids – 5 May
- Charity finance for non-financial managers – 9 June
You can always contact us about training or consultancy support. And if you have anything you think we should include in next month’s round-up, please do drop me a line.
Funding Central – find funding for your organisation
Funding Central is an NCVO website giving voluntary organisations the ability to search a database of funding opportunities. Organisations with an income of under £100,000 can subscribe for free.
Richard Sved is an NCVO sustainable funding consultant. He has worked and volunteered in the charity sector for 25 years. He has led the fundraising function (in-house and as an interim) for six national charities, including National Literacy Trust, Leap Confronting Conflict and Girlguiding. 
