Charities blog

Charity Commission issues new investment guidance for Trustees (CC14)

The Charity Commission for England and Wales has issued updated guidance – note CC14 - for trustees seeking to invest their charity’s assets. In this review, the trustees of two charitable trusts sought the approval of the Court to the adoption of a policy that would enable their investments to be aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, as well as gain clarity over certain other issues.

3Pillars: rehabilitating young men in the criminal justice system

Each month, CAF hosts an in-depth session to learn about the inspiring work of the charities we collaborate with. These sessions provide our teams with a better understanding of the cause area the charity addresses, the challenges they face, and the impact they have on the world. This provides our teams and the donors they support with a greater level of insight. 

CAF Resilience Fund: what has Phase 2 achieved so far?

With the pandemic and subsequent cost-of-living crisis, the need for UK charities to be resilient has never been more apparent. Phase 2 of the CAF Resilience Fund is designed to help charities move beyond survival and to adapt so that they can look to the future, be sustainable and thrive. 

Why is COP27 important for charities?

The UN Climate Change Conference has now been running for almost three decades but the climate crisis continues to accelerate. What can we hope for from COP27 and what does it mean for charities? 

What do the UK Giving Report findings mean for charity fundraising?

What can the report’s findings tell us about current donor behaviour – and how can charities use the data to inform their fundraising activities?

Out of adversity comes opportunity

How can small charities navigate the economic landscape?

At the Charities Aid Foundation, we seek to support small charities with the invaluable work they do. Yet as we head into this year’s Small Charity Week, it seems far from plain sailing.

How charities can think about sustainable investing

Terms like ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) have become part of the established lexicon in the corporate world and yet only relatively recently have they been mentioned in the charity sector. Here, Alison Taylor, CEO of CAF Bank and Charity Services, explores a shift to sustainable investing and introduces the IFSL CAF ESG Fund Range. 

Trends that could impact the charity landscape in 2022

As we look forward to a year of cautious recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, what can we expect for charities in 2022 and the environment in which they operate?

Charity Fraud Awareness Week 2021

Charity Fraud Awareness Week is a campaign run by a partnership of charities, regulators, law enforcers, representative and umbrella bodies, and other not-for-profit stakeholders.

Cross-border compassion and collaboration will increase

Millions have been donated by people across the globe to help communities impacted by regional disasters and Covid-19. Cross-border compassion and collaboration driven by individual supporters have reached unprecedented levels. But civil society needs a strong and reliable framework to help facilitating it.

Creating resilient charities – what have we learnt and what should happen next

There is no debate about the extent to which the pandemic has impacted on the charity sector. Charities have had to try to remain strong through some extraordinarily difficult challenges. We analyse what we have learnt and what should happen next

Why charities and funders should invest in resilience

These days the idea of resilience is being mentioned more frequently - resilience of individuals to cope with pressure, resilience of systems to absorb shocks, and resilience of local communities to deal with external pressures. The pandemic exposed many charities to additional pressures and led to another increase in demand for services. Not only did the pandemic challenge resilience but it raised its importance and place it at the forefront of many charity leaders' minds.

Celebrating excellence with a night at the Charity Awards 2021

For over 20 years, the Charity Awards, hosted by Civil Society Media, have recognised excellence among charities, regardless of their size, location or cause. This year was no different, albeit virtually. 

Helpful tools and resources for smaller charities

Read Neil Poyton's, our Head of Charities, latest article that includes free advice and resources that could be useful to you, if you’re running or governing a smaller charity.

Charities have embraced digital during this crisis

CAF recently issued the fifth edition of our Charity Landscape report, which captures the views of charity leaders about the key challenges they face. While Covid-19 has dominated this year, one issue that we have tracked for several years has seen a notable change, namely technology and digital transformation.

Demand is up, whilst income is down – how are charities adapting?

We are seeing charities find alternative ways of delivering their services or teaming up with other charities, businesses and civic partners.

Six characteristics of a resilient charity

In reality, whether a charity is resilient can only be known when a they face difficult events or changing times. Just like those we're living through at the moment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

So what does a resilient charity look like? Beth Clarke shares six characteristics of a resilient charity and why they matter.

We’ve started to see some changes in giving behaviour during Covid-19

Charitable giving in the UK has shifted dramatically towards support for ‘hospitals and hospices’ in the weeks since the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Is this shift affecting other causes people give to, at least in the short term?

Why aren't charities more resilient?

It’s very difficult to measure in advance whether a charity is resilient. The only way to know for sure is when they are put to the test. Not many of us would have thought a global health pandemic would be the test. 

In this blog, Beth Clarke looks at how to help charities become more resilient.