Public Affairs Blog

Has the pandemic put a dent in charities' political engagement?

Charities play a central role in the public debate and enable supporters to advocate for wider policy change. However findings from the recently published UK Giving Report, which looks at donor behaviour, indicate that levels of political engagement declined in 2021. In this blog we dig into key factors behind this drop. 

The Queen’s Speech 2022: Will Government make use of opportunities to improve charities’ resilience?

The Queen’s Speech focused this year on the Government’s priority of containing public spending and controlling the deficit. The consequences of Covid spending and resulting pressures on the public purse are to be mitigated mainly through economic growth. Regional growth and addressing disparities across the UK featured heavily across the 38 bills included.

Why we need to make it easier to give across borders

The crisis in Ukraine has captured global attention – and people have responded with a deep desire to help refugees and support the charities delivering aid on the front lines. Yet the war layers on top of other ongoing global crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and conflicts in other regions. Read on to find out why we need to make it easier to give across borders.

What more can funders to do to help in Ukraine?

Despite the months-long build up, the full Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the many scenes of devastation have shocked the world. In just the first few months, the UN estimated that 10 million civilians fled from their homes, including 3.5 million who have sought refuge in other countries. Beyond the initial outpouring of generosity, many are now asking what more can be done. Here are some considerations for philanthropists wanting to do more.

The holy grail of unrestricted funding- it does exist, just not in abundance

At the end of last year, Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) released a report which provided insights into the value that unrestricted funding offers and common questions that arise about how and why funders decide to use it. Read more about the report and the discussion the webinar that launched the report. 

How has the pandemic impacted our behaviours in giving to charity?

Donor behaviour has changed during the pandemic – but what drove those changes and to what extent can we expect their effects to be permanent?

Place-based Giving has enhanced local resilience

Place-Based Giving (PBG) has gained some prominence as a topic in recent years and PBG schemes saw a proliferation across the UK before the pandemic.