The charities regulator for England and Wales published its annual report for 2007-08.
Source: Report of the Charity Commission for England and Wales for the Year Ending 31 March 2008, HC 574, Charity Commission for England and Wales, TSO (0870 600 5522) Links: Report
Date: 2008-Jul
A briefing paper examined the real and perceived value of volunteering and giving. Participation in one activity was positively correlated with the other, with active volunteers giving more money than non-volunteers.
Source: Nick Ockenden, Valuing Time and Money: The real and perceived value of volunteering and giving, Institute for Volunteering Research (020 7520 8900)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2008-Jun
A briefing paper examined two forms of tax-efficient giving – Gift Aid and payroll giving. The majority of Gift Aid users (86 per cent) said using Gift Aid had no impact on the total amount they gave to charity. By contrast, payroll giving had increased the amount respondents gave to charity, either because existing givers gave more (39 per cent) or new givers started giving (17 per cent).
Source: Natalie Low, Looking the Gift Horse in the Mouth: Making use of Gift Aid and payroll giving, Institute for Volunteering Research (020 7520 8900)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2008-Jun
The government announced (in the Budget, following consultation) that it would maintain existing rates of tax relief on 'Gift Aid' donations to charity for at least a further three years, instead of being cut in line with the new lower basic rate of tax from April 2008 – saving charities around £90 million a year.
Source: Budget 2008: Stability and opportunity – building a strong, sustainable future, HC 388, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Consultation on Gift Aid: The Government's Response, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558)
Links: Budget Report | Response to consultation | Hansard | HMT press release | CAF press release | NCVO press release | CFDG press release | NAVCA press release | CofE press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Mar
A think-tank report examined 'philanthrocapitalism' – the idea of making non-profit organizations operate like businesses, and creating new markets for goods and services that benefit society. There was no evidence that such an approach provided a cure for social inequality; and the increasing concentration of wealth and power among philanthrocapitalists was unhealthy for democracy. The use of business thinking could damage civil society and its potential for social transformation.
Source: Michael Edwards, Just Another Emperor? The myths and realities of philanthrocapitalism, Demos and Young Foundation, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Mar
A report said that the largest 100 charitable family foundations in the United Kingdom gave about £908 million in 2005-06, around one-third of all foundation giving.
Source: Cathy Pharoah, Family Foundation Philanthropy, Centre for Charity Effectiveness/Cass Business School (020 7040 8667)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Feb