Third Sector

Why donate to a charity if you can just help out a fellow human yourself – or buy a piece of premium fashion that promises to generate a similar result?In episode three of The End of Charity, Lucinda Rouse explores two very different alternatives to the charity model: mutual aid theory, and the rise of buzzy “for good” business.The activist and founder of Mutual Aid UK, Eshe Kiama Zuri, discusses mutual aid as an alternative to the “oppressive dynamics” of traditional charitable structures, suggesting that charities could act more effectively and meet community needs by devolving funding to grassroots organisations.Theo Clay, the former policy manager of the think tank New Philanthropy Capital, identifies the UK’s charity "deserts" – causes and geographical areas that receive insufficient funding. And the finance and enterprise development expert Tej Dhami explores the opportunities and pitfalls for businesses looking to capitalise on socially conscious customers while attempting to solve some

Lucinda and Emily Burt are joined by Dhivya O’Connor, chief executive of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.Dhivya provides insight into her previous experiences as an interim chief executive, describing the pros and cons of holding a short-term leadership role, and stresses the importance of cultivating a healthy organisational culture from the outset.She talks about the foundation’s recent research into the use of artificial intelligence by female entrepreneurs and the need for charity leaders to be mindful of the high potential for women to face abuse in the online space.Also in the episode, senior news reporter Emily Harle shares some snippets from a recent interview with Delyth Morgan, the outgoing chief executive of Breast Cancer Now.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for further information.Tell us w

Meet Jimmy Donaldson, perhaps better known as MrBeast – the 25-year-old YouTuber who some say is on the verge of sparking a revolution in online philanthropy. With more than 236 million YouTube subscribers and an estimated net worth of $500m, MrBeast has turned his focus from filling houses with Lego bricks to curing blind people and building wells. Lucinda asks Darren Margolias, the executive director of Jimmy’s charitable venture Beast Philanthropy, why MrBeast’s storytelling may have the edge over charities in reaching a younger generation of potential donors. Plus, the philanthropy expert Rhodri Davies and the anti-racism consultant Martha Awojobi ask: is there anything charities could learn from the ways MrBeast taps into the natural human instinct to give back? And exactly how ethical are his approaches to making the world a better place?Listen to The End of Charity: Can MrBeast save humanity? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your podcast platform of choice.Read the transcript. H

Lucinda and Andy are joined by the fundraising historian Marina Jones to track the development of the fundraising profession and perceptions of charity fundraisers through the ages.Marina, who is leading a history project for the think tank Rogare, traces the roots of fundraising back to the time of Moses. She draws parallels between contemporary fundraising methods and instances of their use centuries before, as well as past mistakes that could be avoided by better knowledge of fundraising history.She recounts some of her favourite fundraising stories, including a cathedral tower which was constructed by incentivising donors through a reprieve on a ban on eating butter during Lent.Also in the episode, Andy and Lucinda discuss the recent appointment of three interim chief executives to lead ActionAid UK, and a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in Comic Relief’s recent Red Nose Day telethon.Read more about Rogare’s history project here.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the bet

Last year the UK food bank network the Trussell Trust distributed almost 3 million emergency food parcels, 1 million of which were for children, up from 50,000 a decade ago.How has the UK landed in such a severe hunger crisis – and can food banks ever be the solution?In episode one of The End of Charity, journalist Lucinda Rouse hears from the Trussell Trust’s chief executive, Emma Revie, about the need to reimagine our social contract at a time when demand for charities is greater than ever.And the philanthropy expert Rhodri Davies traces the history of charity from its mediaeval and Victorian origins to its present state – where “something is fundamentally broken.” Read the transcript.To listen to the uninterrupted series, subscribe to the End of Charity on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucinda and Emily are joined by the digital specialist Zoe Amar and Karen Marter, head of technology strategy at the British Heart Foundation.Zoe outlines key developments in the AI space over the past year and how charities are reacting to them, including the use of virtual assistants in working life. She stresses the need for a sector-level response to the increasing normalisation of AI usage. Karen describes the function of the BHF’s AI working group, which focuses on education, governance and conducting an ongoing value assessment of AI innovations to the organisation.She explains how the BHF is learning by doing, supported by infrastructure and frameworks to ensure safe and ethical AI usage, as well as an informal community set up to share information on the latest developments between colleagues. Also in the episode, Lucinda and Emily introduce The End of Charity, a new six-part podcast documentary from Third Sector which will be launched on 19 March.Fill in the survey for the Charity Digital

In a world where need is spiralling out of control and new, radical forces are shaping the landscape for doing good, can charity be the answer to the world’s social and environmental problems?Lucinda Rouse presents The End of Charity, a new podcast series from the makers of Third Sector. Guided by some of the leading voices of the philanthropy world, as well as radicals who believe the current model is on the brink of implosion, Lucinda asks: what are the flaws and contradictions baked into the ways charities work? How has the sector’s problematic past shaped its present? And who are the disruptors – from MrBeast to Extinction Rebellion – who could shake it up for good?The End of Charity launches 19 March. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucinda and Emily are joined by Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, to reflect on the voluntary sector’s female-dominated workforce and the challenges facing women on their path to senior leadership positions.Charmaine stresses her conviction that charities need to be representative of the communities they exist to support. She describes heart disease as a disease of inequality, reflected in the fact that only one in eight cardiologists are women. She acknowledges that more work needs to be done to level the professional playing field for women and minority groups within the voluntary sector, but warns there are few quick fixes to effect the necessary culture changes.Also in the episode, news editor Andy Ricketts recounts how an appeal led by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations to uplift public service contracts as costs rise appears to have fallen on deaf ears at the Treasury.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better tha

Lucinda and Emily are joined by Anaish Yilma-Parmar, head of legacies at the British Red Cross, and Lucinda Frostick, director at Remember a Charity.Lucinda (Frostick) provides an overview of the legacy market, worth more than £4bn annually, and expectations for further growth in spite of current economic challenges and a probate backlog.Anaish describes how the British Red Cross takes a collaborative approach across the charity’s fundraising and marketing teams to engage supporters through clear and consistent communications and introduce new and existing donors to the possibility of making a legacy gift.Also in the episode, Lucinda (Rouse) and Emily assess the wider implications of the announced closure of the Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom, following the unexpected withdrawal of government funding.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podca

Lucinda and Andy are joined by Liz Tait, fundraising director at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, to discuss progress with the charity’s biggest and most ambitious fundraising appeal to date.Liz describes the planning process, including the use of campaign peaks to structure and maintain momentum during the multi-year appeal. She provides insight into Gosh Charity’s use of new fundraising methods, such as gaming and streaming channels, and shares learnings for other charities planning appeals during the cost-of-living crisis.Also in the episode, Andy shares some highlights from his recent interview with Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK. These include fixed term contracts for charity bosses and a ban on AIUK running TV adverts.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for fur

Lucinda and Emily are joined by Suzy Edington, fundraising consultant at JustGiving, and Ellie Putt, senior participant experience manager at the Alzheimer’s Society.Suzy outlines the changes in fundraising behaviour on the JustGiving platform since the Covid-19 pandemic, with greater volumes of smaller donations and rising levels of regular giving contributing to revenue growth in 2023.Ellie explains how the Alzheimer’s Society personalises communications with its supporters and equips them with the necessary information to maximise the value of their individual fundraising appeals.Both stress the importance of making regular updates to fundraising pages and give their tips for sharing strategically on social media platforms.Charity Changed My Life features the story of a service user of BeLifted, a grassroots organisation supporting women and girls in north London.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it take

Lucinda and Andy are joined by the organisational psychologist and author Dr Susan Hetrick to discuss the drivers of and barriers to workplace toxicity.Susan identifies unreasonable performance pressures as a key trigger for organisational toxicity. She explains the terms 'normalisation of deviance' and 'cognitive dissonance', which are the key drivers of a toxic working environment.She stresses the importance of training to equip charity managers with the necessary skills to foster an open and trusting workplace culture and the need for leaders to live and reflect their organisation’s values.Also in the episode, Andy gives his take on the findings of the latest Good Merger Index, which suggests voluntary organisations weathered the Covid-19 pandemic better than anticipated.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com f

Lucinda and Emily are joined by Hatty Evans, head of brand and marketing at Magic Breakfast, and Georgie Howlett, managing director of Stand Agency, to discuss the importance of language in appealing to donors and service users.Hatty explains how Magic Breakfast, which works to end morning hunger in schools, takes different approaches in its messaging to teachers, parents and donors, emphasising food insecurity, child poverty and academic attainment, respectively.She stresses the importance of centring the experience of children and families in storytelling and avoiding portrayals of shame, which, although often striking a chord with donors, are isolating and disempowering for parents.Georgie explains how the incorrect use of language can create unwanted siloes between a charity’s donors and service users, missing opportunities to deepen engagement and build supportive communities. She describes how the use of simple, humanising and equalising language has opened up access to mental health services in re

Lucinda and Andy dissect a recent speech delivered by the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to charity bosses, in which he pledged to reset the relationship between the government and the voluntary sector should his party win the next general election. Senior news reporter Emily Harle joins Lucinda to explore some of the causes and solutions to burnout affecting charity social media teams.They hear from Paulina Stachnik, head of communications at Women for Women International, about how the charity prepares for a crisis situation on social media. Paulina describes the need to balance thoughtfulness with timeliness when responding to negativity and explains how Women for Women International is using ChatGPT to help identify and respond to trends in online interactions with the charity.Later in the episode, Lucinda and Andy are joined by Shivani Menon, senior researcher at the think tank Onward, to discuss the findings of a new report on the state of philanthropy in the UK. Shivani elaborates on the

Lucinda and Emily are joined by Ashling Cashmore, head of impact and advisory at the Charities Aid Foundation, and Mandy Rollins, chief executive of Disability Solutions West Midlands.Ashling explains the six characteristics of a resilient charity, as described in a framework formulated by CAF to guide charities on a strengthening journey. These include effective leadership, financial and operational fitness, and a clearly articulated and understood sense of charitable purpose and impact.She stresses the importance of ring-fenced funding for long-term investment into organisational sustainability and calls for other funders to support resilience initiatives.Mandy describes how financial and technical support from CAF through its resilience programme has helped DSWM to bounce back from a turbulent few years. She identifies the charity’s biggest challenge as being the disconnect between its management team and board of trustees, and blurred lines between strategic and operational responsibility. Charity Ch

Lucinda and Emily are joined by Tom MacInnes, chief analyst at Citizens Advice, to discuss how the charity is using its unique position to improve understanding of the cost-of-living crisis.Tom explains how his team used client enquiry data to identify rising energy and private rental costs as two of the most significant drivers. He highlights the growing trend of clients approaching Citizens Advice with more than one problem and explains how the charity is using its service data to strengthen its advocacy work.Also in the episode, news editor Andy Ricketts reports on how squeezed local authority budgets are placing pressure on voluntary organisations, particularly those providing arts services.Buy your ticket for the Third Sector Tech Summit here. Submit your early bird entry to the Business Charity Awards by 18 January here.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be fea

Lucinda and Emily are joined by Jane Ide, chief executive of Acevo, and Sue Tibballs, chief executive of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, to discuss some of the themes and challenges facing the voluntary sector in 2024.These include the upcoming general election and its implications for the sector; the growing trend of charity closures; and opportunities for collaboration, both within the voluntary sector and with other entities driving social change. Sue puts forward her conviction that the coming year represents a powerful moment of reset for charities as they become confident agents of reform, while Jane describes her frustration with the lack of progress in tackling racism and inequality in the sector.Also in the episode, news editor Andy Ricketts provides insight into the findings of Third Sector’s recent Charity Pay Study, which identifies the highest-paid charity leaders. And Charity Changed My Life features the story of a resident of an almshouse apartment provided by the St John’s Foundatio

Lucinda, Andy and Emily discuss the leading stories and trends from the voluntary sector in 2023.Lucinda delivers an against-the-clock round-up of the year’s charity news before the three discuss their selected top stories. These include the closure announcements by Children England and Lankelly Chase - for very different reasons - and the success of the Big Help Out volunteering initiative.They share their nominations for the year’s strangest stories, namely the ongoing Captain Tom Foundation saga; tweets from the British Trust for Ornithology falling foul of Twitter; and the logistical nightmare facing the small charity that receives funding from 35 different sources.Finally, they reflect on some recurring trends in the sector’s news over the course of the year, from the appetite for and reception to campaigning by charities to the rise in instances of strike action and thoughts on flexible working measures.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we ca

Lucinda and Emily are joined by Ian Joseph, managing director of Trustees Unlimited, to talk about what charities need to think about when creating an effective board. Ian describes the key qualities of a good trustee, from having an emotional connection to a charity’s cause to humility, courage and conscientiousness. He provides pointers on how to find the right trustee, starting with a charity’s personal links before casting the net wider, and stresses the need to formulate both a business and a moral case for board diversity to avoid tokenism.Also in the episode, senior news reporter Emily Harle shares some clips from her recent interview with James Needham, chief executive of Help for Heroes, in which they discussed cross-charity collaborations and the rising importance of legacy giving for the veterans charity. Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured

Lucinda and Andy are joined by Miriam Turner, co-executive director of Friends of the Earth, and Victoria Benson, chief executive of the single-parent support charity Gingerbread, to discuss their respective organisations’ move to a four-day working week.Miriam explains how the change is helping to strengthen the environmental justice movement by enabling a more diverse staff body to further the charity’s cause effectively and authentically.She provides insight into the necessary preparations and adjustments, from streamlining meeting culture to ensuring effective cross-team collaboration.Victoria describes how Gingerbread, which is in the early stages of a six-month trial of a four-day week, prepared for the change with the help of a staff working group to balance employee wellbeing and sustained productivity.They also identify some of the challenges of reducing working days, including meeting congestion on core collaboration days and problems faced by some staff in adapting to new ways of working.Also in th