Charity news

Funding Central generates £1.5m in grants
Funding Central, a free website highlighting thousands of funding and finance opportunities for third sector organisations, has generated £1.5m in grants and contract funding in its first six months. Thousands of voluntary organisations and social enterprises have benefited from the new website, which also provides valuable advice and information on developing skills to draft winning tenders and successfully apply for grants or loan finance. So far, 100 charities have received funds of between £800 and £85,000 with many more applications pending. A survey of site users shows more than 70 per cent rate the “search” options as good or very good and 63 per cent think the advice section is good or very good.

Community groups offered up to £10,000 for international link work
Community groups across the UK will be offered support to develop their links with communities in some of the world’s poorest countries, thanks to a programme launched yesterday. The new fund, the Global Community Links programme will offer workshops and grants of up to £10,000 for not-for-profit organisations involved in a link with a community in the developing world. Funding will enable participating community groups to use their links to increase understanding of global poverty in the UK and encourage their local community to act to reduce it.

Public sector news


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MI5 ''didn't know the US used torture''
Former head Baroness Manningham-Buller says she had no idea why Binyam Mohamed was talking

Brown ''insults public servants''
The Senior Salaries Review Body has said that there is ''no justification for general pay increases''

Ofsted downgrades schools
Stricter criteria mean that just 9 per cent of schools are deemed to be outstanding

Staff morale is rock bottom at HMRC
The department has come last in a government staff survey, says Treasury Committee

£20bn of cuts ''needed by 2013/14''
PricewaterhouseCoopers says the Treasury has its figures wrong and cuts and tax rises might be necessary

Business funding scheme ''too risky''
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has wasted £338m on venture capital funds

Charity comms news


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Charity staff 'prevented from standing for election'
Employers fear it will bring allegations of political bias, recruitment expert claims

Celebrities: Gaby Roslin, Jenson Button, Calum Best and Hugh Grant
Famous names support their favourite causes this week

GuideStar UK website will still be free, says new owner the Directory of Social Change
Transfer deal with GuideStar International covered by confidentiality clause

Fundraising news


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Minister denies music licensing change will cost sector £20m
Minister for the third sector Angela Smith has been challenged to reveal the true cost to charities of the forthcoming music licensing changes, after she claimed in Parliament that the predicted figure of £20m was “an overstatement”.

CTT solution allows compliance with new payment card rules
The Charity Technology Trust has partnered with BT to offer charities the first automated system for collecting credit or debit card details via telephone that is certified as tier-one compliant with the card payment industry's data security standards.

Bmycharity folds after making service free
Less than six months after announcing it would revolutionise online fundraising by offering its service for free, fundraising sponsorship website Bmycharity has announced it is to shut down after failing to raise enough funds.

More charity fundraising news, jobs and blogs

Campaigning news


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Charity staff 'prevented from standing for election'
Employers fear it will bring allegations of political bias, recruitment expert claims

Celebrities: Gaby Roslin, Jenson Button, Calum Best and Hugh Grant
Famous names support their favourite causes this week

GuideStar UK website will still be free, says new owner the Directory of Social Change
Transfer deal with GuideStar International covered by confidentiality clause

More charity communications and campaigning news, jobs and blogs

Volunteering news


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Volunteer rights inquiry is delayed
Six month extension for report by Volunteering England

Government increases funding for v to £39m
Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, announces increases for three more schemes but cuts to Capacitybuilders

Volunteer organisations 'should be consulted over legislation'
Volunteering England wants them to have the right to consider the effects on volunteering of bills and regulations

Two volunteers dismiss 'inadequate' Pituitary Foundation apology
Jon Danzig and Joanna Lane accuse the charity of 'doublespeak'

Scotland faces a 'lost generation of volunteers'
Volunteer Development Scotland warns that fewer young people recognise the link between volunteering and being a good citizen

More charity volunteering news, jobs and blogs