In the context of civil society, campaigns take many guises – they may be fundraising campaigns, awareness-raising campaigns or lobbying campaigns.
The first kind seek to raise money, the second to raise public awareness of an issue, and the third to try to change something. This last is usually referred to as campaigning.
Campaigning is integral to charities’ ability to get their message across and achieve their vision of a better society.
The key Charity Commission publication on this is issue is CC9 - Speaking Out - Guidance on Campaigning and Political Activity by Charities. (http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc9.asp)
It states: “A charity must be established for a charitable purpose, and as a general principle, charities may undertake campaigning and political activity as a positive way of furthering or supporting their purposes.
Charities have considerable freedom to do so, subject to the law and the terms of their governing documents.
In doing so, charities must be mindful of their independence. Charities, of course, can never engage in any form of party political activity.”
The Advertising Standards Authority looks set to extend its remit to include communications on websites, and other non-paid-for space online, such as social networks.
A Freedom of Information request has been lodged with the Scotland Office to find out what action is being taken against charities that claim on TV ads to be UK-wide but do not actually operate in Scotland.
A charitable fund set up to tackle the stereotyping of Essex girls has raised £38,000 six months after its inception.
Donors are still most likely to be inspired to give to disaster appeals by television messages, according to a new report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
When a topless man is promoting prostate cancer awareness, Michael Naidu smells a whiff of double standards.
The National Trust has begun to roll out its new-look branding designed to make the charity appear ‘warmer’ and appeal to a younger demographic.
With the general election expected on 6 May, the civil society umbrella bodies are busy preparing their demands of whoever forms the next government. We summarise the main organisations’ wish lists here.
The Sick Kids Friends Foundation has confirmed the possibility of redundancies as it reviews its failed New Pyjamas campaign.
A coalition of some of the UK’s best-known charities have launched a campaign calling for a global tax on all transactions between financial institutions to raise money to fight poverty, protect public services and tackle climate change.
Labour MP Anne Maguire has tabled an early day motion today, calling on Clearcast to reconsider its decision to ban a BeatBullying advertisement.
Conservative MP Oliver Letwin has expressed his “regret” that charities focus so much effort on campaigning, just hours after NCVO chief Stuart Etherington and former Shelter head Adam Sampson lauded civil society's campaigning activities.
The Institute of Fundraising is mustering support for a sector-wide public-facing campaign that will reinforce the message that fundraisers have every right to ask for money on behalf of beneficiaries.
Bullying UK has attacked fellow anti-abuse charity Beatbullying and schools minister Ed Balls for a week of "public relations disasters" which it says has damaged the anti-bullying sector.
The Institute of Fundraising is planning to replicate its ‘snitch on bad DM’ campaign in the arena of challenge events, by encouraging local residents to report fundraisers’ bad behaviour to the Fundraising Standards Board.
The British Red Cross has released nearly a quarter of a million pounds from its disaster fund to ensure immediate help is given to victims of the Haiti disaster.
Christian Aid will integrate its fundraising and campaigning operations in an effort to treat supporters more holistically.
Climate change will impact on every charity’s beneficiaries. To differing degrees, to be fair, but just as climate change is an unavoidable phenomenon affecting the world as a whole, it will affect all charities from those dealing with abused children to those working with polar bears set adrift on melting polar ice caps.
Another week, another batch of charity Christmas partnerships kicking off.
The Fundraising Standards Board is urging MPs around the country to encourage their constituents to give to charity this Christmas in a bid to bolster sector coffers depleted by the recession.
The British Humanist Association has used the money leftover from its Atheist Bus campaign to unveil some high-profile billboard posters that suggest children shouldn’t be saddled with a religion until they are old enough to choose for themselves.
Jenny Willott, Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for charities, will be tabling an Early Day Motion (EDM) calling on the government to reinstate the £750,000 campaigning fund that has been redirected from the Campaign Research Programme to the Hardship Fund.
The RNID decided to merge its fundraising and advocacy departments only after its fundraising director announced he was leaving, frustrated by the slow progress of integration.
The NCVO has launched a petition to persuade charities minister Angela Smith to reinstate the £750,000 funding that she has redirected from the Campaign Research Programme to the Hardship Fund.
NAVCA has accused the Office of the Third Sector of breaching the Compact in withdrawing £750,000 in funding from the Campaigning Research Programme, and urged charities minister Angela Smith to reverse the decision.
A £750,000 fund designed to help small charities campaign has been scrapped today by the minister of the third sector, the money reallocated to the government’s emergency recession fund. The minister Angela Smith today announced that the money will now go to fund an additional 15 organisations through the Hardship Fund.
The Institute of Fundraising is holding off discussing the postal strikes with those involved in the dispute despite warning that charities could have to lay off staff as a result of the income lost. A report released by the Institute today warns that the ongoing strikes by Royal Mail workers, both nationally and at local levels, could result see charities rack up “millions” in losses.
The charity Christmas card market is even less generous than the recent Which? report suggests, according to the Charities Advisory Trust. The Trust has labelled the recent Which? report on the state of the charity Christmas card as “incomplete”. Which? reported that the lowest percentage donation to charity from any Christmas card came from Next and House of Fraser, which each gave 6 per cent of the value of cards to a nominated charity.
Save the Children has launched its first global fundraising and PR campaign, which aims to boost investment in child-saving programmes by $10bn a year. The campaign will feature consistent branding and messaging in each market and boost giving by individuals and governments in 62 countries
A direct mail campaign to commemorate the death of Britain’s last surviving World War 1 veteran has recorded exceptional results for a veterans’ charity. Following the death of World War 1 veteran Henry Allingham, St Dunstan’s, a charity founded during the war and which has provided care and rehabilitation for veterans since, embarked on a direct mail campaign to existing supporters.
A planned national giving campaign is “not a priority” for the NCVO, despite the fact the campaign is part of the Office of the Third Sector’s memorandum of understanding with the organisation. Ann Blackmore, head of campaigns and communications at NCVO, told PF the campaign is “not something at the top of our agenda” and there is not a schedule for its launch.
