Bill Gates may be the world's best-known philanthropist but even he isn't immune from having his dirty linen aired in public. Reports in the American press last month uncovered that his foundation has invested some of its $35bn (£18bn) endowment in companies whose businesses practices were at times surprisingly at odds with the foundation's goals of providing healthcare in the developing world, including Royal Dutch Shell, Total and BP.

Payment by Results, the fundraising mechanism launched by creative agency TDA last July, is to be taken off the market.

The Woodland Trust is one of 25 charities to benefit from a free email marketing service.

A report on terrorism and the voluntary sector by an advisory group of leading UK charities has criticised the government's draconian approach to the threat of terrorist abuse of charities, which it believes could have an adverse affect on an organisation's ability to fundraise.