Using Web 2.0 Technologies (and Social Networking Tools) for Social Action. London.

See Practical Design for Social Action web site.

Press Release from Turner PR:

THINK Consulting Solutions - the UK’s leading voluntary sector consultancy - has launched a new intelligence and analysis unit.

THINK Intelligence aims to restore the discipline of ‘grantsmanship’ - the craft and skill of identifying, researching and building relationships with and applying to grant funders as part of an integrated policy covering trusts, foundations, Lottery bodies, statutory funders at all levels of UK government, and the European Union.

Tony Elischer, managing director of THINK Consulting Solutions, says: “It is rare for the discipline of grantsmanship to be separately identified within an organisation’s fundraising strategy and portfolio of activities. It is more common for charities to spread their grant winning responsibilities among individual departments according to which sources of funding they apply for.

“It is often the case that one of the largest sources of grant income - statutory bodies - is dealt with entirely by service delivery or operational staff and it is not even seen as a legitimate function of fundraising.”

The problem with this approach, Elischer says, is that it leads to duplication of work and lowers the quality of grant application writing as there is not a single focus of expertise in the charity.

“Organisations that do not approach their grant funding in a holistic and integrated way, allowing their fundraising team to lead in this area, are missing a trick,” Elischer says.

“At the very heart of a successful and sustained grant programme lies the creation, nurturing and sustenance of a variety of personal relationships between individuals and the grantmaking bodies - just the sort of relationships that fundraisers strive to build with other types of donor but which are so often lacking from the grant fundraising.”

THINK Consulting Solutions has appointed Kate Green, formerly head of fundraising partnerships at Oxfam, as director of THINK Intelligence. She takes up her position on at the beginning of November. Green will be able to call on four regular freelance researchers as well as a roster of ad hoc freelance bid writers.

Green says: Green says: “The new intelligence and analysis service for fundraisers is an exciting development for the sector as a whole. I believe that we can supply charities with information and help them apply that knowledge to their strategic decision making processes.

“I am particularly pleased to be able to develop the grantsmanship service as an integrated part of THINK Intelligence and be able to offer charities and other organisations the knowledge and support for the applications to grant funders that enables an integrated approach to fundraising from all income sources.

“It’s not just about having the knowledge but being able to make it work effectively for you to maximise your income generating potential.”

THINK Intelligence also aims to provide a far higher level of analysis than just the bare statistics that are usually the result of research commissioned by charity fundraisers from research consultants.

“When charities commission a piece of research, what they receive is hardly ever put into context by the researcher or is supplied with any recommendations of how to interpret or use it,” says Elischer.

“Most fundraisers are just not trained in research skills so not enough are turning their research into strategic plans and we intend to do something about that. On the other hand, some fundraisers are basing the strategic plans on the wrong type of research and we intend to do something about that as well.”

All of THINK Consulting Solutions’ research projects will now come under the banner of THINK Intelligence - including the World Markets Report, last published in March this year. And all THINK’s consultants will be available for ’secondment’ to THINK Intelligence’s projects.

Baroness Neuberger, the government’s volunteering champion, is asking third sector organisations for their views on volunteering and health.

She will be talking to various organisations with experience in this area in November, based around nine questions which can be found on Cabinet Office site. An email address for response is also given.

NCVO, the England umbrella body, is consulting on the Third Sector Research Centre being established by the Office of the Third Sector. It is after views on research within and about the sector and how this centre could help meet the needs of your organisation.

Responses needed by 7th November: http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/research/index.asp?id=6732.

ANSER, the Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, is being set up in Canada, and has announced its first conference in June 2008 in Vancouver. See http://www.anser-ares.ca.

(Source: VSSN list)

An empowerment action plan, produced in partnership with the Local Government Association, has been published by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, with 18 local authorities to act as empowerment champions “to spearhead a reinvigoration of local democracy”. News release at  http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/516935?version=2.

Other initiatives around community assets and petitions have been announced previously, although a consultation on the latter is due soon.

A new People and Participation web site was also launched at http://www.peopleandparticipation.net to provide practical information for those working to involve people, and registered users can upload case studies and ask questions.

A campaign for a new bank holiday celebrating and promoting voluntary community activity launched yesterday (29th October).

Supported by Volunteering England, TUC, CSV, NAVCA and NCVO, Community Day would fall during the autumn half term break. http://www.communityday.org.uk.

Following the briefing events on the National Support Services to be funded from April 2008, Capacitybuilders has compiled a Frequently Asked Questions guide on how NSS aims to support the delivery of ‘third tier’ activity (supporting the supporters). In pdf, 96kb, from http://www.capacitybuilders.org.uk/downloadfile.aspx?ID=132.

These events also established it would be useful to enable organisations looking at submitting an expression of interest to contact each other and explore possible partnership bids. This is being done by means of a spreadsheet hosted by London South Bank University at http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/bcim/cgcm/nss/. See Capacitybuilders for more background, http://www.capacitybuilders.org.uk.

Meanwhile, the Capacitybuilders board has listened to requests that it should review the decision not to have NSS streams focused on ICT and workforce matters. Increased funding of £1 million a year will go to its Learning and Innovation programme from which it will directly commission work on specific workforce issues, the testing of different ICT delivery models locally and other potential areas of work. News item.

Essential guidance and critical updates on how to formulate a winning tax and VAT strategy for your charity, the Roadshow is taking place in London on 15th of November, in Edinburgh on 20th November and finally in Birmingham on the 27th November.

This regional approach is designed to allow charities to attend at minimal inconvenience. Dedicated to equipping charities with the tools they need to start saving precious income and assisting them in avoiding danger spots caused by grey areas in policy, the conferences bring together a mixture of regional expertise and national advisors who will share with you: clarification on what is meant by business and non business; an essential update on the rules governing property and land transactions and how you can best save money on your properties and renovations; the best way to ensure that donations are tax efficient and making the most of gift aid; guidance on trading and trading subsidiaries.

As you know, different types of charities and not-for-profit organisations face widely varying issues when it comes to formulating a winning tax and VAT strategy. With this in mind, the conferences provide you with the opportunity to tailor your attendance to the specific needs of your organisation with a choice of three breakout workshops during the conference.

Please call 0207 819 1200 quoting reference vol1 to book or visit www.charityvatandtax.co.uk for more information.

Essential guidance and critical updates on how to formulate a winning tax and VAT strategy for your charity, the Roadshow is taking place in London on 15th of November, in Edinburgh on 20th November and finally in Birmingham on the 27th November.

This regional approach is designed to allow charities to attend at minimal inconvenience. Dedicated to equipping charities with the tools they need to start saving precious income and assisting them in avoiding danger spots caused by grey areas in policy, the conferences bring together a mixture of regional expertise and national advisors who will share with you: clarification on what is meant by business and non business; an essential update on the rules governing property and land transactions and how you can best save money on your properties and renovations; the best way to ensure that donations are tax efficient and making the most of gift aid; guidance on trading and trading subsidiaries.

As you know, different types of charities and not-for-profit organisations face widely varying issues when it comes to formulating a winning tax and VAT strategy. With this in mind, the conferences provide you with the opportunity to tailor your attendance to the specific needs of your organisation with a choice of three breakout workshops during the conference.

Please call 0207 819 1200 quoting reference vol1 to book or visit www.charityvatandtax.co.uk for more information.

Experts in Volunteering is a London-wide service putting volunteering trainers and consultants in touch with volunteering professionals and people looking to involve volunteers in their organisation, http://www.expertsinvolunteering.org.uk.

Essential guidance and critical updates on how to formulate a winning tax and VAT strategy for your charity, the Roadshow is taking place in London on 15th of November, in Edinburgh on 20th November and finally in Birmingham on the 27th November.

This regional approach is designed to allow charities to attend at minimal inconvenience. Dedicated to equipping charities with the tools they need to start saving precious income and assisting them in avoiding danger spots caused by grey areas in policy, the conferences bring together a mixture of regional expertise and national advisors who will share with you: clarification on what is meant by business and non business; an essential update on the rules governing property and land transactions and how you can best save money on your properties and renovations; the best way to ensure that donations are tax efficient and making the most of gift aid; guidance on trading and trading subsidiaries.

As you know, different types of charities and not-for-profit organisations face widely varying issues when it comes to formulating a winning tax and VAT strategy. With this in mind, the conferences provide you with the opportunity to tailor your attendance to the specific needs of your organisation with a choice of three breakout workshops during the conference.

Please call 0207 819 1200 quoting reference vol1 to book or visit www.charityvatandtax.co.uk for more information.