Charities working overseas may well need to check their trustees and beneficiaries against the government’s list of proscribed individuals as part of their duty of care to know about foreign partners. This is likely to be part of counter-terrorism guidelines to be issued by the Charity Commission later this year, according to Third Sector magazine.

This week’s issue has an interview with a senior member of the National Terrorist Finance Investigation Unit, ahead of a meeting next month between the Commission, intelligence agencies and sector representatives to discuss such guidelines.

See news items at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk (registration required for full access).

Newly published by youth volunteering promotion body v, ‘Innovations in International Youth Volunteering’ looks at lessons from youth-led volunteering around the world. Accompanying case studies demonstrate that empowering young people, across the spectrum, is the most important factor for innovation.

Available via http://www.wearev.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=94.

A Global Volunteer Management Survey, which closes on 1st March, has already had a good response but would welcome more. Results will be used to identify trends and issues, and develop resources.

The survey is likely to take 20 to 30 minutes to complete online, at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=uMVVKktGh7sljHSG3932Rg_3d_3d.

The Google Grants UK beta programme supports organisations sharing their philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, and the arts.

http://www.google.co.uk/grants/.

A report from the Home Office and HM Treasury, ‘Review of Safeguards to Protect the Charitable Sector from Terrorist Abuse’, has been criticised by voluntary sector groups as ignoring views expressed in earlier consultation.

Third Sector reports Martin Hearson of development groups umbrella BOND saying “This report does not respond to our concerns. The Government has the right to disagree, but it has not even engaged with the sector’s views.” http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/775357/ (registration required).

One World Trust’s ‘2007 Global Accountability Report’ assesses thirty of the world’s most powerful organisations in governmental, corporate and third sectors for their transparency, participation, evaluation, and complaint and response mechanisms (as per the Global Accountability Framework). The non-profits fell behind in the latter area.

See OWT web site at http://www.oneworldtrust.org.

A ‘Global Directory of Web Sites that List Online Volunteer Opportunities’ has been put online by the Canadian group Macdonald Youth Services as part of their range of resource on online volunteering.

Take a look at http://www.mys.ca/directory/.

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)

The Department for International Development, which runs a number of funding programmes aimed at organisations that support international development and poverty reduction, has recently agreed to provide information on http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk (managed by Directoy of Social Change).

The web site at Project Management for Development Organizations is what you might expect from such a name.

We haven’t delved in yet, but project management disciplines can apply elsewhere too. http://www.pm4dev.com/english/home.htm.

(Source: NGO Manager newsletter)

Capacity Building for Local NGOs, published by the Catholic Institute for International Relations, is available online in pdf format.

Written for grassroots organisations in developing countries, Nonprofit Online News says that “Over the course of eight substantial chapters, the book really does cover a remarkable range of subjects, including: organizational principles, the role of trustees, meetings, strategic planning, accounting systems, staff development, project management, filing and record keeping, and external relations and publicity.”

Singapore is moving to having a separate set of accounting standards for charities, as it sets up a new Accounting Standards Council. A government minister observes that “This practice of having a separate set of accounting practices is consistent with the practice in the UK.”

Channel NewsAsia: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/296309/1/.html.