Volunteer Rights Inquiry moots volunteer complaints commission or ombudsman

 The Volunteer Rights Inquiry has proposed setting up a volunteer complaints commission or a volunteering ombudsman in its interim report.

Payments Council to hold meetings with sector on future of cheques

The Payments Council is to hold a series of meetings with the voluntary sector on the future of cheques and alternative methods of payments.

Donor care good, but donor value not maximised, finds survey

Fundraisers are confident that they are treating their donors well, but only one in four believe they are getting the maximum lifetime value out of their givers, according to research previewed this week.

Pallotta suggests International Charity Defence League

US fundraiser and author Dan Pallotta is working to set up a global leadership movement to implement ideas contained in his book Uncharitable, which challenge the perversity of the rules that govern the non-profit sector around the world.

Vodafone gives charities 100 per cent of SMS donations

Vodafone has become the first mobile phone operator to commit to passing on to charities 100 per cent of donations via its text message services.

Volunteers' time to give: integrating fundraising and volunteering

In a profession charged with raising money fundraisers have often overlooked volunteers, concerned as they are with giving away their time. But some charities are starting to realise these supporters have a lot more to give.

Why trust matters: Sargeant's challenge to fundraisers

Trust is a key component of donors' giving decisions yet while the sector is awash with confidence-building initiatives, trust remains in the shadows. Professor Adrian Sargeant explains how fundraisers can build trust, and why they need to start doing it properly.

Chain reaction: making the most of corporate partnerships

Partnering with a large retailer is a sure fire way for charities to raise income. Cancer Research UK's partnership with Morrisons supermarket chain raised more than double it's target.

New fundraising potential for magazines?

Could charity magazines and newsletters be the next big thing in fundraising? A redesign of SPANA's magazine brought in an RoI of 3:1, explains Mark Phillips.

Follow me: The causal benefits of Twitter

Dabbling in Twitter has seen The Haven Wolverhampton attract donations from across the country, develop new relationships with survivors of abuse and raise awareness. Kaye Bartlett explains.

Charity funding: It's a jungle out there

Voluntary income stumbled in 2008/2009, but do charities face a tougher time to come? The Charity Market Monitor 2010 with Cathy Pharoah  finds out how some organisations have fared so far and what fundraisers should look out for.

Transparency is not just about cost

Charities must be prepared to be open not just about costs, but about what they have achieved, argues Tris Lumley.

And the winner is...

Not many things will silence a room hundreds-deep with half-drunk fundraisers, but Lindsay Boswell taking to the podium and announcing "we made a mistake tonight" is one of them, says Celina Ribeiro.