Greetings! 

Two big resignations dominate today's headlines: Amanda McLean quits the Institute of Fundraising after just four months, and Irene Khan has stepped down from the Charity Commission board following the public outcry against her payoff from Amnesty International.
 

Amanda McLean resigns as Institute chief exec after four months
  

Amanda McLean has resigned as chief executive of the Institute of Fundraising, just four months after she took up the position.  

Irene Khan resigns from Charity Commission board
  

Irene Khan, who recently received heavy criticism for accepting a £533,103 payoff from Amnesty International's trading arm when she was asked to leave the organisation, has resigned from the board of the Charity Commission.

Nearly a fifth of applicants to £100m transition fund are social enterprises
  

Around 17 per cent of applicants to the government's £100m transition fund are social enterprises and community interest companies. 

Charity Commission releases report after £2.5m charity fraudsters jailed
  

Trustees of the People's Opportunity to Work Trust prisoner rehabilitation charity were in breach of their legal duties by failing to prevent £2.5m of funds acquired through donations and its trading subsidiaries being unlawfully distributed, the Charity Commission has concluded in its statutory inquiry report.

British Red Cross launches Japan appeal
  

The British Red Cross has launched an appeal in aid of the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Housing associations' charitable status at risk from new government policy
  

The Charity Commission  has advised housing associations to seek legal advice about whether offering the government's new Affordable Rents social housing product will negate their charitable status.

Complete the Charity Banking Survey 2011
  

The annual Charity Finance Banking Survey 2011 is now open and we would be very grateful for your cooperation. Your contribution will help the survey maintain the reliability and robustness that it has become famous for. In return we will give you free access to the survey, which would otherwise cost £35.

A checklist for company secretaries
  

Kirsty Semple outlines the core duties, statutory requirements and review and compliance guidelines that every company secretary should be aware of 

CFDG's model terms of reference - the audit committee
  

CFDG provides its version of terms of reference for an audit committee.

"Although a "wealthy" nation in comparison to others, the tragedy that we're witnessing surely cuts through these labels. Those people left standing in a wasteland of rubble with nothing but the clothes they're standing in, looking for lost family members...They don't look wealthy...they look like they need our aid."

"DEC should think again.They may be geared towards helping poorer countries, but they are possibly the best placed organisation to get the levels of fundraising this disaster requires. Japan owes more than double its GDP at the moment - that's not a good financial position in anyone's book."