Greetings! 

Questions are raised over the efficacy of the Institute of Fundraising's recruitment processes; more than 550 local councillors unite behind a letter condemning cuts to civil society organisations, and the government has called on the voluntary sector to provide work experience placements for young people to help it meet a Budget pledge. 

Question mark over IoF's appointment due diligence for McLean
  

The charity that employed Amanda McLean in her last job but one before she took the helm at the Institute of Fundraising says it was not asked to provide a reference for her by the Institute.

Housing chief garners 551 councillor signatories for Times letter opposing cuts
  

The National Housing Federation has obtained support from 551 local councillors for a letter to The Times that urges local authorities to think again about cutting funding to vital services provided by charities for society's most vulnerable people.

Reclaim Fund to give Big Society Bank up to £100m this year
  

The Reclaim Fund set up by the Co-operative to administer dormant accounts money, expects to release up to £100m to the Big Lottery Fund this year to fund the Big Society Bank.
 

Government asks voluntary organisations to provide work experience placements
  

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Chris Grayling, has called on the voluntary sector to provide work experience placements for young people as part of the government's Budget pledge to fund 80,000 placements over the next two years.

UK Border Agency opens £4.5m fund for refugee resettlement
  

The UK Border Agency is inviting charities to bid for European funding worth £4.5m to set up projects that assist in the resettlement of refugees through the Gateway Protection Programme.

BIG offers £1m in support to Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund
  

The Big Lottery Fund has given £1m to the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund, as part of 'People Powered Change', a new BIG initiative to build community-led action across England.

UK joins global blackout for Earth Hour 

The United Kingdom played its part in the global Earth Hour blackout on Saturday, turning off lights for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Here are some of the iconic images from around the country. (click image below) 

Civil society groups have their say in Big Society film and report 

A diverse group of civil society organisations have outlined what they want from the Big Society in a film and report launched in Westminster yesterday, and put to Big Society adviser Lord Wei and minister for civil society Nick Hurd.

March for the alternative: Big Society in action
  

Saturday's March for the Alternative was no futile gesture, despite the government's determination to forge ahead with its spending cuts, says Tania Mason.

Campaign travails
  

Ian Allsop gets on his soapbox to campaign for campaigning.

"I think even Tom Hughes Hallett would not recognise this as a roaring success. Indeed, he said so..."

"Though I have been active in a voluntary capacity for over thirteen years and have raised over £1m for the deprived estate I live and work on, I have never heard of your organisation. Given government's objective of empowering people at the coal face, why are most of these organisations unknown to people working at grass roots level?"

They said it...