Run by the Sustainable Funding Project, this year’s conference is sponsored by UBS Wealth Management and is a great chance to explore innovation and good practice in financial management.

The day includes keynote speeches by Graham Wareham (Leonard Cheshire), Cliff Prior (UnLtd), Malcolm Hayday (Charity Bank) and Dawn Austwick OBE (Esmee Fairbairn). Workshops will draw on the expertise of NCVO teams, external specialists and case studies to explore issues such as Measuring Social Value, Change Management and Collaboration and Merger. This interactive, pragmatic and forward-looking event aims to enable voluntary and community organisations to integrate good financial management into planning for the future.

For more visit www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/fmconf09. Book before 30th October for our early bird discount.

Due to popular demand, we’ve decided to run one of SFP’s most successful training sessions – Getting Ready for Enterprise – in London on 2nd December. The day is a real hands-on opportunity to get to grips with some of the issues surrounding trading and get some practical feedback on your own trading idea. If you are interested in coming along to the event, you can find out more on our website. Alternatively, if you are not able to make that date keep an eye on our events page to see other opportunities around the country.

For more information, visit our website or email us at sfp@ncvo-vol.org.uk to book.

Procurement and the voluntary sector - dispelling the myths

02 November 09, 13.30 – 16.00, London.

This half day seminar will launch the new NCVO-NAVCA publication “Pathways through the maze – a guide to procurement law”, and provide insights on levelling the playing field for voluntary sector service providers. Delegates will learn about the application of EU Procurement Rules, find out about how Compact principles fit in with procurement law, and take away a free copy of “Pathways through the maze – a guide to procurement law”.

For more detailed information on the event, and to book your place, visit www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/procurementandvcs or contact Jerrold on jerrold.cheam@ncvo-vol.org.uk or phone 0207 520 3162

Are you working on personalising adult social care in the North East or West Midlands? Innovation Exchange is working with the North East Joint Improvement Partnership and West Midlands Joint Improvement Partnership to seek out and support some of the best innovation projects in these regions that can help to drive progress on personalising adult social care. They will be staging a Festival of Ideas in November to bring commissioners, investors and supporters together around innovative work already taking place in the region. So, if you have an innovative project, respond to the Call for Ideas. The best will receive a Festival invitation. The deadline for the North East is Tuesday, 13th October at 5.00pm and for the West Midlands is Thursday, 5th November at 5.00pm. If you have any questions, contact Raj Cheema or call 020 7259 1368.

Did you know that NCVO undertakes cross-cutting working on innovation? Headed up by Katherine William-Powlett in the SFP team we run events and publish resources helping organisations to build innovation into everything they do, including Sustainable Funding, Collaboration, Strategy and Impact and Governance and Leadership.

For more visit www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/innovation.

Voluntary organisations that operate in continental Europe are being warned to plan for changes in VAT rules from 1st January, when VAT will be paid in the country where a service originates. The Charity Tax Group says that this could lead to additional administration in checking invoices for their country of origin and working out the VAT status as well as additional costs.

For more visit http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/940255/.(registration required)

The government's Office of the Third Sector has published three guides to Social Return on Investment which supplement 'A guide to Social Return on Investment', published in May 2009:
-- Introduction, pdf 629KB,
-- For commissioners, pdf 521KB,
-- For social investors, pdf 432KB.
Or find the main guide in various formats via http://www.sroi-uk.org/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,38/.

Unsure about what Social Return on Investment is or how to measure it?
Visit the NCVO Measuring Social Value Programme or come along to SFP’s Financial Management Conference, where there will be a workshop on SROI.

For treasurers and finance staff new to charities– 22 October 2009, Bristol, Sayer Vincent

Organised by CFDG, Understanding the voluntary sector is intended as an induction for finance professionals new to the charity sector. For further details and to book a place, click here.

Balancing risk and making decisions – 4 November 2009, London. 9 December 2009, Bristol, Sayer Vincent.

Donations to UK charities have plummeted by 11 per cent in the last year to £9.9bn, according to UK Giving 2009, the annual survey of giving habits carried out by Charities Aid Foundation and the NCVO. The key findings are summarised on our website, where you can also download the full report.

Until now, mobile phone companies have claimed that it was impossible to treat donations as non-business in their billing systems. The introduction of new “short codes” will enable donations up to £10 to be VAT-free. Mobile phone companies will only allocate these numbers to charities that are registered with the HMRC charity search facility. You can check if your charity is already on this list by going to the charities section of the HMRC website and registering if needed.

NCVO Fundraising Training, 26th November, London

With a potential sharp fall in income predicted, how can you make sure your organisation stays ahead of the game and your fundraising income remains stable? This event will help you ensure you have the correct systems in place to make the most of the fundraising opportunities available to you. You will get practical tips on fundraising strategies, trusts and foundations, corporate fundraising, online tools and resources and branding.

We know that times are tight and budgets stretched so we have frozen our prices at the 2008 rate. Book before 23rd October and get a 10% early bird discount.

Visit http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/fundraising09 or call 020 7520 3160.

IVAC Training, Islington, London

IVAC is running several training sessions over the next month for staff, volunteers, committee members and trustees of Islington BME, refugee and faith organisations. They include Practical Fundraising, Basics of Good Governance and Finance Management. Places are free. To find out more visit their website, contact Suj Ahmed on 020 7354 6361 or e-mail: improvingreach@ivac.org.uk

Charity shops increased their profits by 4.1 per cent in the past year, according to the Charity Shops Survey 2009.

However, this is not due to an increase it income – rather it is because of a decrease in property and staff costs. It means that charity shops have now increased their profits for four years running.  

The biggest percentage profit increase was made by Scope, up by 168 per cent, taking it to number 20 in the profit ranking with a surplus of £772,000. You can read more in Professional Fundraising.

Social Finance has developed a new contracting and financing mechanism: the Social Impact Bond. They are based on a commitment from government to use a proportion of the savings that result from improved social outcomes to reward non-government investors that fund the early intervention activities, thereby driving significant investment into addressing the causes of deep-rooted social problems. You can find out more about the bonds on the Social Finance website.

The Compact advocacy programme helps organisations who have experienced either Compact breaches or public law wrongs by both national and local public bodies.  If your organisation is experiencing issues with a public body and you want to see if it might be a decision that could be challenged either through public law or the Compact, then get in touch. Read more about us at www.compactvoice.org.uk/compactadvocacy There is also a FREE advice line: 020 7520 3161 or email us at  evsadvice@ncvo-vol.org.uk

Organised by The Guardian and in association with the Social Enterprise Coalition this interactive one-day conference is designed for anyone involved in commissioning, delivering or improving public sector services. Held on Social Enterprise Day, there will be keynote speakers, panel debates and a series of workshops designed to provoke discussion and learning on social enterprises in public services. For more information visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/socialenterprise

You can also get involved with Social Enterprise Day by entering the photography competition – deadline October 19th.  Find out more on the Social Enterprise Coalition’s website.

Be Birmingham, the city's local strategic partnership, has launched a £5m fund to support community organisations and social enterprises.

The Social Capital and Enterprise Programme will offer small grants to third sector organisations that are either supporting residents' involvement in local decisions, developing self-sustaining social enterprises or creating opportunities in areas such as employment or education in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Bursaries are also available to organisations that can host volunteering placements.

The fund is provided by the Communities and Local Government department's Working Neighbourhoods fund and is available until 2011. Organisations that win the funding will also be offered follow-up support and advice.

NCVO/GMCVO Autumn Conference 2009

Setting the agenda: Looking to the election and beyond
13 November, The Midland, Manchester
Supported by The Co-operative Bank
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/autumnconf09

Just months before an expected general election, Nick Hurd MP, Shadow Minister for Charities, Social Enterprise and Volunteering will outline the Conservative Party vision for the voluntary and community sector. You will be able to raise your questions, steer the debate, and help us to set the agenda and show what Government should be doing to support and strengthen our voluntary organisations and the people and communities we work with.

Book now at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/autumnconf09 or call 020 7520 3160.

Charity Property Help breakfast seminar

27 October, London

Charity Property Help is a new pro bono service which provides voluntary and community organisations with free support and guidance on all property matters. This seminar will show you how to manage your organisation’s property assets and requirements more effectively and understand the importance of making your buildings insurance work for you. Qualified surveyors will be on hand to answer your questions.

Cost: Free to NCVO members
Information: www.charitypropertyhelp.com.
To book contact: Lauren Baker on 0207 520 2597 or email Lauren.baker@ncvo-vol.org.uk

Don’t know your @NCVO’s from your #followfridays? Many charities are exploring social media for fundraising and donor management with mixed results. The charity I Can (@adoptaword) raised £7000 after just one tweet by Stephen Fry. Other charities have found it hard to convert tweets to cash, and hard to measure the impact of social networking. Some of the issues are discussed in a blog entry by Jonathan Waddingham, but some of the interesting stats include: 64% of active UK internet users have created a profile on a social network and the monthly growth rates of Twitter users in Jan-Feb 2009 was 1382%! If you have any ideas or examples from your work that might help shed some light on this emerging fundraising opportunity, get involved in our discussion. If you are already a Twitter convert, you can follow us @NCVO or take a look at what it's all about at www.twitter.com/ncvo

For more visit the discussion online.

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