Karl Wilding

The RSA have also been blogging about the Big Society recently, and have some interesting points to make on the topic. How big is big society? How realistic and implementable are the aspirations within the agenda? Could the social networks existing today support this kind of reform? It's worth taking a look at what they have to say.

Some of you might have come across Nonprofit Quarterly, a thoughtful, in-depth publication aimed at sector leaders that looks at issues ranging from ethics to fundraising. A recent special edition on infrastructure is well worth a look for UK people interested in the subject; if you havent got time to look at the full report (which is 72 excellent pages) then here are a few issues from the exec summary (page 11, if you want to look!):

Great article, Kathryn.

If you’re looking for insights and help around how to cope in a recession (and who doesn’t?!) then have a look at this presentation from Stuart Etherington, CEO of NCVO: Managing your charity in turbulent times.
It has a look at precendents for the sector in past recessions then puts forward ‘The 5 Ps’: Purpose, Planning, Pennies, People, Partnerships which you should consider. Stuart finishes with an encouraging thought – not all will be equally affected, so it doesn’t have to be you.

I like these quotes from this article:

“We need to be adapting to future needs, not building the same things but bigger.”
“The fact that it worked yesterday does not mean it is going to work tomorrow”

In response to the findings of UK Giving 2008 that cash donations have fallen, some have asked whether small charities will suffer.

The answer is no. The gradual shift from ‘spontaneous’ cash giving to regular, planned giving reflects changes in the broader economy. As more purchases are carried out using credit or debit cards and over the web, donations are inevitably following. Like small retailers, small charities will adapt.

The lead Guardian story last Friday was 2025: the “end of US power”. The quote is taken from Global Trends 2025, the latest environmental analysis by the US’s National Intelligence Council. This is strategic analysis by some of the best, most informed strategic analysts on the planet. So, I thought it might be interesting to have a quick look from a more generic perspective – I’ll leave you to decide whether the Guardian’s headline of choice was representative of the content.

We are gathering together analysis, views and evidence on the impact of a recession on the sector. You can find all the sources we’ve identified here, on our delicious site (delicious is a ‘social bookmarking’ tool which allows you to collect and share web links)

So what exactly does, you are already thinking, the music industry have to do with the voluntary and community sector? Well aside from the obvious that many VCOs are in the business of making or performing music, the recorded music industry is going through the sort of structural changes that seem to be relevant for our sector. Let me explain.

One of the frequent comments I tend to make on the site is that some of the developments in the US nonprofit sector might be indicative of what the future looks like in the UK. An emerging argument about diversity and foundations is one such example.

There have been a couple of replies to the NYT article here.

They both seem to be critical of the original article, standing up for the role of philanthropy, and in one case berating the performance of government. But I thought the original article was a bit more nuanced than that. Anyone got a view?

If it’s about wider funding, then the obvious things that spring to my mind (and I’ve mentioned a couple on the other credit crunch blog) are:

Geoff Mulgan’s point about focussing on institutional structures and forms has been echoed elsewhere in academic debates about ‘ownership’ – ie which sector are you in? This has arguably led to what some believe to be futile debates about independence, arguing that we should instead recognize that interdependence is the dominant paradigm in the mixed economy of welfare.

My personal opinion is that there is much more to do around thinking about ICT will change the sector. I find it quite disappointing that so much discussion tends to be around back-office support or, where it is about the wider environment, how we can use websites to get people to click to give.

Now, this might look a bit odd, but I’m replying to my own blog. Or rather I am replying on behalf of an old friend who can’t reply in person. Let’s say they are challenged by the technology.

I think it’s debateable whether or not this does have direct implications for the sector. Its certainly the case that foundations will be impacted: remember they are in effect savers who live off the dividends and interest from their investments. So, an increase in interest rates will (ceteris paribus) increase their income. Which means they have more money to give to the frontline organisations reading this blog.

Its another US publication, but the Center for Effective Philanthropy recently published a report on how foundations view and design strategy. OK, its about foundations, but put that aside. Its relevant to all of us.

It defines strategy as "a framework for decision making that is 1)focused on the external context in which the foundation works and 2)includes a hypothesised causal connection between use of foundation resources and goal achievement.

There is an interesting quote on Wikipedia’s internet entry from an american writer called N J Slibbert of the Urban Land Institute. He states that “the Internet is fast becoming a basic feature of global civilization, so that what has traditionally been called civil society is now becoming identical with information technology society as defined by Internet use.”

I agree this is a problem, but is the access issue reaching a tipping point? The Internet World Stats website reports that 62% of the population in the UK now has web access. I think that Ofcom estimates are even higher. Worldwide, an estimated 1.2 billion people have web access.