In the news last week...30 October
Take a look at all the charity sector headlines from the last week
Our Senior Researcher Rachel Cain brings you all the latest news from the sector.
Charity Fraud Awareness Week
Last week was Charity Fraud Awareness Week – a few highlights:
- The Charity Commission warned that the most common kind of fraud in charities comes from those already involved in charities, and pledged to work with the sector to combat fraud. There is an online survey for charities and infrastructure bodies, which will inform a report by the Commission, aiming to share good practice.
- CFG have been encouraging charities to sign their Counter Fraud Pledge, which sets out steps to protect against fraud.
- A report by the Treasury and the Home Office last week stated that the risk of charities being used to fund terrorism is low, downgrading their previous assessment.
Government grants register
The government has published data relating to grants made by government departments, as part of the 360Giving initiative. The data covers of £100bn in government grants, some of which will have gone to charities.
Sector income rises
The latest figures from the Charity Commission show that the charity sector’s total income rose by £5.8bn in the last two years, with a total income of £74.4bn, according to the latest accounts and annual returns filed with the Commission in the year to June 2017.
Call on the Treasury to fund the Charity Commission in Budget
A number of umbrella bodies have written to the Treasury ahead of the Budget in a couple of weeks, calling on the government to increase funding for the Charity Commission, rather than ask charities themselves to pay for regulation. We at DSC, of course, agree, and also wrote to the Treasury – you can read why we think it’s so important here. You can also get involved by sending a letter yourself.
