NPC’s 5 for 2015

Happy new year from everyone at NPC!

The New Year often seems to present a blank page, a chance to start again—but here are five things we are already busy working on for 2015:

1. Our manifesto

The upcoming General Election in May will doubtless be a key topic of discussion and debate in 2015. We’re publishing our detailed manifesto for the charity sector in a few weeks’ time and will continue to consider what impact a change in party or policy may have on the sector. In the meantime, read four of our priority reforms.

2. Leading Impact 2015

Our Leading Impact conference is taking place on 24 March, bringing the strategic thinking and insight you need to put impact at the heart of everything your charity or social enterprise does. It promises to be an interactive and inspirational day, with keynote speakers from the Charity Commission, Children’s Society, Scout Association, Lankelly Chase Foundation and localgiving.com. Sign up before 31 January to enjoy our early bird rates and follow #LeadingImpact on Twitter for all the latest news.

3. Commission on the Voluntary Sector & Ageing

The Commission on the Voluntary Sector & Ageing—which we established in partnership with ILC-UK—continues to explore issues facing the voluntary sector as a result of demographic shifts and an ageing population.

The Commission’s final report will be launched 19 March; the culmination of 18 months of research and consultation with the sector. It will include recommendations for sector bodies, individual organisations, policymakers and regulators, and will outline how we can all ensure the future is an age of opportunity for older people. Look our for an invitation to the launch event, with speakers including Commission chair Lynne Berry OBE.

4. Charities and the health sector

Good health is at the top of most wish lists—for governments and individuals alike. The statutory system is central and hugely important, but there are obvious pressures. Charities can play a significant role in meeting the challenges, but we believe the potential of the charity sector has not yet been realised.

​Our discussion paper, Supporting good health, sets out seven key areas in which charities have the potential to improve the quality of UK health services. This was the first consultative stage in a longer research process; we’ve since held a roundtable with health charities to discuss key ideas, and a panel debate and discussion at Great Ormond Street Hospital in February will further influence our work in this area.

5. Digital disruption

We’re developing a programme of work looking at how the social sector adopts digital technology, and how that can (positively) disrupt traditional ways of operating. In fundraising we’ve already seen online, mobile, ATM and check-out giving and crowd-funding create new methods of raising income. But this barely scratches the surface of how technology can transform our approach to complex social challenges, from health and education to poverty and climate change.

We want to map the changes it has already brought, and those that are likely to come in the future, on a spectrum of activities: from business-as-usual to radical disruption, and from change within single organisations to change at the whole field level. It’s a collaborative project, so please do get in touch via tris.lumley@thinkNPC.org if you have a particular passion for this area and want to find out more.

We look forward to working with you in the year ahead on all this and more. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@NPCthinks) for all our latest news.