Pushing the boundaries of funding

How to combat the issue of rising needs and declining resources
When the economy dips, needs rise and the resources open to charities dip too. What we need is a system that is effective at stopping this 'scissors effect' and at meeting needs, not just where, but when they arise.


How every philanthropist and funder can protect our environment
What we learnt from our recent Funder Drop-In on how every charity has a role to play in protecting the environment.

In search of a standard grant application
A standard grant proces has been talked about for a long time. Launched earlier this month, Brevio aims to be an answer. In this guest blog, founder and Chair Marcelle Speller explains how it works and why they set it up.

Can legacy income be brought forward?
We’ve been testing an idea from Anthony Bolton, Paul Spencer and Tom Skwarek, with advice from Bates Wells, to make legacy donations available for charities today through an accelerated legacy plan. In this guest blog, Anthony Bolton shares what motivated him to pursue the idea.

Accelerated legacies
The Accelerated Legacy Plan is a new idea developed by Anthony Bolton, Paul Spencer and Tom Skwarek, with advice from specialist lawyers Bates Wells. NPC conducted a feasibility study to test whether their idea could work.

How philanthropists should respond to coronavirus
A collaborative effort to help philanthropists keep charities serving throughout the coronavirus crisis, and prepare for whatever challenges the post-covid world will hold.


Why government and philanthropists must come together for charities now
The country is in a very deep crisis. We are working with philanthropists and partners on how they can more effectively fund charities now. And we want to hear more ideas about what can be done.


NPC Ignites 2019: Impact for people
The programme for this year's NPC Ignites has been announced. Find out what the hot topics are and who will be debating them.

More than grants collection: Pushing the boundaries of funding
As a country we face huge challenges. These challenges present questions for everyone who funds charities. It’s time to ask whether charitable foundations in the UK are doing enough—and are doing the right things—to support the voluntary and community sector.


Funding the fight against loneliness in older people
Around one million older people in the UK identify as ‘lonely’. We've just finished working on some research for a philanthropist client looking to use their funding to tackle this issue. Shona Curvers explains what we found.

How we faced swingeing cuts but came out swinging
Sue Bent, Director, Central England Law School
Cuts to legal aid have been devastating for some law centres. For Sue Bent’s organisation, Central England Law Centre, this made it necessary to refocus on the organisation’s mission, to harness existing relationships and build new ones, and to maximise their impact. Here she talks through the journey.


Challenging the rules, changing the game
The charity sector urgently needs leaders to challenge the traditional practices and assumptions of funders and investors. Here we spotlight one pioneering thinker who is doing just that: Clara Miller President of the US-based Heron Foundation.