New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) has published recent results from its State of the Sector programme.

The results have been released earlier than originally intended, in order to assist understanding of the role of charities in the COVID-19 response, as well as the impact of it on their work.

A Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee has criticised the government for failing to adequately support UK charities in the face of plunging incomes and rising demand for the sector.

In particular the COVID-19 Crisis and Charities report found that:

Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, Secretary of State for International Development has written to organisations delivering aid on behalf of the department to tell them that they could be paid in advance in order to meet ongoing costs.

In the letter, sent earlier this week, Ms Trevelyan also says that payments would continue in order to support “essential aid programmes. In the note, the minister says:

Pro Bono Economics (PBE) has published a new report that explores the VCSE sector’s contribution to the UK’s economy.

Charity Tax Group (CTG) has led a group of VCSE sector organisations in calling on the government to divert surplus council coronavirus funding to small charities, reports Civil Society.

Registered charities are now exempt from the rule which stipulates that half of their income comes from trading in order to be eligible for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme.

The British Business Bank, which is the body overseeing the scheme, has changed the wording of the scheme’s conditions to say:

There will be several opportunities for VCSE organisations to have their voices heard over their future and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

First, the House of Lords will be debating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on charities on Thursday 30 April at 11:00 and charities are being encouraged to contact peers in order to raise issues with them.

The government has refused opposition demands for additional funding for charities.

In parliament yesterday, Oliver Dowden MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was asked by shadow DCMS minister, Jo Stevenson MP to commit further funding for the sector.

He said that the government would “do everything that it can to support charities”, but would not commit to additional funding.

More than 60 charity leaders have signed an open letter urging the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak to allow furloughed charity workers to volunteer for their own organisation.

Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), charity workers can volunteer for another organisation but not their own.

The Fundraising Regulator has published new guidance on setting up a fundraising appeal.

The guidance has been developed in response to the large number of members of the public seeking to raise funds in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.