news/resources
SECTOR NEWS/RESOURCES
january 2004
ACEVO Report Reveals UK Charity Leaders' Split on Governance
The results of the ACEVO governance inquiry, based on the findings of three working groups and a survey of nearly 300 chief executives and chairs, reveal that half of voluntary sector chief executives think they should have a seat on the board - a change that would overturn the tradition of wholly voluntarily run organisations.
Article:
http://society.guardian.co.uk/charitymanagement/story/0,8150,1098953,00.html
Order the report:
http://www.acevo.org.uk/main/publications.php?content=pubcatalog
Victory for Italian Foundations in Court Ruling
In an affirmation of the independence of foundations in Italy, the Italian Constitutional Court has declared some of the December 2001 changes to the law governing foundations of banking origin unconstitutional, while re-interpreting most other changes so that they are in line with the Constitution. The 2001 law changes would have severely undermined the autonomy of foundations by specifying, among other things, that the majority of a foundation's board be filled with public authority representatives from regions, provinces and municipalities… (This EFC article, published in October 2003, gives a brief overview of the ruling.)
http://www.efc.be/content/alert.asp?contentid=544
BSM 10th Anniversary - German Fundraisers' Association Renamed
On 26 September 2003, BSM, the German fundraisers' association, celebrated its 10th anniversary. The organisation which was created in 1993 by 37 people currently has 907 individual members. The success story of BSM shows that fundraising is a growing profession in Germany. When it was formed, the term "fundraising" was only known by a few people, and, after many discussions, the founders decided to name it "Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Sozialmarketing", federal association social marketing, abbreviated BSM. In the meantime, the "fundraising" more and more has become a "household name" in Germany. BSM's General Assembly decided on 26 September 2003 to rename it the "Deutscher Fundraising Verband" (German Fundraising Association).
(Supplied by Marita Haibach.)
http://www.fundraisingverband.de/index.html
The Resource Alliance announces Endorsement of ePhilanthopy Code of Ethics
The ePhilanthropy Code of Ethics includes articles on privacy and security, disclosure of information and handling of complains and transactions. Simon Collings, Chief Executive of The Resource Alliance said, "In developing the tremendous potential of the internet it is important that charity fundraisers act in ways which respect the privacy and wishes of the people they interact with.
Copies of the ePhilanthopy Code of Ethics are available in English, French and
German at: http://ephilanthropy.org/ethics
Send your endorsement of the Code to: endorsements(at)ephilanthropy.org
Article: http://www.ifrg.org.uk/feature.php?featureid=68
Senior Foundation Executive Discusses Issues Facing 21st-Century Philanthropy
Stock market declines have pummeled the assets of US foundations, while reports of mismanagement at some of the largest and most respected nonprofits have eroded public trust. The US Congress is considering legislation that would force foundations to disburse more of their money each year in grants. In this McKinsey interview, Ralph Smith, a senior executive at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, discusses why the bill misses the mark and suggests ways for the nonprofit sector to use its resources more efficiently.
The Voluntary Sector: Comparative Perspectives in the UK
This book provides a systematic analysis of the UK's voluntary sector and builds on an earlier book by the same author The Voluntary Sector in the UK. Using concepts and theories from international literature on the third or nonprofit sector to place the UK voluntary sector in perspective, this book considers its scope, scale and structure; change and continuity in the sector's role as a public policy actor; as well as the impact of voluntary sector activities on society.
