Third Sector

Editor Emily Burt and deputy editor Andy Ricketts are joined by Dr Colette Fletcher, executive director of the Operational Research Society, and Rebecca Goldring, performance and partnership area manager at Porchlight. Colette discusses the history of operational research and its current function as one of the world’s “best-kept secrets”: underpinning everything from traffic systems to Chris Whitty’s slide decks during the Covid-19 pandemic. And Rebecca shares how Porchlight has worked in partnership with volunteers at the ORS to transform a disorganised pot of data into a clear and confident narrative for stakeholders. Click here to learn more about the Operational Research Society, or to express your interest in a partnership. 

Editor Emily Burt and senior reporter Emily Harle are joined by Maddy Desforges, chief executive of the local infrastructure membership body Navca. They discuss the challenges around funding infrastructure organisations, working with local government and the risks that can come with a broad operational remit. Maddy also shares the opportunities for local charities and infrastructure organisations that may come as an increasing push for devolution seeks to place neighbourhoods and communities at the heart of policymaking. 

Editor Emily Burt and reporter Dami Adewale are joined by Danielle Bridge, chief executive of Black Minds Matter UK. They discuss BMMUK’s ‘back-to-front’ journey, from a crowdfunded project that received £1.5m in its first six months of existence to a charity that must become sustainable in a world where supporting Black lives is no longer at the top of the political and public agenda. You can listen to the episode below, or wherever you get your podcasts:Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

Lucinda Rouse is joined by Emily Burt, Dami Adewale and Andy Ricketts to talk about three significant sector stories from the past month.Emily considers the likely consequences for the Civil Society Covenant of Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as Prime Minister and Labour Party leader, and the impact of ever-shorter political cycles on the voluntary sector’s work to address long-term challenges. Andy provides an assessment of the current state of charity retail, after the British Heart Foundation became the latest major charity to announce a raft of store closures.Dami gives an update on the investigations into the sale of the training and awards arm of City & Guilds of London Institute, including the payment of £5m in unsanctioned bonuses.And Lucinda signs off after nearly four years as host of the Third Sector Podcast. Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

Lucinda Rouse hears from some of the speakers at Third Sector’s annual conference, which was held at the Royal Society of Medicine’s 1 Wimpole Street in London on 23 and 24 June.They are: Simon Blake, chief executive of Stonewall; Fadi Itani, chief executive of the Muslim Charities Forum; Kate Lee, chief executive of the NCVO; Emma Pears, chief executive of SELFA Children’s Charity; Dame Julia Unwin, chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales; governance consultant Penny Wilson; Athar Abidi, head of social at Cancer Research UK; Taahra Ghazi, co-chief executive of ActionAid UK; and Alex Evans, founder of Barely Civil Society.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

Lucinda Rouse and Emily Harle are joined by Max Newton (he/him), director of fundraising, marketing and communications at Cerebra, and the digital communications and fundraising specialist Rebs Curtis-Moss (they/them).Rebs outlines the common causes of friction between a charity’s communications and fundraising functions, from perceptions of brand being prioritised over fundraising needs to unrealistic social media engagement goals set by fundraisers.Max stresses the importance of building relationships and developing a good understanding of each team’s respective functions, as well as an acknowledgement that terminology can hold alternative meanings on different sides of the fence.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

Lucinda Rouse and Emily Harle are joined by the communications and community engagement specialist Jayne Cravens to discuss the opportunities for charities on the social media platform Reddit.Jayne describes the different ways charities can make use of the site, from promoting events to recruiting volunteers.She also explains how organisations can repurpose existing material published elsewhere to gain visibility and improve SEO.Read Jayne’s Nonprofit & NGO guide to using RedditTell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

Lucinda Rouse and Emily Burt are joined by Jo Grose, chief executive of the United Synagogue, to discuss how her charity’s operations have been affected by recent attacks on the UK Jewish community.Jo shares some of the operational adjustments made by the United Synagogue to protect staff, volunteers and service users, and describes the impact of a growing sense of insecurity on the charity’s long-term strategic direction.She explains why she considers the phrasing of some recent statements of solidarity by sector leaders to be problematic, and conversely why Dame Julia Unwin’s first speech as chair of the Charity Commission resonated strongly with her.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

Lucinda Rouse is joined by Andy Ricketts and Emily Harle to discuss their highlights from the final edition of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s Fundraising Convention, which took place in London on 4 and 5 June.Emily chooses a panel discussion that focussed on the need to break down siloes between different fundraising channels. She also shares lessons about brokering successful partnerships with corporate donors.Andy talks about some of the small changes that charities can translate into easy fundraising wins, such as including a heart on fundraising materials to encourage more donations. He also discloses his most memorable convention moments from over the years.Find out more about the Third Sector Conference on 23 and 24 June.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.