NAVCA has produced a sustainable development progress report, measuring how successful the organisation has been over the last 12 months in our aim to become more sustainable. The report shows that NAVCA has made good progress over the last year. Achievements include:

• Massive reduction in paper consumption – using less paper over the past year than in the previous 6 months
• Using an employee action day to motivate staff and conduct an environmental project
• Reducing the amount of waste from long print runs

This builds on previous years where we have switched to a greener energy tariff and conducted an energy audit to identify cost and energy savings.

Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s Chief Executive says:

”It’s good to see NAVCA continuing to make progress. I know many members are also looking at becoming more sustainable and are finding that it can save them money too, whether by reducing energy costs, reducing expenditure on printed publications or adopting more sustainable practices.”

“But becoming more sustainable is about more than just saving money. It fits with our core values too. Climate change has the greatest impact on the most disadvantaged people, both locally and internationally. Reducing our impact on the environment should be everybody’s business.”

• Read sustainable development progress report
• NAVCA’s guide: Creating your green action plan can help members develop their own plan.

NAVCA has turned down an invitation to sign up to the Government’s recently launched Procurement Pledge, drawn up by the Cabinet Office.  Instead, NAVCA is supporting an alternative Local Government Association (LGA) pledge and is urging other voluntary organisations to follow their lead. The government procurement pledge takes a top down approach that places too much emphasis on multi million pound companies to the detriment of the voluntary sector and local businesses. The LGA’s draft pledge, which is currently out for consultation, starts with users and citizens and gives a greater emphasis to voluntary organisations.

The LGA, which is the voice of local government in England and Wales, shares NAVCA’s concerns about the government pledge. On their website they say that it is geared ‘much more towards Big Business. In contrast, local government purchases a much greater percentage of goods and services locally, and often up to 80 per cent or more from SMEs’. Therefore the LGA has created their own pledge, the LGA Procurement Pledge for Local Authorities. This pledge focuses on engagement and co-production and contains a greater focus on SMEs and the voluntary sector. NAVCA believes this pledge is more suitable for the voluntary sector, as the majority of voluntary sector providers supply services at the local level.

Whilst NAVCA supports the LGA pledge, it is also calling for a recognition that competitive procurement processes are unnecessary and do not deliver value for money for community based services that respond to the needs of individual citizens. These are the types of services that small local charities tend to deliver. Evidence supports NAVCA’s view that grant funding is the most efficient and cost effective way to commission these services.

Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s Chief Executive, said

“The government’s pledge is a good idea that has been executed badly. The LGA’s pledge is much more voluntary sector friendly which is why NAVCA is happy to support it. In fact, in these days of localism, as the LGA pledge is backed up by local government, it is more relevant to the work of the voluntary sector.”

“As well as the pledge, we really welcome the recognition from the LGA that there is currently a risk-averse approach to public sector procurement that requires a change in culture at local government level. We believe that the voluntary sector and the LGA have many shared interests and look forward to others in the voluntary sector getting behind this pledge.”

• View the LGA procurement pledge (opens in new window)
• View the Cabinet Office procurement pledge (opens in new window)

Today’s Queen’s speech included a Small Donations bill. This bill will allow charities to claim ‘top-up payments’ similar to Gift Aid on small donations totalling up to £5,000 a year without individual paperwork. It will put in place support for small charities that was first announced in the Budget in March 2011.

Neil Cleeveley, Director of Policy and Communications, said:

“NAVCA is delighted to see the Small Donations Bill in the Government’s legislative plans. This measure to get top-up payments similar to Gift Aid for small cash donations could make a significant difference to thousands of local charities.”

“This looks like a measure that could help the Government achieve its aim of making running a charity easier. We look forward to seeing more details but it is a nice reminder that the majority of charities are small and that a huge difference can be made with relatively small amounts of money.”

The programme has been announced for CORE 2012, NAVCA’s residential event for Chief Officer’s and senior managers. The event is being held at Yarnfield Park, Staffordshire on 13/14 June. Details of eight workshops have published, which include ‘New approaches to strategy formation’ and ‘Making links with local businesses’. CORE 2012 is also the first opportunity for Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s new Chief Executive, to address a national NAVCA conference.

Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s Chief Executive, said;

“I am really looking forward to these two days working with senior officers of NAVCA member bodies. In my first three months as chief executive, I’ve visited many NAVCA members across the country. Talking with our members has reinforced how important events like CORE are for our chief officers as a chance to find and share ways to move forward in these challenging times.”

Find out more about CORE 2012

NAVCA has published our response to the consultation on the review of the Charities Act 2006, being led by Lord Hodgson.

In the response we say accept that funding changes mean the Charity Commission needs to move its focus towards its regulatory activity. We also call for it to be made possible for charities under reporting thresholds to be able to opt in to higher reporting requirements, if the charity feels that it is interest to do so.

Our response restates our strong opposition to payment of trustees and expresses our disappointment at the delay in implementation of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

Read NAVCA’s response

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has published its strategic framework refresh. This sets out the principles that will inform BIG’s work and the funding priorities that will guide them up to 2015. The refresh document includes BIG’s fundamental principles, their key priorities for funding and new and emerging issues. The document follows on from the new policy directions for BIG, published by the Cabinet Office recently. It also includes how BIG reduce admin costs, as all lottery funders have been asked to reduce their core admin costs to five per cent by 2014.

Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s Chief Executive, said:

“The Big Lottery Fund is a respected and trusted funder of charities, voluntary organisations and community groups. Its reputation is built on a sound understanding of their needs and those of the communities they serve. This new strategic framework is a good response to the times. BIG is right to make those most in greatest need their first priority. We would expect no less.”

“What really pleases NAVCA is that building stronger organisations has been made a key priority. It demonstrates what we have known for a long time; that BIG values the work of NAVCA members. It is a recognition that the work of charities that help and support other charities is central to the achievement of BIG’s aims and objectives.”

“We understand why BIG has been asked to reduce its admin costs to five per cent – like anyone we want the maximum amount of money spent on helping people. However, it is worth saying that BIG has been extremely good at using its administrative capacity to help people and groups with applications for funding and encouraging bids from people and places that have been less successful in the past. We would be deeply concerned if the reduction in admin costs reduced it ability to continue this exemplary approach.”

NAVCA has welcomed the launch of Big Society Capital, the wholesale bank that aims to make £600 million of loan finance available to the voluntary sector over the next four years. NAVCA is pleased that funding from dormant bank accounts and high street banks is being made available to charities and voluntary organisations to help local communities. However, NAVCA warns that Big Society Capital needs to value social impact to realise its potential. If interest rates are set with only the financial return in mind, many small charities, which could benefit from loan finance, will be priced out.

Joe Irvin, Chief Executive of NAVCA, said:

“NAVCA supports this initiative as it will get much-needed finance to voluntary sector organisations. We have always campaigned for a mix of funding to enable a healthy voluntary sector. This mix includes grants, contracts, donations and loan finance.

“Although not suitable for all, loan finance has the potential to make a real difference for many voluntary organisations, including many small charities. But the loans must be accessible. We are concerned by the Charity Aid Foundation’s warning that the cost of the loans may mean they are out of reach for smaller charities. The interest rate level must reflect a fair balance between helping society and earning a financial return.”