nfpSynergy has long held the opinion that the National Lottery does not need protecting from charity lotteries and that the regulations in place are stifling what could be a very effective fundraising mechanism for good causes. So to coincide with the DCMS consultation on charity lotteries, we surveyed 1,000 British adults to see what they thought.

The results are compelling and are laid out in full in this new free report. 

The new research that we released this week shows that, on average, the public think seven or eight months is about the right amount of reserves for a charity to have in the bank. Around half of those who expressed a view thought six months of expenditure or less was the right level. Interestingly though, when the same people were asked how much a £12 million charity should keep in reserve, the average dropped to around £3 to £4 million.

As it's the season of goodwill, we're giving away The 12 Insights of Christmas. They look at some of the key issues facing the charity sector and include research, interviews and advice from charities and from us. Unwrap our 12 free reports just in time for Christmas.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Insights event. If you couldn't make it, thank you for your interest in the event and we hope to see you next time.

Our presentations are now available for free download on this page for anyone who would like them.

A charity board will usually monitor finances. But measuring just finances is a bit like measuring just the heart rate of an athlete; it’s important, but it’s just one of a range of ways of knowing whether an athlete is healthy. A great heart rate in an athlete certainly doesn’t tell if they will win any races.

So in charities, what else should trustees (or senior managers) measure apart from money? And how should they measure the money stuff? Here are some ideas about things that every charity can measure based on my experience on different boards. I have yet to see an organisation that measures all of these areas perfectly.

Much has been written about how charities should communicate impact. How to communicate with donors, how to thank them and, perhaps most importantly, how to explain what you did with their money are undoubtedly tough nuts to crack.

I'm a big fan of nfpSynergy. They provide the strongest opinion pieces in our sector.

Adrian Sargeant - Robert F. Hartsook Professor of Fundraising, Indiana University