It's Christmas time and as per tradition we're giving away 12 more of our reports. They address key issues like lobbying, fundraising and trust, plus a couple of niche ones like Gift Aid and media spending. Enjoy!

By nfpResearch co-Managing Director, Tim Harrison-Byrne

Last year, Cian and I travelled to the United States for a series of conferences and meetings with colleagues across the nonprofit sector. On that trip, and in the months since, we have spoken with leaders working in communications, marketing, development and executive roles at both funders and delivery organisations across the country. All conversations were off the record.

nfp co-director, Cian Murphy, writes:

Public support for overseas aid has been declining

Ireland’s economy has long been shaped by its openness to international markets. This openness brings many benefits – from attracting foreign investment to securing strong export performance – but it also creates vulnerabilities. In particular, Ireland’s heavy reliance on corporate tax revenue from multinational companies, the inflow of foreign investment, and its position within global supply chains mean that international policy shifts can have significant and immediate effects.

On 17 July, Labour announced plans to table a Bill introducing a range of measures of electoral reform to “restore trust in our democracy”, featuring lowering the voting age in all UK elections to include 16- and 17-year olds.

Heather Sturgess

The public have spoken and it is time for change. Labour comes in with a huge majority and it is the worst result for the Conservatives on record. Smaller parties have done very well, with the Liberal Democrats not far behind the Conservatives as the official Opposition. The SNP, Greens and Reform all now have handful of MPs.

Heather Sturgess

The upcoming local elections in May are being treated as a bellwether for the general election. A big loss for the Conservatives will be seen as an indicator that Labour is poised to win the next general election. But after over a decade of a Conservative government, what do we know about Labour MPs and their attitudes towards charities? 

Labour MPs are positive about relations between parliament and the charity sector

With a General Election imminent, the public's attitudes toward charities getting involved in politics have become more of a focus.  The Shelia McKechnie Foundation and nfpResearch wanted to understand how aware the public is of the political work of charities.  We were interested in hearing if people felt charities should be occupying the political space and who they felt should be involved in politics. Our report unpacks our findings on campaigning and activism from nfpIntelligence (our regular general public research focussed on charity sector trends).

Ben Roberts