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.

“Dog’s breakfast”

“A chilling effect on freedom of expression”

“Entirely unworkable”

“Swimming against the technological tide”

“Neither liberal nor democratic”

Not a warm welcome for the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill.

Written by Jonathan Taylor as part of the Clore Social Leadership Programme we've been supporting, this report looks at the role of charity directors and whether they can achieve a balance between leadership responsibilities and participating in their senior team. It summarises the views of 12 individuals, half of whom are ex-financial directors and half of whom are current senior members of charity management teams.

It is fair to say that the deregulation of charity lotteries has been an issue for decades. Though improvements were made in the 2005 Act, lotteries are arguably the most regulated area of fundraising. We passionately believe that their growth is being hindered by unnecessary, disproportionate regulation and this is deeply affecting the amount of money being raised for good causes. So we decided to write a report to look at the whole lottery landscape and consider how the situation could be improved, creating a win/win for the government, charities and, most importantly, people in need.

It is unsurprising that altruism is the most common reason people volunteer. In 2005, nfpSynergy’s The 21st Century Volunteer report found the motivations most often cited by volunteers are a belief in the cause and a desire to make a difference. But in today’s world, motives for volunteering go beyond altruism.

The most recent data from our Charity Awareness Monitor (CAM) has yielded some interesting results on public perceptions of charity staff pay. While the majority think that Chief Executives are paid (80%) and volunteer tin collectors are not (69%), there's a fair bit of uncertainty about whether or not salaries are drawn in other roles, such as trustees and on-street fundraisers.

When I started my internship here last July, I didn't know much about the charity sector. Aside from a newspaper story I wrote for the British Heart Foundation and a week’s work experience there, I scarcely knew my Band Aid from my Gift Aid. It's been a fascinating learning curve over the last six months and although we are not a charity, we work solely for non-profits. So I thought while many of our bloggers reel off their last Auld Lang Syne at home, I’d muse on five things I learned about the charity sector in 2012.

1. A Hidden Gem - Resilience report from the Clore Social Leadership Programme

There are certain words which in the charity world have gained a completely different meaning from the one they do in the rest of the world. Independence is one of them.