Joe’s blog about TOIL has provoked much comment, not least in the nfpSynergy office. Mirroring the comments on our site, opinion is divided. And all of this happening while Joe is sunning himself in the Caribbean…

The charity campaigning landscape is increasingly crowded. Today, charities need to put more thought into getting MP’s attention than five years ago. Drawing on our insights from the Charity Parliamentary Monitor, we give you five tips for making your mark at Westminster.

• “Depth of public resistance to charities giving to political parties seems profound and unequivocal,” says nfpSynergy’s Saxton
• The British public are happier (slide 2) for foreign businesses (24%), foreign governments (15%), churches and religious organisations (15%) – and even the royal family (13% - 7% saying ‘probably’, 6% ‘definitely’) - to give money to support UK political parties than for UK charities (13% - 10% say ‘probably’, 3% ‘definitely’) to so do, according to new data out today

‘Charities’ rank lowest out of a range o

A briefing released in Sept 2009, using data from the Charity Parliamentary Monitor to examine whether party conferences are a good use of resources for charities and non-profits.

• “Flabby” Government definitions exaggerate volunteering figures
•  Pet-sitting, pub-pointing, child-cheering and picketing could all, officially, count as “volunteering”
• “Tighter definitions needed to uncover true volunteering levels; and to plan/evaluate Government strategy and investment,” vies nfpSynergy’s Baker

Looking after a pet for a friend, pointing out a pub to a stranger, cheering your child at cricket or even joining a picket: these are all countable instances of volunteering according to Gover

Not for profit think-tank nfpSynergy has teamed up with The ImpACT Coalition to produce a free, short, practical report and guide that will empower charities to formulate and communicate simple messages, including pithy pub facts, needed to dispel a range of debilitating misperceptions their stakeholders may have, both about themselves and the wider third sector.

nfpSynergy has a wealth of back-data regarding MPs' opinions of charities and their campaigns, comments from those who work in this area and experience of the sector. This has enabled us to compile a report containing ten tips, which extract the most salient issues to emerge from our research, to help you in your future charity campaigns and lobbying.