This week's blog looks at the findings from our latest report on how to measure public giving and some of the pitfalls and challenges in doing so. 

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!

We've been sending out quite a few free reports recently, so we thought we'd put them all in one convenient place. Here's a preview of what's available:

The Politics of Charities

What do the public think about charities having the right to lobby? And what does it mean to MPs and journalists for charities to 'be political'?

Global Digital Fundraising

Global communication has opened up new opportunities to engage with communities and key audiences. So what does this mean for non-profits in different environments?

This is a presentation of our data on the public's opinion about charity spending. We also have a video of this presentation here, presented by Joe Saxton, with some great insight and explanation of what the data means for charities.

For a long time, charity brand building has focused on awareness:

• Are we well known?
• Are we visible enough?
• Are we cutting through?

Awareness still matters (if people don’t know you exist, they can’t support you) – but recognition alone is not what drives preference, advocacy or long-term support. The more pressing question today is not “Do people know us?” but “Do we feel relevant?”.

What do Scottish donors and politicians really think about charities? A preview of our Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations findings

If you work in the Scottish charity sector, you will probably recognise the mood. Public goodwill can feel fragile, political attention is stretched and the pace of the news cycle leaves little room for reflection. Against that backdrop, it is worth asking a simple question: what do Scottish donors and politicians actually think about charities right now?

nfp co-director, Cian Murphy, writes:

Public support for overseas aid has been declining