It is feasible to suggest that critical media stories about the charity sector have taken a back seat due to the unprecedented political dramas we've seen unfold over the the last year. However, 71% of journalists expect the level of critical stories about charities to increase (or stay the same) over the coming year. Why is this the case? 

We used media monitoring software to find the highest reaching charity news stories of 2017 so far. Discover who's been hitting the headlines, the kind of stories that gain attention, and who the main publishers of third-sector related content are.

This week's blog explores some findings from our Brand Attributes research on qualities the public believe the "ideal" charities possess, and how International Development charities may be able to utilise these qualities to mobilise public support more effectively.

In an attempt to better understand how levels of trust affect the third sector, we've started a new research programme to try and identify what exactly charities are trusted to do, and how they are trusted compared to other sectors.

How we give, who/what we give to, and how much we give - what effect will continued upheavals in our economic and political life have on these aspects of our lives?

We've been tracking trust in charities and other public institutions for over 15 years. Our latest free research gives an update on the current levels of trust.

Some key findings:

Interested in finding out about what the public think about the way charities report their impact and spending? You can find out exactly what was said in our focus groups on this topic when you download this free report.

What do the public think about the way charities report their impact and spending? We recently conducted three focus groups with charity-friendly members of the public to gauge their thoughts on a range of issues regarding charity reporting.
 

Following a stint of bucket collecting for Plan International UK at Liverpool Street Station, our MD categorised the different types of people we encountered throughout the day. Discover the traits of 'the passionate one', the two different types of 'apologists', and everyone in-between in this week's comical blog!

In this week's blog, we highlight five of the most important things we've learned from our Brand Attributes research about how charities can raise their brand awareness and make their brand really shine.