22 January 2008
Public benefit and charities worry me... not however, because I agree or necessarily care about the on-going obsession with Independent Schools. Wee bit of a red herring, I feel.
I, too, believe in the dynamism of charities, indeed, if the third sector were to down tools, the very social fabric of this country would disintegrate. Why then are charities resisting with such gusto and combined voice the introduction of public benefit measures?
They worry me because the new measures don’t go far enough. Our sector must embrace the notion and expectation of strict, transparent evaluation and assessment. Instead, the mere mention of universal measures which clarify social returns, how in the real world we benefit, assist and support the vulnerable and the disengaged seems to terrify the sector. Even a quick enquiry from the Charities Commission which is all that is really being introduced, seems to have some mortified and indignant.
Of what? Donors, stakeholders, service users, and yes government have an absolute right to enquire into the state of the nation’s charities. Charities have an ethical duty to answer. Are we competent? Are we working toward and delivering public benefit? Who funds us and how (explicitly) we spend the cash? How do we actually know we are delivering? Who is checking we are? How do we measure social returns? And importantly, why are thousands of charities, (even the majority?) not measuring social value and outcomes.
As taxpayers, as individuals working in the sector, as citizens, we often and rightly seek similar clarification from our representatives and our government. It is important we understand how our tax pound is being spent. Many of us also feel it critical that the private sector avail us of the details of their investment portfolios, just so we can choose to boycott if we disagree with whom and in what they are investing their profits.
Surely if we expect (or lobby hard) for transparency and truth from our legislators, the corporate sectors and even (perversely in the age of twenty-four hour news) our celebrities, why not us? Minister, don’t take this nonsense from us! If charities are to take their rightful place at the top of the policy table, then we’d better make sure we know damn well we are delivering!
Emma-Jane Cross | Chief Executive, Beatbullying
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