No more fences


Sufina Ahmad MBE

No more fences

By Sufina Ahmad MBE, Director, John Ellerman Foundation. Independent grantmakers play a key role in supporting charitable funding. Through collaboration, communication, and feedback, the philanthropic movement can help civil society...


Tera Allas

Enhancing productivity in the social sector with lessons from the private sector

By Tera Allas, Director of Research and Economics, McKinsey & Company. What the social sector can learn from the private sector about boosting productivity


Ed Boyd

Business is changing, which is great news for civil society

By Ed Boyd, Co-Founder and Chief Executive, ReGenerate Trust. Increased collaboration between civil society and businesses presents a huge opportunity that is beneficial for both parties.


Martin Brookes

A better way to value and think about charities

By Martin Brookes, Chief Executive of London Plus, co-founder of PBE. Improving how we measure the value of civil society is essential - or we'll never understand just how much...


Ed Conway

Turning instinct into real economic insight

By Ed Conway, Economics & Data Editor, Sky News. Despite playing a key function in many lives, the actual contribution of civil society often goes unaccounted for.


Giselle Cory

The sector is transforming its use of data – but it needs better incentives to thrive

By Giselle Cory, CEO, DataKind UK. We need to support civil society leaders to be data-confident, as data-knowledge and application provides an opportunity to increase effectiveness in the sector.


Polly Curtis

The loneliness lottery and how to combat it

By Polly Curtis, CEO, Demos. Civil society’s value is far more than the services they provide. It exists in the intimate connections and personal empowerment they invite.


Leah Davis

Why charity leaders must speak with one voice

By Leah Davis, Head of Policy and External Affairs, New Philanthropy Capital (NPC). It is more important than ever for charities to push back against political barriers and achieve change...


Martin Drechsler

The need and opportunity for business and civil society to work together

By Paul Drechsler CBE. A greater exchange of ideas, resources and talent between the private and social sectors would provide charities with more opportunities and the skill sets to prosper.


Seb Elsworth

A hand up, not a handout – harnessing enterprise to rebuild communities from the bottom up

By Seb Elsworth MBE, CEO, Access. Increased social investment and funding will provide charities with access to capital, which in turn will enable them to expand their important work.


Andrew Harrop

Politicians need to engage with the ‘ends’ not just the ‘means’ of civil society

By Andrew Harrop, General Secretary, Fabian Society. Charities can play a part in a project of national renewal, and politicians will want to bolster their voice, embrace them as public...


Adam Hawksbee

The social sector’s funding landscape limits its potential

By Adam Hawksbee, Deputy Director, Onward. Turning round decades of decline in neighbourhoods across Britain means investing in social infrastructure and rebuilding from the bottom up.


Dr Javed Khan OBE

Keeping civil society’s butterfly wings flapping

By Dr. Javed Khan OBE, Former CEO, Barnardo’s, Victim Support. Charities have been the backbone of our nation in times of crisis - but they've also faced huge challenges that...


Kirsty McIntosh

Collaboration between the tech and third sectors can generate transformative impact

By Kirsty McIntosh, Head of Partnerships, Scottish Tech Army. The tech sector and its skilled workforce can add so much to civil society - helping it to meet need.


Ailbhe McNabola

Maximising the potential of the community businesses at the heart of our highstreets

By Ailbhe McNabola, Director of Policy and Communications, Power to Change. How to identify practical ways to support and maximise the contribution of community businesses, which are a vital part...


Baroness Amanda Sater

Volunteering is the lifeblood of a robust civil society

By Baroness Amanda Sater. The private sector should help strengthen the nation's volunteering services in a period where civil society faces greater demand and more economic hardship than ever.


Hetan Shah

An initial response to the Law Family Commission on Civil Society

By Hetan Shah, Chief Executive, The British Academy. Maximising organisational capability, accessibility of data and encouraging cross-sector collaboration are all essential to the success of civil society.


Baroness Phillipa Stroud

Ensuring a thriving civil society to tackle poverty

By Baroness Philippa Stroud, CEO, Legatum Institute, and Chair, Poverty Strategy Commission. Collaborative action by business, civil society, and government is bound to improve outcomes for those in need.


Frank Young

It turns out Britain is one of the most generous countries in the world

By Frank Young, Editorial Director, Civitas. Government should ensure that the vital role of volunteering in strengthening local communities is not overlooked.


A spit photo of a man and a woman

Philanthropy policy would be the best Christmas gift for charities this year

Labour MP Rushanara Ali and Conservative MP Danny Kruger make the case for more specific policy on philanthropy in the UK in order to unlock its full potential.


A man wearing glasses

Double or nothing: Charities may be more than twice as valuable as first thought

How the charity and non-profit sector is undervalued in national accounts, and how it can be improved.


a woman in a blue coat on Westminster Bridge

Closer connections – the social sector’s voice needs to be stronger in government

Our latest blog analysing how the partnership between the government and the social sector can be strengthened by including more civil society representatives on advisory groups.


Nicole Sykes

Understanding the ecosystem: charities and public services

Nicole Sykes, Director of Policy and Communications at PBE, dicusses the fundamental role charities play in providing vital public services.


Jack Larkham

Charities need to be a vital part of the UK’s productivity drive

Boosting charity productivity is an overlooked opportunity in the campaign to tackle the UK’s productivity problem. Both charities and policymakers have a shared interest in doing so.


Wooden hearts

Civil society and the social side of levelling up

Levelling up the United Kingdom will require major boosts to physical infrastructure. But any complete attempt to rebalance life outcomes across the country will also have to address a wider...