Third Sector Podcast

Lucinda Rouse and Emily Harle are joined by Paul Winyard, head of policy at the Fundraising Regulator. Paul provides insight into the new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will take effect from 1 November. He explains how a more prescriptive set of rules has been replaced by a principles-based approach to regulation.He describes how the Fundraising Regulator is working to overcome the reputational risks that unscrupulous street fundraisers from community interest companies pose to wider charitable fundraising.They also discuss the regulator’s approach to artificial intelligence and new considerations around commission-based payments.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucinda Rouse and Emily Harle  are joined by Manny Amadi, chief executive of C&E Advisory, to talk about the firm’s Corporate-Non-Profit Partnerships Barometer 2025.Manny provides context to the finding that corporate partnerships remain a resilient and effective mechanism for driving societal change, in spite of concerns that businesses are reneging on their environmental, social and governance commitments.He explains how aid cuts have affected cross-sector collaborations and puts forward his predictions for the likely trajectory in the year ahead.Access the 2025 barometer here.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Russell, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, shares his extensive leadership experience in charities, tackling the unique challenges of leading through a time of polycrisis. He candidly discusses the mental health toll of constant crises and the importance of boundary-setting for well-being. Mark emphasizes the necessity for leaders to model healthy behavior and calls for boards to better support exhausted executives. He also highlights a major fundraising appeal aimed at improving child well-being and the vital role of collaboration in driving impactful change.

Stuart Pearson, Head of Innovation at Citizens Advice Stockport, shares insights on developing Caddy, an AI chatbot designed to support charity advisors. Zoe Amar, founder of Zoe Amar Digital, highlights the skills gap hindering AI adoption in charities. They discuss the importance of human involvement in AI integration to enhance service delivery while maintaining trust. The conversation explores current AI trends and resources for charity professionals, emphasizing a thoughtful approach to technology that aligns with organizational values.

Lucinda Rouse and Dami Adewale are joined by Emma Revie, co-chief executive of Trussell, and the strategy and change management specialist Martyn Drake.Emma explains why Trussell’s mission statement has been altered to place the provision of food aid second to its aim of eliminating the need for food banks. She stresses the need to work with others to drive systems change and shares her belief that resources should never be taken away from long-term solutions in order to provide a temporary fix.Martyn shares examples of other charities that have recognised the need to change strategic direction to avoid being enablers of the problems they are trying to solve.He describes the importance of granting staff at all levels of an organisation the autonomy to work flexibly with other partners in order to achieve shared goals.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Ruth Marvel, the Chief Executive of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, as she dives into the charity’s innovative impact measurement framework. She shares the significance of a theory of change co-created with young people to guide their initiatives. Ruth emphasizes the use of national open data sets to validate the program’s effectiveness, especially for marginalized groups. Transparency in data reporting and adapting to evolving youth needs are also key topics, showcasing the intersection of data, policy, and youth enrichment.

Lucinda Rouse visits the Dogs Trust’s head office to meet the charity’s chief executive, Owen Sharp.Owen talks about the recent restructure of Dogs Trust as part of a new strategy and shares some of the lessons he has learned from an ongoing redundancy process involving 300 staff.He gives his view on ways in which the voluntary sector could be responding differently to current instability, such as taking a less siloed approach to shared challenges.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.Subscribe to the Third Sector Podcast on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucinda Rouse and Dami Adewale are joined by Toby Freeman, chief executive of the Robin Cancer Trust, and the charity finance and governance specialist Pesh Framjee.Toby shares his experiences of founding a charity to which he has a deep personal connection, and outlines the ways in which he is preparing the organisation for his departure.Pesh puts forward his view that founder’s syndrome is a relatively uncommon occurrence. He stresses the importance of succession-planning in founder-led charities and the need to nurture future leaders within the existing team.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.Subscribe to the Third Sector Podcast on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucinda Rouse and Emily Harle are joined by Nicole Sykes, director of policy, communications and research at the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales.They discuss some recent research by Lloyds Banking Group that found charities are the second-most trusted source of financial advice after family members. They consider how charities can best respond to the finding, and why it should be a cause for celebration.They cover a range of other topical issues affecting the sector, from the emergence of the impact economy to the need for charities to adapt to new ways of finding information with the advent of AI.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this insightful discussion, guest Natasha Friend, Director of Camden Giving, emphasizes the transformative power of participatory grantmaking. She shares how Camden Giving devolves funding decisions to community panels made up of those directly affected by local challenges. The conversation dives into the shift from traditional funding models to empowering communities, highlighting the importance of shared decision-making and community engagement. Natasha and Robin Morgan-Chu also discuss the role of funders in fostering inclusivity and enhancing local empowerment.