The campaign website states:

“[Translated] The Dutch give time, money and energy. Because they care about society, about the world and about each other. We need space to keep doing that. But this space is not self-evident. The government is increasingly taking measures that, intentionally or unintentionally, restrict the scope to give and ask for support.”

A collaborative initiative from SBF (Samenwerkende Brancheorganisaties Filantropie), developed in partnership by Goede Doelen Nederland, CIO and FIN, the Manifesto calls on politicians to create space for the Dutch to ‘do good’ with a series of actions. This includes stimulating giving by protecting and improving the tax incentives, maintaining a transparent self-regulatory system, eliminating unnecessary laws and regulations, protecting charities’ ability to ask for funds across a range of channels (including the telephone, mail and face-to-face), safeguarding lottery funding for charity, and making volunteering more attractive, among others.

Jan van Berkel, chair of SBF and Goede Doelen Nederland, says:

“Dutch political parties are right now discussing the programme and composition of the new Dutch coalition government. The Manifesto calls for support and no interference in the philanthropy sector by the new Dutch government. It has been presented to all political parties and the media.

“We are happy that the Manifesto is not only endorsed by the members of SBF, but also by 10 other umbrella organisations representing volunteers, sports, health work, development cooperation and the cultural sector. Together we hope this will lead to a positive approach towards philanthropy under the new coalition government.”

Entitled ‘Dutch people want to help. Give us the space‘, the Manifesto was presented by letter to Informateur Mariëtte Hamer, the party leader and relevant spokesperson of the House of Representatives, and launched via social media with a 1-minute promotional film.

The campaign is part of SBF’s efforts to make government policy more positive so that Dutch people can continue to work for a better world.

Read more at the campaign website.

The new study by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) examined national policy responses to supporting philanthropic giving and civil society in the context of the pandemic.  It found that governments varied widely in how they viewed the ability of civil society to help and that some had used the pandemic to silence organisations that were seen as critics.

Civil society organisations have been a vital part of the Covid-19 response across the world, stepping in where government capacity for providing basic necessities has been lacking and supporting rebuilding efforts.

In the report, Neil Heslop, Chief Executive of CAF, said:

He added: “In this report there are strong examples of governments, development agencies, charities and advocates working together to help people weather this pandemic.  We need to build on those successes in our planning for future crises.

“We cannot afford to squander the moment for change created by Covid-19.  In the past and as seen during this crisis, the role of civil society organisations has often been an afterthought for governments.  As we start to recover and aim to build back better that cannot be the case.”

The Giving Civil Society The Right Response report also details how some governments see charities as obstacles and shortcomings in the financial assistance offered to non-profit organisations during the pandemic.  In many cases, a one-size-fits-all approach was created to support businesses and was only extended to nonprofits in some cases after much advocacy.  Whilst some governments retrofitted stimulus packages to the sector, they did not address the needs of nonprofits and failed to acknowledge the role they already play in delivering on-the-ground support.

The report also highlights recommendations on how we can build on the growth of informal giving and private sector engagement we have seen during Covid-19 whilst keeping in mind that the economic impacts of the crisis are still unfolding.

Read the full report here.

Unveiled last week by the Department of Rural and Community Development, the fund has been welcomed by Charities Institute Ireland (Cii), who worked collaboratively with representative bodies from across the Irish charity and community sector to lobby for Government assistance. However, some concern was also raised about whether funding levels, which are capped to €100,000 per organisation, will be sufficient.

Cii describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector’s ability to fundraise as ‘devastating’, with many charities cancelling their annual fundraising events and having to close retail stores.

Liz Hughes, CEO of Charities Institute Ireland, said:

“We welcome this decision by Government. Many organisations have been devastated by the impact of Covid-19 and it is important that this funding is now allocated to the most affected charities and voluntary groups as a matter of urgency.

“We look forward to continued engagement with Government as the full impact of COVID-19 becomes clear and we collectively assess the need for further stability measures and supports for the sector.”

‘While we understand the Government’s decision to cap the payment to any one organisation at €100,000, we are concerned that for some charities who rely on significant fundraising efforts, this amount will not address their challenges.” 

The funding announcement follows a joint submission to government from a new group, formed specifically for that purpose, comprising: The Alliance of Age Sector NGOs, Boardmatch Ireland, Carmichael  , Charities Institute Ireland,  Clann Credo Community Loan Finance,  Disability Federation of Ireland,  Dóchas, Irish Rural Link, National Federation of Voluntary Bodies, National Forum of Family Resource Centres, National Youth Council of Ireland, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, Volunteer Ireland and The Wheel.

Related news: National governments unveil support packages

The event celebrated the achievements of the 2016 National Fundraising Awards winners, giving MPs from all parties and parts of the country the chance to meet with the award winners as well as fundraisers from across the sector. It was hosted by Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Charities, Susan Elan Jones MP, as part of the IoF’s ongoing work to strengthen the relationship between fundraisers and MPs in Parliament.

Introducing the event, Susan Elan Jones MP, who was a charity fundraiser and IoF member before becoming an MP, said that the contribution that fundraisers make to society was phenomenal. She also spoke about her own experience before entering Parliament as a charity fundraiser in Wales, and the training and qualifications that she had received from the IoF as part of her professional development.

Rob Wilson MP and Steve Reed MP (pictured, with Susan Elan Jones MP) also spoke at the event, with Wilson welcoming the positive fundraising work shown by the award winners, as well as the IoF’s new strategic framework.

In his speech, Reed stated that the work of fundraisers has never been more important due to the pressures facing the charity sector. He highlighted his own experience of charity fundraising and working with the charitable sector in local government, and welcomed the work of all of the National Fundraising Award winners.