From the BBC’s Spaghetti trees to the ‘Taco’ Liberty Bell, April 1st is the annual day for the jokers and japers in our ranks.  Today also marks the start of our first campaign of the year, Local Hero 2016. No joke! Local Hero, which will run until 30th April, recognises the incredible work put in by fundraisers, from the arty to the athletic to the absurd.  All participants need to do is think up a challenge, set up a fundraising page and persuade as many people as possible to donate. Throughout April all fundraisers will be ranked according to the number of unique online donors who sponsor their page. At the end of the campaign £5,000 in prizes will be awarded to the causes supported by the top 20 fundraisers, with a top prize of £1,000 going to the cause of the fundraiser who has secured the most donors. Local Hero 2015 saw nearly 300 fundraisers raise over £80,000 in donations, prizes and Gift Aid from over 2,500 donors. We would like to give a huge thanks to Making a Difference Locally for funding Local Hero 2016. Additional thanks to Lord David Puttnam and intu for their support for the campaign. So, get involved now - you’d be a fool to miss out! And to put a grin on your face, here are some of the best & worst pranks of the day so far: East London Pop-up to sell water from river Thames The Royal Albert Hall to become mini-Hadron Collider Marco Biagi of the SNP starts his campaign for mayor of London  Scotland and Wales to form own country of Britain votes to leave the EU German Embassy enveil hens that lay 'rugby-eggs' Equal Rights for Left Pits- says Right Guard  

United Way UK has announced two new grants for Spring 2016, Give Local and Community Impact. United Way UK collaborates with businesses and community partners in the voluntary sector to achieve positive change in education, income stability and health. Community Impact Grants There are 3 Community Impact Grants of £10,000 each These grants are aimed at increasing opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people. All proposed programmes should have a positive impact on educational attainment, including (but not limited to): Programmes encouraging healthier early childhood development for disadvantaged children (ages 0-8) with a focus on school readiness & success, language acquisition, and nutrition The development of numeracy and literacy skills for disadvantaged children of all ages (up to age 18) Increasing the employability of disadvantaged young people (ages 12-24) through the development of soft or hard skills outside of school   Give Local Grants There are 28 Give Local Grants of £1,000 each These grants are open to community based groups working in education, income stability and/or health.Applicants should: Demonstrate an understanding of local needs and solutions (within their geographic area)  Demonstrate the impact donors can have on causes local to their own homes/places of work Support the most disadvantaged or otherwise socially excluded     United Way UK often develops long term relationships with its community partners. It therefore favours projects with  the potential for scalability and/or replicability in other communities or regions. For further details including eligibility requirements and downloadable application forms please visithttp://www.unitedway.org.uk/grants

It's here! After months of development, design, copywriting and editing - everyone at Localgiving is delighted to announce the launch of our brand new website! In this blog we explain both what has changed and why we have made these updates. We hope that you like the new site and find it simple and more intuitive to use. As with any big change, we're sure there will be a few bumps along the way. Some things may take us a little longer to migrate over, so we thank you for your patience whilst we complete the switch! As ever, your feedback is welcomed, so please let us know any thoughts you have about the new site by dropping an email to help@localgiving.org.      So what's changed? .COM to .ORG - As a part of the revamp, we have migrated our domain from Localgiving.com to Localgiving.org. We've made this switch to reflect who we are - a not-for-profit organisation with charitable rather than commercial goals. We've set up automatic redirecting, so that all existing links to charity and fundraising pages will continue to go to the right place without you needing to change a thing. Whenever a supporter uses a localgiving.com URL, they will automatically be redirected to localgiving.org. All charity pages, buttons, appeals and fundraisers pages will also continue to work as before.  Improved search – Our new predictive search tool enables users on the site to find the results they're looking for more quickly and easily. Search by location or keyword to find local charities, fundraisers, projects and appeals.     Refined donation flow – We've improved the donation process to make it quicker and easier for people to donate to their charity of choice, as well as making it simpler to set up a monthly donation. For more detailed information about the changes, please read our step-by-step guide to the new donation flow.     A fresh modern look – Times change, fashions move on, and expectations are constantly being raised when it comes to website layout and design. Our fresh look introduces some of the latest design best-practice to our website. The new site is fully responsive, meaning that content adapts according to the size of your screen and displays across all devices (desktops, tablets, and phones). We have also tweaked our colour palette to deliver improved accessibility for partially-sighted people. New navigation bar – A big part of the new site design is an improved navigation bar at the top of each page. We have restructured our site menu to make it easier for all users to access the content they need, be it information on our charitable mission, programmes or contact details.     Updated content – We have updated much of the content across the website. You can now view all upcoming campaigns; plan ahead with our events calendar; find out more about Localgiving's mission and current programmes; as well as read and share our recent blogs and reports. Members can also access exclusive fundraising materials from within their accounts. Updated 'Terms of Service' – To ensure all of our legal information is as clear and easy to understand as possible, we have consolidated our terms and conditions into a single Terms of Service and a Privacy Policy, both of which apply to all users. Please let us know if you have any concerns about our updated terms and we will be happy to help.  Featured charities and fundraisers – Our member's campaigns, stories and images are the lifeblood of Localgiving. We'll be featuring new groups every few weeks, so if you'd like the chance for your organisation to be shown on the homepage, then drop us an email with a few sentences explaining why!      ...and what hasn't changed? Once logged in, everything within your Localgiving account will work in exactly the same way as before. The processes for logging-in, downloading reports and resources and viewing donations are all unchanged. All links to your existing pages (including buttons) will continue to work without the need to update your URLs.    Your opinion matters We value your opinion and welcome your comments. You can call us on 0300 111 2340 or contact help@localgiving.org if you have any feedback or questions about these changes. Many thanks for your support and we look forward to hearing from you.

March 1st is Wales’ national day, celebrating the anniversary of the death of its most famous ancient saint, David, or Dewi Sant. David lived in the 6th century and was reputed to be the grandson of the king of Ceredigion. His one miraculous (and, as others have pointed out, slightly underwhelming) act is said to be the raising of a small hill so he could be heard by his followers, in the place now called Llanddewi Brefi, (the church of St David on the river Brefi). Yes, that village in Matt Lucas’s Little Britain (although the spelling has been tweaked slightly). Who said history is boring? Anyway, David certainly left his mark on Wales, and on March 1st visitors will hardly fail to be impressed by the vast array of leek and daffodil lapel- and head-wear proudly brandished by its citizens, along with the many parades and school concerts (Eisteddfodau) celebrating all things Welsh. In 2015 Charities Aid Foundation released figures that show that Wales is the most generous of the United Kingdom nations, with some 80% of those surveyed saying they had donated to a charity in the previous year. (If you want to know who was least generous, I’m not saying - you’ll have to check out the report for yourself!) But it’s not all good news for the charity sector in Wales. According to a recent report by the Garfield Weston Foundation, “in a climate of uncertainty with local government re-organisation, changes to public funding, squeezed budgets and growing service demands, small-medium sized charities lack the dedicated resources, drive and skills development needed to tackle the funding changes affecting their longer-term ability to deliver services.” These findings are confirmed by Localgiving’s own research, which is why, for the past 12 months, we have focused on finding solutions that will help raise skills, confidence and sustainability for Welsh local charities. So on this most quintessentially Welsh of days, I am thrilled to be able to announce a new and comprehensive national Welsh development programme generously funded by Big Lottery Wales. This exciting project will follow the pattern of other development programmes, currently running in Northern Ireland and Scotland, initially running for two years and employing two field development managers, stationed in the north and south of the country. Each participating charity in Wales will gain access to our training, one-on-one support, membership of the Localgiving platform and match funding that we hope will propel them to online funding success! We will be working closely with other infrastructure organisations like the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), the Community Foundation in Wales (CFiW) and local County Voluntary Councils (CVCs). We have started the recruitment process and we hope to be running at full speed later in the Spring. David is reputed to have said “Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd” or “Do ye the little things in life”. It’s a simple exhortation that endorses the value of even the smallest effort to change things for good. Local charities may not have the vast resources of the big name international charities, but their comparatively small initiatives are nonetheless valuable and worthy of support. I think Localgiving’s mission aligns well with David’s great principle, and I hope that by next St David’s Day we’ll be able to tell some wonderful stories of Welsh charities making a big difference by doing the small things. Creative commons image licensed for reuse

Below is Localgiving’s response to the UK Cabinet Office’s recently announced plans to insert an ‘anti-advocacy’ clause into grant agreements. “Localgiving believes that a vibrant, empowered voluntary sector is an essential pillar of a healthy democracy. It is our concern that the recently announced ‘anti-advocacy clause’ has the potential to obstruct the ability of local charities to provide constructive feedback to government and effectively represent their beneficiaries. The clause, as currently worded, prohibits the use of grant funding for any activity which “attempts to influence government”. As it stands, we are wary that the clause’s wide scope could be interpreted in such a way that prevents grass-roots organisations with specialist, in-depth knowledge of their local communities from feeding that knowledge back to government. It is our belief that such a situation would be of detriment to society as a whole and, as such, further clarity is required to allay these concerns. In addition, our 2015 report into the sustainability of the local voluntary sector revealed that only 10% of local charities feel appreciated by central government. We are therefore apprehensive that this issue could have a negative impact on an already strained relationship. Once again, this situation highlights the need for voluntary sector organisations to diversify their funding sources. In an environment of restricted state funding, it is more vital than ever that charities explore alternative sources of income; enabling them to continue to deliver much needed services and accurately represent the issues facing local people on the ground."

Last week, the Charity Engagement team hosted the first in a new series of workshops for small and local charities. This event was put on with the help of CAN Mezzanine, who provided the facilities and extended the invitation to their own users. This workshop, ‘Inspiring Online Fundraising’, was delivered to 15 London-based groups, made up of both Localgiving members and other small charitable organisation.  The workshop was based on our successful webinar of the same name which we hosted in advance of last year’s Local Hero campaign. The aim of the workshop was to provide groups with the following knowledge:   Awareness of the power of online fundraising How to find fundraisers both in your supporter base and further afield Having the confidence to know how to make an inspiring ask to fundraisers and donors How to support your fundraisers throughout their challenge How to convert fundraisers into long term supporters     The workshop was also a fantastic opportunity for the charities to network, share their experiences of fundraising and explore new ways to reach out to potential fundraisers and donors. The workshop was a great success. We recieved some fantastic feedback from the groups who attended and are looking forward to hosting our second workshop, 'Developing a Fundraising Plan', on 3rd March 2016. Local Hero We will also be repeating our ‘Inspiring Online Fundraisers’ webinar in advance of this year’s Local Hero campaign. Dates for the webinar are still to be arranged but we have recently released details of the campaign:   Running between 1st - 30th April, Local Hero is focused solely on fundraisers. In the course of the campaign, Localgiving will be awarding £5,000 in prizes to the causes supported by the top 20 fundraisers, with the top fundraiser securing a prize of £1,000 for their chosen cause! For more details about Local Hero, please click here 

Since founding Localgiving in 2009, Marcelle Speller OBE, has fought to ensure that grassroots charities and community groups from across the UK are given the recognition and support they need and deserve. We are delighted therefore to see Marcelle’s work once again endorsed through her inclusion in this year’s Debrett’s 500. For almost 250 years Debrett’s has given the spotlight to people of influence and achievement in British society. Each year Debrett’s 500 is compiled by independent panels of specialists. The 2016 list sees Marcelle included in the UK's twenty most influential “Philanthropists and activists” alongside such esteemed and inspirational people as Malala Yousafzai, Lord Sainsbury, Prince Harry and Layla Hussain. Steve Mallinson, Localgiving's Chief Executive, has said:  "It is brilliant to see our founder and Chairman  recognised in  Debrett's 500. It is a privilege to work alongside Marcelle and to witness her drive and passion on a daily basis. We hope that that this will inspire more people to find out about the local charities and causes that Marcelle cares so much about".    

Bob Porter is Artistic Director of the Brandenburg Choral Festival of London. Now in its seventh year, the Festival organises over 120 concerts a year in a range of iconic central London venues. Many of you will be scratching your heads and wondering what original and exciting fundraising event you can offer your supporters in 2016 which doesn't require any financial commitment, is easy to organise and allows you some important face-to-face contact with your supporters. A fundraising concert can be relatively cheap to organise if you can source a free or discounted venue and you know of an amateur music group or choir. However, if you don't have the necessary contacts or the time to organise your own concert, or maybe you want something a bit more special than a concert in your local church, another route is to explore partnerships with concert promoters in your nearest large town or city. Fundraising choral concerts - the Brandenburg model For the past two years, the Brandenburg Choral Festival of London has been running a fundraising initiative which enables small charities to raise funds by selling tickets to one of our London choral concerts and retaining a share (up to 50%) of the value of tickets sold. Over 100 charities have chosen to partner with us. Why? Because we are offering them a quality fundraising event which doesn't require any event management or financial commitment. And it's not just the fundraising aspect which interests them. The concerts have also provided charities with: low-cost reception opportunities, enabling trustees and staff to thank supporters; a special event to form part of a charity's anniversary celebrations; and the chance to promote awareness of their work to a new audience via a free advert in the concert programme and by having their logo on our flyers and website. Our charity partners are a huge asset to the Festival and we are proud to be associated with them. They value our partnership as it provides them with a unique opportunity to offer a high-quality fundraising event to their supporters which would otherwise be beyond their reach. There is a burgeoning enthusiasm for choral music in this country and I hope that what we're doing at Brandenburg will inspire small charities and community groups to tap in to the myriad of excellent choral, and indeed other music, concerts taking place around the country in 2016. If you are thinking of organising a fundraising concert in your area and would like some advice, please get in touch by emailing bob@brandenburg.org.uk or calling:07770 937328. For info about Brandenburg's fundraising opportunities, visit www.brandenburg.org.uk/charities/   Headshot by Mark Thomas, Main image by Marc Gascoigne.    

Heavy rain and gale-force winds are expected again today to hit parts of North and West Yorkshire, including the Calder Valley, which experienced severe flooding on Boxing Day. While the community gather to begin the clean up, others are bracing for more damage from Storm Frank.  In West Yorkshire, thousands of homes were affected after the Calder river banks burst, with more than 550 homes still without power. Many bussinesses have also been affected having to throw away spoiled stock and expensive equipment.  Residents, unable to return to their homes need emergency accommodation. To help fund the flood relief, Community Foundation for Calderdale have set up an appeal. Over £180,000 has already been generously donated to help with the costs of cleaning up after the flood water falls. The money raised will also be given out as small grants to help people in West Yorkshire rebuild their homes and businesses.  Steve Duncan, Chief Executive of Community Foundation for Calderdale today said, “The Community response to the flooding has been phenomenal, we have had volunteers from across the UK helping us to clean up and prepare for Storm Frank. People have lost so much, at least 2000 homes have been flooded in Calderdale many of whom could not get flood insurance. We started our Localgiving appeal page on the afternoon of the flooding to enable us to help people with immediate effect. It is this flexibility that allows Community Foundation to respond so quickly and make a substantial impact when it is most needed. We have been overwhelmed by the response and have already raised £181,000, however we know we need a lot more to be able to help those who have been affected.” Please give generously to the Calderdale Flood Relief Appeal ---- More appeals: Tadcaster Albion Amateur Football Club are appealing for donations to help them repair damage made to the pitch and clubhouse. Click here to listen to the owner James Gore talk about the impact of the floods. Wales Community Foundation have also set up a Flood Recovery Fund for those affected to help local people with recovery, rebuilding, and community initiatives. A warehouse used by Bike Rescue Project in York was flooded, damaging many essential tools for recycling bikes. This has also affected their training and outreach programmes.  If your charity has also been affected, please get in touch via our help desk.        

This Tuesday marked the UK’s second ever Giving Tuesday, and to celebrate the occasion we ran our #GiveMe5 campaign to double 1,000 x £5 donations made to local charities on the day. We're pleased to announce that the campaign was a runaway success, with more than 1,500 individuals choosing to support a local cause, raising over £36,000 for 550 local charities and community groups! In addition, we saw amazing support from a wide range of partner organisations, from leading law firms to award winning restaurants. Tasty office ‘bake offs’, front page banners on company websites, encouraging tweets and featured news stories all helped to raise awareness and support for local charities. So from everyone at Localgiving, we’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who got involved this Giving Tuesday, whether by donating, baking, tweeting or generally just shouting about local causes - every single action contributed to a fantastic result! Read more about our results and other success stories from across the UK in the Guardian.  Philanthropy in the news This week also saw CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, and his wife Priscilla Chan announce that they would be donating 99% of their Facebook shares - with a current value of $45bn - to advance a mission of “advancing human potential and promoting equality for all children in the next generation”, following the birth of their daughter. The announcement sparked a flurry of media attention around the subject of philanthropy, with our founder, Marcelle Speller, adding her expertise to the discussion. See a video of Marcelle talking to John Humprys about philanthropy and the importance of local charities on Radio 4’s the Today Programme here. With special thanks to the Office for Civil Society for providing funding for our #GiveMe5 campaign this #GivingTuesday