What impact are charities having?
The Lords Select Committee on Charities will examine the impact and accountability of charities in its evidence session next week, Tuesday 18 October.
Witnesses from think tank New Philanthropy Capital, from the Lloyds Bank Foundation and from a charity consultant will all give evidence.
Also giving evidence, in a second session, will be representatives from faith charities, who will be asked about their role in the charity sector and the importance of community cohesion.
The Committee has been set up to assess the sustainability of the charity sector, to look at the pressures and challenges they face, and to examine the roles of governments and public bodies.
In the first session at 4pm, the Committee will hear from Dan Corry, Chief Executive, New Philanthropy Capital, Paul Streets, Chief Executive, Lloyds Bank Foundation and Gen Maitland Hudson, Head of Impact and Assessment, Power to Change, and formerly of Kids Company.
In the second session at 5pm, the Committee will hear from Aamer Naeem, Chief Executive, Penny Appeal, Paul Hackwood, Church Urban Fund and Bharath Ganesh, Faith Matters.
Questions which could be asked include:
- How would you assess the importance of charities evaluating and measuring the impact of their work?
- What are the obstacles and risks associated with evaluating impact?
- Should donors expect clarity of impact from the charities they fund?
- Can donors seek to secure good outcomes from charities they support?
- What support is available to charities hoping to evaluate impact?
And in the following session:
- What is the role of charities in supporting community cohesion?
- What role do faith-based charities play in the charitable sector?
The evidence sessions will start at 4.00pm, on Tuesday 18 October, in Committee Room 4A of the House of Lords.
