CHARITIES and politicians – a match made in heaven? Perhaps not, reports PR Week (Feb 8). Relationships between the two may be more distant than previously perceived and charities should be wary of closing this gap if they want to avoid risking their reputations.
Charities’ lobbying activities are failing to influence the House of Commons, according to research by the think-tank nfpSynergy. It asked 180 MPs which charities had impressed them most in the past six months. Major organisations such as Mencap, RNID and the Royal British Legion were cited by only three MPs each. Even the most frequently mentioned charity, which has opted for anonymity, was listed by 15 MPs, or 8 per cent of the sample.
This appears to contradict research by the Hansard Society, which suggested that the charity sector is more adept at lobbying than is the private sector. Its 2007 study found that only one MP in five thought that businesses were more influential than charities.
So what does a charity need to lobby more successfully? Independent funding, finds the nfpSynergy survey. Charities with significant nonstatutory income generally held more sway, perhaps because they “feel independent and confident enough to engage with, and thereby impress, MPs”, says Joe Saxton, the think-tank’s director.
But charities should be mindful of working too closely with political parties, says the board of the Charity Commission. It is due to launch revised campaigning guidelines later this month and wants to stress the potential reputational risks of such relationships.
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Sarah Atkinson, the commission’s head of corporate affairs, says that working in the political arena is often a good way for charities to reach their objectives. But “it is important for charities to feel confident of their ability to preserve their independence.”