Publications
NPC's publications are seen as must-read resources for policy makers, funders, charities and individual donors. You can see our full research programme here, and a complete list of our publications here.
Reports launched in 2012 include:
Job well done: Employment and mental health problems, a guide for funders Mental health problems cost the UK £67bn per year. Job well done looks at steps private funders can take to reduce this cost and improve lives, identifying effective charities and approaches to fund.
Reports launched in 2011 include:
Inspiring impact: Working together for a bigger impact in the UK social sector Following this year's Impact Summit, a group of organisations are collaborating to inspire change and help charities and funders to focus on impact through working together.
Best to borrow? A charity guide to social investment
NPC’s guide to social investment aims to help charities understand the risks and opportunities social investment entails and the steps they need to think through before deciding if it is for them.
A journey to greater impact: Six charities that learned to measure better We highlight six organisations at the forefront of charity impact measurement. These ‘bright spots’ are committed to high quality impact measurement and have reaped the rewards of putting it into practice.
Corporate giving: NPC's practical guide for corporate funders
NPC's guide provides practical guidance for corporate funders to help them make the most of their giving while at the same time meeting their strategic and business objectives.
Unlocking value: The economic value of arts in criminal justice
This report looks at three charities using art to work with prisoners and ex-offenders, putting forward the economic case for investment in arts charities.
The principles of good impact reporting
The Principles of Good Impact Reporting sets out a number of universal principles for charities and social enterprises to use when measuring and talking about their impact.
Inspiring local philanthropy: Making a difference in local communities
Inspiring local philanthropy, published by Coutts & Co in collaboration with NPC and the Community Foundation Network, is a practical guide for individuals who want to support their local communities.
Review of Allia's charitable bonds
The charity Allia has developed a series of bonds which use social investment to generate unrestricted funds for charities. In this report, NPC reviews the bonds.
Early intervention: An economic approach to charitable giving
Barclays Wealth asked NPC to investigate whether taking an economic approach to charitable giving could help maximise its impact. This report details our results.
J.P. Morgan Philanthropy Review 2008-2009
J.P. Morgan's philanthropy team in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) commissioned NPC to analyse its 2008 and 2009 grant portfolio. We reviewed the impact of all 35 grants funded in this time.
The value of charity analysis: How reviewing your organisation can help you achieve more
Charity analysis is central to NPC's work. In this report, we asked 16 charities for their feedback about our analysis, in order to be clear with ourselves and our audience about why charity analysis is useful.
Assessing the impact of multi-purpose community organisations
NPC, IVAR and nine community anchor organisations have come together to work out how to assess the impact of multi-purpose community organisations. The project aims to help them to demonstrate their value.
Stories from the boardroom
This report highlights key themes discussed during NPC and The Clothworkers' Company's 2011 trusteeship seminars and explores some topics in depth through case studies from various charities.
Philanthropic lives: The unique experiences of eight UK philanthropists
Philanthropic Lives explores the experiences of philanthropists in the UK, looking at motivations for giving and the challenges they encounter along the way.
Evaluating the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE)
NPC's impact evaluation of SSE, researched and written in autumn 2010.
Measuring together: Impact measurement in the youth justice sector
Youth justice charities are in danger from statutory funding cuts, so proving their worth is more important than ever. This paper aims to help overcome barriers to impact reporting by sharing methods.
Measuring together: Improving prisoners' family ties: Piloting a shared measurement approach
NPC worked with six charities that help prisoners and their families, piloting a shared measurement approach to help overcome some of the problems with impact measurement.
Understanding the demand and supply of social finance: Research to inform the Big Society Bank
This report details the findings of research to investigate demand for social finance in the UK. The research will be used to inform the design of the Big Society Bank when it starts investing later in 2011.
Community organisations: A guide to effectiveness
Community organisations will be key players in any realisation of the government's Big Society agenda. NPC’s latest report offers a practical guide to help community organisations ensure they are as effective as possible. It draws on last year's The little blue book.
Teenage kicks: The value of sport in tackling youth crime
Sport can be a powerful tool to tackle anti-social behaviour and youth crime. Teenage kicks uses economic analysis to demonstrate the value of three programmes using sport to tackle youth crime.
Helping grantees focus on impact: How funders provide monitoring and evaluation support
In this report, we outline some of the ways funders have supported their grantees to monitor and evaluate their work, and suggest how focusing on impact can benefit both funders and charities.
Foundations for knowledge: Sharing knowledge to increase impact
Funders could increase their impact by learning through their own grant-making, and sharing this knowledge with others, the rest of the sector can benefit from their experience.
NPC perspectives: Ten ways to boost giving
In this paper NPC suggests Ten ways to boost giving, calling for collaboration between a number of groups, from banks to foundations and charities to government.
Impact networks: Charities working together to improve outcomes
The report draws on a number of current examples of charities working together, demonstrating how charities operate as part of a network to achieve successful outcomes.
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