News and views

The latest news, blogs and opinions from across the international development and humanitarian sectors.

Bond experts, members and thought leaders from civil society provide the latest insights and trends across a range of topics, including: aid, funding, politics, Brexit, the SDGs, communications, public support, project management, leadership and civic space.

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Highlights from DFID’s annual report and accounts 2020

6 August 2020

DFID's annual report and accounts for 2019-20 was recently released, and provides a snapshot of the UK's main aid-spending department prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the decision to merge DFID with FCO.

Why we need a systemic response to climate change and ecological degradation

5 August 2020

Stephanie Draper

As Covid-19 disrupts every aspect of our collective lives, the pandemic throws into relief how underprepared and unsustainable our societies are.

How can we reconnect with audiences we’ve left behind?

31 July 2020

Simon Capper

With support for aid in decline, new research into British public perceptions explores how a focus on “distant” audiences can help to turn the tide.

A Pakistani man stands outside a UK-funded temporary shelter after flooding in Sindh

UK aid cuts: what’s being prioritised and what we still need to know

27 July 2020

With so much left unknown and the lack of detail offered by the government, the proposed aid cuts risk falling hardest on the world’s poorest people already bearing the brunt of Covid-19.

How startups and NGOs can work together for stronger impact

27 July 2020

Charlotte Reypens

A new report highlights the different ways NGOs are collaborating with startups to be more innovative and effective.

3 ways power is being redistributed over the next decade

22 July 2020

Yolaina Vargas Pritchard

As the nature of power changes and fractures, we explore what these global shifts mean for the UK’s international development sector.

UK aid for people fleeing violence in Myanmar

Cross-party MPs condemn DFID-FCO merger: world’s poorest to pay

17 July 2020

Paul Abernethy

The International Development Select Committee criticises the UK government’s “out of the blue” decision to scrap DFID, saying the merger will jeopardise the effectiveness of UK aid spending.

women from Maasai tribe carrying water, Kenya, East Africa

How do we build an aid worker register to prevent sexual abuse?

16 July 2020

Franziska Schwarz

A worker registration scheme would help stop perpetrators of sexual exploitation and abuse moving around the aid sector, but could also fundamentally impact how organisations operate if not properly implemented.

Highlights from DFID’s annual report and accounts 2020

6 August 2020

Why we need a systemic response to climate change and ecological degradation

5 August 2020

Stephanie Draper

As Covid-19 disrupts every aspect of our collective lives, the pandemic throws into relief how underprepared and unsustainable our societies are.

How can we reconnect with audiences we’ve left behind?

31 July 2020

Simon Capper

With support for aid in decline, new research into British public perceptions explores how a focus on “distant” audiences can help to turn the tide.

UK aid cuts: what’s being prioritised and what we still need to know

27 July 2020

With so much left unknown and the lack of detail offered by the government, the proposed aid cuts risk falling hardest on the world’s poorest people already bearing the brunt of Covid-19.

3 ways power is being redistributed over the next decade

22 July 2020

Yolaina Vargas Pritchard

As the nature of power changes and fractures, we explore what these global shifts mean for the UK’s international development sector.

Cross-party MPs condemn DFID-FCO merger: world’s poorest to pay

17 July 2020

Paul Abernethy

The International Development Select Committee criticises the UK government’s “out of the blue” decision to scrap DFID, saying the merger will jeopardise the effectiveness of UK aid spending.

One year on from the UK’s Voluntary National Review: what next for the SDGs?

14 July 2020

Kit Dorey

This week's UN High-Level Political Forum marks one year since the UK presented its progress on the SDGs. We look at what the UK still needs to do to meet the goals.

A refugee camp in Myanmar, built with the help of UK Aid

DFID-FCO merger: 3 priorities for international development

8 July 2020

The UK government must take urgent steps to ensure that DFID’s high standards for aid spending are maintained by the new department, starting with three pressing policy priorities.

How can we reconnect with audiences we’ve left behind?

31 July 2020

Simon Capper

With support for aid in decline, new research into British public perceptions explores how a focus on “distant” audiences can help to turn the tide.

A man with his face covered cycles through London near parliament

How to talk about Covid-19: insights from the British public

1 June 2020

Molly Anders

New research from the Development Engagement Lab sheds light on the British public’s receptivity to development cooperation in the context of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Frontline Health Workers in Thailand

3 ideas to communicate sensitively in the Covid-19 crisis

22 April 2020

Maryam Mohsin

How can the development and humanitarian sectors get their communications right at a time when everyone’s priorities have shifted and when the British public is being bombarded by Covid-19 related news?

Bond members adopt ethical content principle and elect new trustee

19 November 2019

Laura Jump was confirmed as a trustee to the board, and new guidelines on the ethical collection of images and stories were added to Bond's charter at Bond AGM.

Runners on the street in the London marathon

5 communications tips for small NGOs to attract supporters

12 September 2019

Jonathan Hatch

With over 160,000 registered UK charities, here are communications tips to get your small NGO noticed and reach the right supporters.

How to make the most of party conference season

29 August 2019

Paul Abernethy

Party conference season is back - here are some tips to get you through it and make the most of the advocacy opportunities.

Woman standing in front of a mountain with headphones in

Should your NGO make a podcast?

29 August 2019

Michal Blaszczyk

With podcasts increasing in popularity with audiences across the UK, here are some things to consider before starting your own series.

This is amazing, I love it." Portrait of Veronique Eulalie Rasoarimanana outside her home in Madagascar.

Informed consent: why conversations are crucial

29 July 2019

Tamsin Maunder

It is not enough to ask if you can take someone's photo. A look at the importance of having conversations with the people you're working with before sharing their story.

Transform or die? Existential questions and ways forward for INGOs

6 July 2020

Barney Tallack

Now is the time for boards and executive leadership teams to make the tough decisions that have been looming for the last five years.

5 existential funding challenges for large INGOs

2 July 2020

Barney Tallack

A look at the long-term income trends of seven of the larger INGO families, and the five main challenges to INGOs’ sustainability in a post-Covid world.

People fundraising in the UK before Covi-19

Adapting your public fundraising for the Covid-19 crisis

12 May 2020

Zoe Abrahamson

As traditional fundraising events and activities are cancelled, here are some ideas to change how your charity raises money from the UK public.

Abigail Smith, a volunteer from Covid Relief Bangkok

5 ways to combat the Covid-19 crisis in the global south

8 April 2020

Simon Starling

With millions in low and middle-income countries facing devastation from the coronavirus pandemic, we outline what is needed for an effective global response to combat the crisis.

How is Covid-19 affecting NGOs’ finances and operations?

8 April 2020

With NGOs scaling back programmes and cutting back staff, our recent survey shows organisations need grant flexibility to survive beyond the next three months.

4 ways funders are supporting NGOs and responding to coronavirus

1 April 2020

Yolaina Vargas Pritchard

Many donors are adapting their practices and funding agreements to enable organisations to respond to challenges arising from the Covid-19 crisis.

Children in Sindh, Pakistan, play at a water pump in a village.

5 considerations for diversifying your funding

12 February 2020

Zoe Abrahamson

In an increasingly competitive funding environment, it's crucial that INGOs diversify their funding models to remain sustainable. Here are five tips on how to do so.

Nana Afadzinu holding a workshop on #ShiftThePower

Going beyond Western models of value to shift the power

16 January 2020

Nana Afadzinu

NGOs in the global south often have to jump through hoops for foreign donors. They are bereft of power in many ways. How can we shift the power to make it more balanced?

5 ways NGOs are working with local partners to respond to Covid-19

29 April 2020

Yolaina Vargas Pritchard

International NGOs are working with local partners to reassess and adapt how they support the world's most vulnerable communities through the Covid-19 crisis.

Community health workers: the first line of defence against Covid-19 in Africa

23 April 2020

Camilla Knox-Peebles

As seen from the Ebola outbreak, community health workers are essential to ensuring communities stay healthy as coronavirus spreads in Africa.

Going beyond Western models of value to shift the power

16 January 2020

Nana Afadzinu

NGOs in the global south often have to jump through hoops for foreign donors. They are bereft of power in many ways. How can we shift the power to make it more balanced?

"Ava" and her newborn baby at the IDP Camp, Bunia General Hospital, Democratic Republic of Congo

Why we need to keep talking about inequality

15 October 2019

Danny Sriskandarajah

If we want to eradicate global poverty, we need to tackle the political and structural factors that are driving inequality.

Tapping into local knowledge to diversify income

12 September 2019

Jill Healey

ChildHope UK drew on the expertise of local partners to build a consultancy to deliver their mission and financial value.

Children from World Vision peace club in Kenya

Listen to children and young people in policy making

12 August 2019

Carine Le Borgne

Children and young people have the right to participate in policy decisions that effect them. How can we facilitate this?

6 ways artificial intelligence is being used in international development

8 August 2019

Jonathan Hatch

A look at some promising ideas and projects showing how artificial intelligence can potentially help with international development.

Cost transparency for DFID grants: improvements and obstacles

3 July 2019

Graham MacKay

DFID's new cost templates and guidance will allow NGOs to recover more grant costs, but barriers to full cost recovery still remain.

How startups and NGOs can work together for stronger impact

27 July 2020

Charlotte Reypens

A new report highlights the different ways NGOs are collaborating with startups to be more innovative and effective.

Transform or die? Existential questions and ways forward for INGOs

6 July 2020

Barney Tallack

Now is the time for boards and executive leadership teams to make the tough decisions that have been looming for the last five years.

An EU helicopter delivers emergency supplies in Uganda

How can INGOs prepare for future humanitarian crises?

28 May 2020

Randolph Kent

INGOs must demonstrate not only how to mitigate the crises of the present, but also how to prepare for ever more complex and uncertain types of humanitarian crises in the future.

Safely collecting data to fight Covid-19 in developing regions

27 May 2020

Scott Lansell

Having surveyed over 5,000 people in Africa on their concerns around Covid-19, GeoPoll provides tips for NGOs to gather data safely and efficiently in developing countries.

Eleven Integrity Action partner representatives came together from Afghanistan, DRC, Kenya, Nepal and Palestine at a workshop in Kathmandu in 2019

3 practical ideas to shift the power in partnerships

5 May 2020

Derek Thorne

Ideas to address the power disparities in partnerships between grant-holding INGOs in the global north and organisations in the south.

ICRC providing clean drinking water at a refugee camp in Liberia

How do we harness uncertainty for positive change?

15 October 2019

Stephanie Draper

We’re talking to Bond members and sector leaders to identify what the future should look like for the UK international development sector.

How can we plan for future shocks to the sector?

9 October 2019

We talk to Duncan Green of Oxfam GB about planning for the future when there is so much uncertainty

6 ways artificial intelligence is being used in international development

8 August 2019

Jonathan Hatch

A look at some promising ideas and projects showing how artificial intelligence can potentially help with international development.

Transform or die? Existential questions and ways forward for INGOs

6 July 2020

Barney Tallack

Now is the time for boards and executive leadership teams to make the tough decisions that have been looming for the last five years.

5 existential funding challenges for large INGOs

2 July 2020

Barney Tallack

A look at the long-term income trends of seven of the larger INGO families, and the five main challenges to INGOs’ sustainability in a post-Covid world.

Time to dismantle racism in international development

17 June 2020

Lena Bheeroo

This public moment on Black Lives Matter is our chance to interrogate and dismantle racism and anti-blackness in international development.

Leading in the Covid-19 crisis: tips for NGO leaders

14 April 2020

Penny Lawrence

Practical tips and insights for CEOs to lead your organisation’s crisis response to Covid-19 in a collective, inclusive way.

How is Covid-19 affecting NGOs’ finances and operations?

8 April 2020

With NGOs scaling back programmes and cutting back staff, our recent survey shows organisations need grant flexibility to survive beyond the next three months.

How is recruitment in the sector changing in 2020?

16 March 2020

Razane Cherk

A look at how the roles, candidates and searches for jobs in the international development and humanitarian sector are changing in 2020.

"Hope" a CSO special plenary session hosted by UN Women

What is stopping women from becoming NGO leaders?

4 February 2020

Lena Bheeroo

70% of INGO staff are women, but only 30% of those women reach the top of their organisations. We look at the social and systemic barriers preventing women and women of colour from progressing in their careers.