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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New board members elected at Bond's annual general meeting

25 November 2021
This week, Bond hosted its annual general meeting, where we welcomed new and returning trustees, celebrated Bond and the sectors achievements from the last financial year and discussed our future work supporting the sector.
Money arranged into a world map

Are INGOs ready to fundraise responsibly and achieve locally-led development?  

24 November 2021
Bond's funding policy manager, Zoe Abrahamson recently convened a group of UK and international fundraisers to find out how Bond can better support NGOs to fundraise in ways that support locally-led development. Here are her reflections.

It’s time to love the Bond Charter

23 November 2021
What we wanted to create was an identity for our new Charter, which reflected what was distinct about our network; something that members could cohere around, and use to demonstrate their ambition to do better. 
Proposal planning documents

10 tips for writing better project proposals

17 November 2021
Writing successful proposals is essential to the work of every aid and development organisation. Here are some of the most important tips for creating proposals that are more likely to stand out to key decision makers.
Megaphone on a blue background

Learning the art of advocacy and campaigning

17 November 2021
Influencing is an art, not a science, and there is never a right or wrong way to do things. But what are the theories and techniques that can help you understand how and when to spot opportunities for change?
The COP26 coming to a close.

What happened at Cop26?

16 November 2021
Whilst there were some positive agreements over the fortnight, civil society, and even the Cop President Alok Sharma, have acknowledged Cop26 did not deliver the hoped-for level of ambition and action. Here is a summary of the key outcomes.
International or local?

Dear USAID; let’s make sure that "local" really means "local"

11 November 2021
If local organisations find themselves always competing for funding with international NGOs who are also presenting themselves as local, then what hope is there for the development of a genuinely home-grown civil society?
Protest at COP26

How does the public feel about Cop26

10 November 2021
Research shows that people believe in the seriousness of climate change and its consequences. They also believe in the next steps, and particularly want to see government action on these issues.
Bond logo

New board members elected at Bond's annual general meeting

25 November 2021
This week, Bond hosted its annual general meeting, where we welcomed new and returning trustees, celebrated Bond and the sectors achievements from the last financial year and discussed our future work supporting the sector.
Megaphone on a blue background

Learning the art of advocacy and campaigning

17 November 2021
Influencing is an art, not a science, and there is never a right or wrong way to do things. But what are the theories and techniques that can help you understand how and when to spot opportunities for change?
The COP26 coming to a close.

What happened at Cop26?

16 November 2021
Whilst there were some positive agreements over the fortnight, civil society, and even the Cop President Alok Sharma, have acknowledged Cop26 did not deliver the hoped-for level of ambition and action. Here is a summary of the key outcomes.
International or local?

Dear USAID; let’s make sure that "local" really means "local"

11 November 2021
If local organisations find themselves always competing for funding with international NGOs who are also presenting themselves as local, then what hope is there for the development of a genuinely home-grown civil society?
Protest at COP26

How does the public feel about Cop26

10 November 2021
Research shows that people believe in the seriousness of climate change and its consequences. They also believe in the next steps, and particularly want to see government action on these issues.
Windmills for electric power production in the desert in Egypt.

Supporting communities to stay one step ahead of the climate crisis

5 November 2021
Locally-led action is crucial for communities so they can adapt to, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate change. But where is the funding and action needed to support this?
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak, alongside his ministerial team, poses for the media with the traditional red budget box outside 11 Downing Street

Comprehensive Spending Review 2021: What does it mean for UK aid?

4 November 2021
Last week Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the exchequer published his comprehensive spending review and budget. We pulled out the good, the bad, and the messy implications for the UK’s Official Development Assistance to give you an overview.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives the opening statement at the COP26 summit. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

What to expect from COP26

1 November 2021
Today 120+ World Leaders meet in Glasgow to state their ambition for what COP26 should achieve. But what can we expect from these crucial negotiations? And what do we need to see in terms of commitments?
Snippet from the "Talking Disabilities" animation

Talking Disability: The new animation for those who dare to do it differently

1 November 2021
What makes a “good disability story”? How can we embrace authentic voices for inclusive storytelling and journalism? Bond’s Disability and Development Group have launched a new animation which provides some solutions to these questions.
Illustration created by Vidushi and her team for Urgent Action Fund Asia and Pacific

Challenging harmful visual narratives through images

10 September 2021
In order to stop perpetuating white saviourism, we need to strategically shift the narrative towards love, hope, solidarity and connection. We need to re-imagine our choice of images to represent people in their power.
Speech

Devspeak: are the words we use doing more harm than good?

25 August 2021
Development and NGO clichés can be problematic for a variety of reasons. So how can we encourage people to put a bit more thought into how they communicate, without being too prescriptive?
Examples of the largest collection of free and open source hopeful human rights art from TheGreats.co

How can we use images of hope to campaign for human rights?

14 April 2021
What is the picture we want people to see when they think of human rights? This new project from Fine Acts and hope-based communications sought to answer the question with a series of new images.
Stack of newspapers in a Kiosk, London, United Kingdom

How to get media coverage and influence people

4 February 2021
In the context of growing challenges to the sector, it is perhaps worth returning to the basic rules and tips around how to use media and comms to advance our causes and make the world a better place.
Speech bubbles

Taking British politics, jargon and colonialism out of our language

10 December 2020
When it comes to language, we need to practise what we preach, if we are to have legitimacy and influence at Bond, and it is important that we aim to set the bar high for ourselves and encourage others to do the same.

Race and representation in NGO storytelling: responses to 5 frequently asked questions

30 September 2020
Thoughts and ideas for how NGOs can move towards more authentic and ethical representation in their communications and fundraising.
People at a festival

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

31 July 2020
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.
Money arranged into a world map

Are INGOs ready to fundraise responsibly and achieve locally-led development?  

24 November 2021
Bond's funding policy manager, Zoe Abrahamson recently convened a group of UK and international fundraisers to find out how Bond can better support NGOs to fundraise in ways that support locally-led development. Here are her reflections.
Proposal planning documents

10 tips for writing better project proposals

17 November 2021
Writing successful proposals is essential to the work of every aid and development organisation. Here are some of the most important tips for creating proposals that are more likely to stand out to key decision makers.

Shifting to locally-led development starts with how we transform ourselves

19 October 2021
Locally-led development has shot back up the international development communities’ agenda but what does this mean for our approach to funding community-led programmes?

Six tips for success with institutional fundraising in 2021

31 August 2021
This blog offers expert advice on how you can make your organisation stand out to keep your institutional funding pipeline growing.

What does good funding look like?

2 August 2021
With so much riding on the international development strategy, we will be anxious to see whether ODA remains focused on delivering long-term, sustainable and community-led programmes, for the people who need them the most.

Diversifying income streams – emerging lessons from the Enterprise Development Programme

28 July 2021
With the recent aid cuts and an increasingly volatile donor situation, is it time for NGOs in the international development sector to embrace and utilise enterprise income?
Money

Building financial reserves as we recover from the current financial crisis

6 May 2021
As NGOs grapple with grant cuts and other pressures, financial reserves and building sustainable income streams are more important than ever.
A woman with the British Red Cross takes a day away from the office to solicit for donations in front of the Liverpool Street Tube Station in London

Is 2021 the end of ‘business as usual’ public fundraising models?

15 April 2021
In an age of “adapt to survive”, the post-Covid-19 world is an opportunity to make big transformative changes which reimagine our public funding models.

5 programmes putting women and girls at the centre of development

8 March 2021
This International Women’s Day, Bond members celebrate just some of the many programmes that are putting women and girls at the heart of development.
COVID Relief volunteers in Bangkok

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

29 April 2020
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.
Margaret Klonzo of Amref Health Africa

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

23 April 2020
As seen from the Ebola outbreak, community health workers are essential to ensuring communities stay healthy as coronavirus spreads in Africa.
Nana Afadzinu holding a workshop on #ShiftThePower

Going beyond Western models of value to shift the power

16 January 2020
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
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
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
Children and young people have the right to participate in policy decisions that effect them. How can we facilitate this?
Satellite image

6 ways artificial intelligence is being used in international development 

8 August 2019
A look at some promising ideas and projects showing how artificial intelligence can potentially help with international development.

Shifting to locally-led development starts with how we transform ourselves

19 October 2021
Locally-led development has shot back up the international development communities’ agenda but what does this mean for our approach to funding community-led programmes?
Speech

Devspeak: are the words we use doing more harm than good?

25 August 2021
Development and NGO clichés can be problematic for a variety of reasons. So how can we encourage people to put a bit more thought into how they communicate, without being too prescriptive?
Volunteers load supplies outside town hall in Antigua, Guatemala to take to area affected by eruption of Fuego (fire) volcano

Grand Bargain 2.0: Tinkering or transformation?

8 July 2021
Without a more audacious vision, a more efficient and effective humanitarian system will remain out of the Grand Bargain’s reach.
Hands and flowers

Locally-led development: putting plans into action

8 July 2021
Understanding the problem is an important part of creating change. But there are also moments when we want things to move more quickly, to see real action and transformation in response to need.
Two activists embrace in KwaMashu, an informal settlement north of Durban, South Africa. Christian Aid’s partner, Church Land Programme, works closely with the shackdweller movement (Abahlali baseMjondolo) so that people in KwaMashu can live without fear

Leaving and learning: 3 things we learned collaborating with local partners

1 July 2021
As national and local actors will increasingly hold the purse strings in the future, we need to rethink how we add value to and support local partners.
"Speaking out: Peer educators advocate for an end to FGM/C" by DFID - UK Department for International Development is licensed under CC BY 2.0

5 ways development consortia have adapted to Covid-19

8 February 2021
Amid the Covid-19 crisis, consortia of development organisations have found different ways to adapt to ensure progress, maintain relevance, and deliver impact. 
Syrian primary school children attending catch-up learning classes in Lebanon

From aid to public investment: 5 shifts to transform development cooperation

14 December 2020
This new approach builds on the best of the traditional understanding of aid, as well as the main critiques of it, and responds to the new global reality we all face. 
Crowd of people composing a world map

Is investing in a global public the future of aid?

7 December 2020
While we need solid emergency leadership in the short term to respond to Covid-19, we need visionary thinking as well, to build a new idea like a global public.
Volunteers load supplies outside town hall in Antigua, Guatemala to take to area affected by eruption of Fuego (fire) volcano

Grand Bargain 2.0: Tinkering or transformation?

8 July 2021
Without a more audacious vision, a more efficient and effective humanitarian system will remain out of the Grand Bargain’s reach.
Hands and flowers

Locally-led development: putting plans into action

8 July 2021
Understanding the problem is an important part of creating change. But there are also moments when we want things to move more quickly, to see real action and transformation in response to need.
The Great Barrier Reef, which is under threat from climate change effecting sea temperatures and water acidity.

How green pensions can help NGOs do better on climate change

30 June 2021
There is currently £2.6tn circulating in the UK pension sector alone, much of which is invested in companies such as fossil fuel giants, tobacco firms, arms producers, and companies with links to harmful practices such as deforestation.
Money

Building financial reserves as we recover from the current financial crisis

6 May 2021
As NGOs grapple with grant cuts and other pressures, financial reserves and building sustainable income streams are more important than ever.
A life preserver at sea

Safe organisational cultures only thrive under committed leadership

22 March 2021
A healthy safeguarding culture has to be everybody’s responsibility, but it will only succeed when leaders step up to the challenge and lead by example.
Nurses taking a break in Uganda

3 ways NGOs and donors are shifting power through governance

25 February 2021
Governance structures that perpetuate inequality are key barriers to promoting locally-led development. How can INGOs change their governance to address power imbalances?
"Speaking out: Peer educators advocate for an end to FGM/C" by DFID - UK Department for International Development is licensed under CC BY 2.0

5 ways development consortia have adapted to Covid-19

8 February 2021
Amid the Covid-19 crisis, consortia of development organisations have found different ways to adapt to ensure progress, maintain relevance, and deliver impact. 
A Syrian-Kurdish woman and several children stand outside a home in Darashakran refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan

How do we build equitable partnerships with diaspora communities?

4 February 2021
We must invest in engaging with diaspora as equitable partners, or risk framing diaspora communities as “beneficiaries” or “cash machines” to fund international organisations.

Members' tweets

@TheHALOTrust
4 years ago

Mine clearance is transformative. That's why we're campaigning for a #LandmineFree2025 https://t.co/Nw4hK5XhR7

@IAPB1
4 years ago

The IAPB Standard List @IAPB_SL is working on updating an Essential List for #DiabeticRetinopathy. Until then, here… https://t.co/vmmHJUVyAH

@WorldHabitat
4 years ago

‘On the table’ conversation = likely to draw previously silent citizens into a discussion of problems and potential… https://t.co/Vo2DeqgLm6