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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Lighthouse

NGOs have improved safeguarding, but the aid sector needs systemic change to be safer

30 September 2020
Our recent safeguarding survey highlights NGOs' progress and challenges in safeguarding, as well as what we still need for sector-wide transformation.

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.
Tents supplied by UK aid in a camp for displaced people in northern Iraq

Stats on international development: how did the UK spend aid in 2019?

24 September 2020
DFID has released the annual Statistics on International Development report, which provides final statistics on how much Official Development Assistance (ODA) the UK provided in 2019. We look at the highlights.
Masai women in Kenya

Rethinking power structures to reinvent our charity models

23 September 2020
The constrictions bought upon INGOs by Covid-19 has highlighted the need to better support local partners. How can we rethink organisational models to achieve this goal?
Livestock

Leave no one behind: 3 ways governments can engage with communities on One Health

22 September 2020
In the context of Covid-19, governments and NGOs must make communities central to their understanding of the interlinkages between human health, animal welfare and the environment.
Young entrepreneur Buram promptly changed the focus of her sewing business to produce face masks for her local community in Mongolia.

Innovating in times of crisis: lessons from entrepreneurs

16 September 2020
In times of uncertainty, both entrepreneurs and organisations have the ability and impetus to experiment and innovate with new ideas and approaches. What can civil society learn from the business world?
COVID-19 emergency response activities, Madartek, Basabo, Dhaka

Are the SDGs the framework we need to build back better after Covid-19?

14 September 2020
The APPG has released its report into how the SDGs can be used as a roadmap for recovery. We look at what needs to be done to make sure we build back better.
Wheelchair basketball

Why Covid-19 response and recovery plans can’t afford to forget people with disabilities

9 September 2020
People with disabilities sit at the heart of the Covid-19 crisis, yet they are often the least supported. How can this be changed?
Masai women in Kenya

Rethinking power structures to reinvent our charity models

23 September 2020
The constrictions bought upon INGOs by Covid-19 has highlighted the need to better support local partners. How can we rethink organisational models to achieve this goal?
Livestock

Leave no one behind: 3 ways governments can engage with communities on One Health

22 September 2020
In the context of Covid-19, governments and NGOs must make communities central to their understanding of the interlinkages between human health, animal welfare and the environment.
COVID-19 emergency response activities, Madartek, Basabo, Dhaka

Are the SDGs the framework we need to build back better after Covid-19?

14 September 2020
The APPG has released its report into how the SDGs can be used as a roadmap for recovery. We look at what needs to be done to make sure we build back better.
Wheelchair basketball

Why Covid-19 response and recovery plans can’t afford to forget people with disabilities

9 September 2020
People with disabilities sit at the heart of the Covid-19 crisis, yet they are often the least supported. How can this be changed?
Dominic Raab chairs the First Meeting of the FCDO

Risks and opportunities for the newly opened FCDO

3 September 2020
With the newly created foreign, commonwealth and development office opening it's doors this week, we look at the risks and opportunities for development, and how the new department can help the world's most vulnerable people.
Foreign office plaque

“A complete lack of balance” - Interim leadership team announced for FCDO

24 August 2020
The interim leadership team for the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been announced, but questions have arisen over the lack of balance between diplomats and development officials.
COVID-19 emergency response activities, Madartek, Basabo, Dhaka

9 building blocks for a comprehensive global response to Covid-19

24 August 2020
Effective global response to Covid-19 should not be just about getting back to ”business as usual” as quickly as possible. It should be about addressing the root causes of pandemics and related emergencies to build back better.
Whitehall

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.

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.
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
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
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? 
Delegates voting at the AGM

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

How to make the most of party conference season

29 August 2019
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
With podcasts increasing in popularity with audiences across the UK, here are some things to consider before starting your own series.
Illustration of young woman protesting

3 ways INGOs can support young feminist movements

11 August 2020
How NGOs and funders can adapt to work more collaboratively with young feminist activists, groups and organisations.

Transform or die? Existential questions and ways forward for INGOs

6 July 2020
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
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
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
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.
Oxfam, Byres Road, Coronavirus sign

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.
Piggybank

4 ways funders are supporting NGOs and responding to coronavirus

1 April 2020
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
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.
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.
Pound coins stacked up

Cost transparency for DFID grants: improvements and obstacles 

3 July 2019
DFID's new cost templates and guidance will allow NGOs to recover more grant costs, but barriers to full cost recovery still remain.
Young entrepreneur Buram promptly changed the focus of her sewing business to produce face masks for her local community in Mongolia.

Innovating in times of crisis: lessons from entrepreneurs

16 September 2020
In times of uncertainty, both entrepreneurs and organisations have the ability and impetus to experiment and innovate with new ideas and approaches. What can civil society learn from the business world?
Startup

How startups and NGOs can work together for stronger impact

27 July 2020
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
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
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.
A woman on her phone

Safely collecting data to fight Covid-19 in developing regions

27 May 2020
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
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
We’re talking to Bond members and sector leaders to identify what the future should look like for the UK international development sector.
How do we plan for an uncertain future?

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
Young entrepreneur Buram promptly changed the focus of her sewing business to produce face masks for her local community in Mongolia.

Innovating in times of crisis: lessons from entrepreneurs

16 September 2020
In times of uncertainty, both entrepreneurs and organisations have the ability and impetus to experiment and innovate with new ideas and approaches. What can civil society learn from the business world?
Mergers

Is a merger the right step for your NGO?

3 September 2020
The crises this year has placed many NGOs in financial difficulty. Mergers have become an option considered by charity leaders and trustees alike from a position of financial necessity, but they may not be the only option.

Transform or die? Existential questions and ways forward for INGOs

6 July 2020
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
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.
Black Lives Matter protest in USA

Time to dismantle racism in international development

17 June 2020
This public moment on Black Lives Matter is our chance to interrogate and dismantle racism and anti-blackness in international development.
Conference call

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

14 April 2020
Practical tips and insights for CEOs to lead your organisation’s crisis response to Covid-19 in a collective, inclusive way.
Oxfam, Byres Road, Coronavirus sign

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

Members' tweets

@TheHALOTrust
2 years ago

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

@IAPB1
2 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
2 years ago

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