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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The FCDO’s first 6 months: progress and concerns

2 March 2021
Despite some progress in the FCDO's first six months, concerns remain around development priorities, a lack of transparency in decision making and minimal consultation with NGOs.
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?
A protest with teargas and someone filming

Protecting media freedom is crucial to human rights in Commonwealth countries

18 February 2021
Media freedom, the cornerstone of free and democratic societies, is being eroded across the Commonwealth. Attacks on journalists, repressive legislation, and unjustifiable censorship are rampant in too many of its 54 member states.
Anti-corruption protesters in Eastern Europe.

The UK can and must do more to defend the human rights defenders

10 February 2021
The UK government must do more to protect human rights defenders and civil society activists who are at risk as the global civic space continues to erode.
Apprentices

Apprenticeships: a unique opportunity for NGOs to recruit a new generation of exciting and diverse talent

9 February 2021
As National Apprentice Week begins, we take the opportunity to look at some of the success stories from our partnership with Multiverse.
"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.
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.

The FCDO’s first 6 months: progress and concerns

2 March 2021
Despite some progress in the FCDO's first six months, concerns remain around development priorities, a lack of transparency in decision making and minimal consultation with NGOs.
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?
A protest with teargas and someone filming

Protecting media freedom is crucial to human rights in Commonwealth countries

18 February 2021
Media freedom, the cornerstone of free and democratic societies, is being eroded across the Commonwealth. Attacks on journalists, repressive legislation, and unjustifiable censorship are rampant in too many of its 54 member states.
Anti-corruption protesters in Eastern Europe.

The UK can and must do more to defend the human rights defenders

10 February 2021
The UK government must do more to protect human rights defenders and civil society activists who are at risk as the global civic space continues to erode.
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.
Closed charity shop in Glasgow

Squeezed funding, programme cuts and redundancies: NGOs struggle without government support

28 January 2021
According to our latest survey of Bond members, small and medium NGOs are being hit worse financially by Covid-19, with 26% of NGOs having already made redundancies.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab signs ‘Dear Colleague’ letter to MPs following launch of new Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime Designations

More questions than answers: Raab on aid cuts, new priorities and 0.7 legislation

27 January 2021
The most pertinent and concerning points from the secretary for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs' first meeting with the International Development Committee.
A woman teaching a class

Trust for local communities must be at the heart of transformation

20 January 2021
A call to action for the international development sector to trust local communities and the groups that represent them more: local communities and groups who are the first responders, the community mobilisers and other unsung heroes
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.
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.
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.
Closed charity shop in Glasgow

Squeezed funding, programme cuts and redundancies: NGOs struggle without government support

28 January 2021
According to our latest survey of Bond members, small and medium NGOs are being hit worse financially by Covid-19, with 26% of NGOs having already made redundancies.
Calculator

5 challenges to INGOs’ funding during and beyond Covid-19

28 October 2020
Crucial financial challenges that all organisations need to consider to survive the Covid-19 pandemic and plan for the future.
Terraced rice fields in Yuanyang county, Yunnan, China

The rise of Chinese development finance: risks or opportunities ahead?

20 October 2020
China’s position as one of the world’s largest development financers paves new routes to development, but there are worrying trends for civil society.

Falling income, redundancies and programme cuts: can NGOs survive the next two years?

7 October 2020
48% of NGOs may not survive the next two years, according to the worrying findings from our latest survey on NGOs' finances and staff cuts.
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.
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.
"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 woman teaching a class

Trust for local communities must be at the heart of transformation

20 January 2021
A call to action for the international development sector to trust local communities and the groups that represent them more: local communities and groups who are the first responders, the community mobilisers and other unsung heroes
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.
The British public

Can the public really be taken on a “journey” to engage with global poverty?

18 November 2020
Research from the Development Engagement Lab suggests that the public don’t move in a straight line from low to more meaningful engagement. People jump around the various engagement categories, and often stick to certain categories more than others.
Covid response in Nepal

5 ways we've put adaptive management to the test during Covid-19

11 November 2020
How small NGO, Toybox, adapted its approach to remain effective during the pandemic.
Refugee Camp İn Somalia

4 lessons for building an agile NGO

15 October 2020
Agile working can make organisations resilient enough to withstand unpredictability. Here are four lessons for building an agile non-profit organisation. 
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?
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.
Aerial view of empty streets in Cape Town, South Africa during the Covid 19 lockdown.

12 achievements we’re proud of from 2020

22 December 2020
Despite arguably the toughest year in our history, we have persevered through unprecedented upheaval. Here are some of our achievements we're really proud of in a year like no other.
General public in covid masks

Has Covid-19 made the public more aware of inequality?

16 December 2020
Is the general public aware of the inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic? Which types of inequality receive the most attention and support? And does increased awareness around inequalities mean anything for how the public engage with these issues?
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. 
Zoom meeting

Bond members elect new trustees at AGM

20 November 2020
Stella Opoku-Owusu, Rainatou Sow and Monowara Gani were elected to the Bond board of trustees by members at our annual general meeting yesterday.
Refugee Camp İn Somalia

4 lessons for building an agile NGO

15 October 2020
Agile working can make organisations resilient enough to withstand unpredictability. Here are four lessons for building an agile non-profit organisation. 

Members' tweets

@TheHALOTrust
3 years ago

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

@IAPB1
3 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
3 years ago

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