Context

Mind combines contract and grant-funded work for the state with campaigning to bolster its own importance to the state, describing itself as:

…a force for change. We campaign vigorously to create a society that…

Nearly two hundred organizations combine nationally under the Mind brand, but they are not registered as subsidiaries with the Charity Commission.

» Read more: Mind

Context

In February 2011 this charity announced its support for the government’s mental health strategy, quoting its joint Chief Executive, Bob Grove (whose c.v. includes four years working at the Department of Health):

We warmly welcome the Government’s commitment…

This was not very surprising, as the charity’s annual report in 2010 said that the charity:

…has continued to work closely with the Government’s Health, Work and Wellbeing programme to develop a national strategy for employment and mental health.

Bob was apparently welcoming the results of his own organisation’s work.

Details

The 2009/10 accounts show £2 million income from the Sainsbury group of charities, through the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. Much of the rest, however, seems to come from the state in the form of “grants and consultancy fees”.

The exact sources of this funding are not revealed. Page 16 of the accounts, where the information might perhaps be found, is missing from the Charity Commission’s copy, and the charity does not appear to publish its accounts in full on its website.

• Employment Support Programme: £118,986
• Prisons & Criminal Justice: £223,735
• Research and Policy: £36,523
  —
• Total: £379,244 (15.7% of income)

Context

AfME spends nearly a quarter of its income on campaigning and PR (22% in 2009/10 according to its accounts) but it receives a hefty chunk of its funding from the state. In January 2010 it produced a “manifesto“:

…to draw the attention of the political parties to the issues which affect people with M.E.

It works closely with the All Party Parliamentary Group on ME, which:

…campaigns within Westminster to support the improvement of health, social care, education and employment opportunities…

Details

AfME’s funding in 2009/10 included:

• Scottish Executive: £8,000
• Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland (state funded): £10,400
• NHS Scotland (via Scottish Good Practice): £24,150
• Lottery: £126,314
  —
• Total: £168,864 (16.4% of income)

Context

A campaigning, lobbying organisation, this charity said of itself in its annual report for 2009 (emphasis added):

Changing public attitudes and influencing national policy are critical if we are to improve the standards of support and care provided by others. We have steadily increased this area of activity over recent years…

This charity receives around 90% of its income from the state — from the provision of services that are paid for by local government.

Details

The charity’s accounts for 2009/10 helpfully summarise (emphasis added):

Fee income, mainly from statutory bodies for delivery of services, accounted for 89.1% (87.5% in 2008/09) of income – that is £78.7m (£74.0m in 2008/09).

Context

Disability Alliance receives a high proportion of state funding, but also campaigns and lobbies the government. On its website, it says about itself:

Disability Alliance is a campaigning organisation. We are particularly concerned with disability, social care and tackling poverty.

We also play an important role in advising and lobbying the Government on matters concerning disability benefits, tax credits, social care and tackling poverty. Where necessary we also undertake research into the needs of disabled people and use findings to influence central and local Governments.

Details

Income received in 2009/10 included:

• HM Revenue & Customs: £76,000
• Department of Work & Pensions (via Remploy): £53,000
• Cabinet Office (via Capacity Builders): £10,000
  —
• Total: £139,000 (25% of income)

Context

The BFI is an offshoot of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). From a speech by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey MP in November 2010:

…the BFI will be in charge of delivering the Government’s policy for film.

Details

Funding in the year 2009/10 included:

• DCMS (via UK Film Council): £20.2 million
• Lottery: £844,000
  —
• Total: £21 million (48.6% state funding)

Context

One of two “key local charities” in Leeds that met with Charities Minister Nick Hurd in January 2011. According to Labour MP for Leeds West, Rachel Reeves, they:

…identified the ways in which the Government can better harness their capacities, and deal with reforms to the NHS and the requirements of the Big Society.

Which seems to mean that they lobbied for more importance for themselves.

Details

Accounts for 2009/10 are for seven months.

• Leeds City Council: £89,686
• Leeds NHS Primary Care Trust: £71,118
• Dept. for Business, Innovation & Skills with Local Government Association, via National Institute of Adult Continuing Education: £21,557
  —
• Total: £182,361 (87% of total income)

Context

All UK press, especially the BBC. ASH campaign continuously for escalating laws against smokers including tax rises, advertising bans and smoking bans.

ASH was created (and funded) by the UK government in 1971 to campaign against smoking, since no significant grass-roots organisation existed to do so. In the period 2004-06, they led the SmokeFree Coalition which successfully lobbied the UK government to overturn its manifesto commitment to exclude ‘wet’ pubs and private members’ clubs from the smoking ban. This coalition included real charities such as Cancer Research and the British Heart Foundation alongside other fake charities such as SmokeFree North East and D-MYST.

Currently campaigning for plain-packaging of cigarettes and a ban on the display of tobacco in shops. E-mails released under the Freedom of Information revealed that ASH colluded with the Department of Health and Cancer Research UK to mislead politicians about the likely cost to shop-keepers of the display ban (PDF).

ASH employs YouGov to conduct its opinion polls. YouGov’s president, Peter Kellner, is a trustee of ASH and has publicly campaigned for the tobacco display ban.

Summary

Its 2009/10 accounts show a total income of £935,093, of which:

• Department of Health: £210,000
• —
• Total £210,000 (22.5% of all income)

The remainder of its income comes from ASH International (part-funded by Pfizer), Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation.

Context

The RSPB is one of Britain’s oldest and most respected charities. It used to exist on voluntary donations. Not any more.

The RSPB formed Stop Climate Chaos in September 2006 and were amongst the first environmental groups to call for a 80% reduction in UK carbon emissions by 2050.

Details

In 2010 RSPB reported received a staggering £22.6 million in public money, including:

• Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs: £4.5 million
• Landfill Communities Fund: £2.3 million
• European Union: £2.1 million
• National Lottery Funds £1.4 million
• Scottish Natural Heritage: £1.4 million
• Environment Agency: £1.2 million
• Natural England: £1.1 million
• Scottish Executive: £1 million
• Department for International Development: £308,000
• Department of Environment, Northern Ireland: £260,000
• Countryside Council for Wales: £252,000
• Forestry Commission: £180,000
• National Assembly for Wales: £179,000
• East Midlands Development Agency: £111,000
• South East England Development Agency: £90,000
• Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, NI: £26,000
• Local councils & other £6.2 million
  —
• Total: £22.6 million

The charity’s total income was £122 million. Other major items include:

• Membership subscriptions: £36.9 million
  
• Legacies: £27.9 million

As such, the RSPB does raise a substantial percentage of its money from voluntary contributions; however, 18.5% of its income comes from the pockets of the taxpayer in involuntary contributions.

Context

CASH can often be heard making exaggerated claims about the health effects of eating salt. Their answer is to increase government regulation of food products with the aim of bringing average salt consumption down to an arbitrary and scientifically suspect daily limit of six grammes a day. The group frequently issues press releases warning of the hazards of eating various meals (eg. soup, roast dinners).

CASH has successfully lobbied for incremental reductions in the amount of salt put in food and have called for “mandatory salt reduction.” It seems unlikely that CASH will disband if and when they achieve their goal. They say that the 6 grammes limit is only their “current target“.

CASH in the news: PR Week, March 2006,  Daily Mail, February 2010.

Details

In 2008/09, the charity received a total income of £251,378, of which:

• Food Standards Agency: £30,000
• —–
• Total £30,000 (11.9% of all income)

CASH received a total of £1,000 in individual donations. Various nervous/quisling food manufacturers have made token contributions of £2,000 or less. For some reason, the property company OMC Investments Ltd is by far the biggest donor, contributing £200,000 in 2008/09.