This document summarizes a report on opportunities for charities in the new UK parliament. It finds that Brexit, housing, education, and the economy top MPs' agendas. Conservative MPs were more likely to trust and engage with local charities. Face-to-face meetings and events were seen as the most influential ways for charities to contact MPs. The report advises charities to emphasize their local links and constituency-level impacts to appeal to Conservative MPs.

1. What opportunities does the
new parliament offer charities?
CharityComms Campaign Network
February 2020
Heather Sturgess & Becca Thomas

2. 2
nfpSynergy in numbers
Work with three
quarters of top 50
fundraising charities
Use a range of qualitative
and quantitative research,
reaching over 30,000
people every year
Produce over 15 free
reports a year exploring
major issues facing
non-profits
Canvas the views of
150 MPs a quarter
Long-term commitment to
the sector, with 15 years
worth of trend data
Track engagement with
over 150 UK and Irish
non-profit organisations
every quarter

3. 3
The last few years have been
uncertain times for campaigning

4. 4
Issues at the top of MPs agenda
Top 12
“Which issues do you think will be at the top of your political agenda over the next 12 months? Please list up to four issues”
Unprompted question, ranked by total
91%
28%
28%
19%
16%
15%
14%
14%
13%
12%
10%
8%
89%
28%
11%
30%
18%
7%
11%
4%
6%
4%
14%
5%
Brexit/ Brexit and Customs union/UK Trade deals
Housing related issues - affordable / crisis
Education/ school funding
Economic conditions - growth/ risks
Immigration
Social Care
Welfare - benefits/ cuts/ reform
Health - Services
Environment/ plastics/ food and farming/ Air quality
Crime
Infrastructure / Transport
Employment/ jobs / unemployment / training
Total Mar-May 2019
Total Apr-May 2018
Base: 151 MPs | Source: Charity Parliamentary Monitor, Mar-May 2019, nfpSynergy

5. 5
What do Conservative MPs think
about charities?

6. 6
In 2016, ¼ of Conservative MPs thought that
charities should not campaign in parliament
Base: 150 MPs | Source: Charity Parliamentary Monitor, Jun - Aug 16, nfpSynergy
“To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about work with charities?” Ranked by Conservatives
61%
41%
24%
10%
65%
4%
The charity sector as a whole is too political
The charity sector is well regulated
Charities should not campaign in Parliament
Conservative
Labour

7. 7
… but Conservative MPs still thought the charity
sector was a force for good, and research and
support was vital
Base: 150 MPs | Source: Charity Parliamentary Monitor, Jun - Aug 16, nfpSynergy
“To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about work with charities?” Ranked by Conservatives
84%
72%
71%
56%
94%
35%
91%
80%
The charity sector is a force for good in the UK
I prefer to work with charities in my constituency rather than
in Parliament
I think it is important for charities to have a voice in
Parliament
Research and support from charities is vital to my work as an
MP
Conservative
Labour

8. 8
What do MPs think about
charities compared to other
organisations?

9. 9
MPs trust charities more than other organisations to
tell the truth and deliver on promises
67% 64% 63% 60%
39%
52% 51% 49%
26%
35%
27% 27%
5% 6% 4%
12%15%
9%
5% 6%9% 7%
3%
8%
25% 26%
17% 20%
33%
37%
9%
29%
Tell the truth Keep a high ethical standard Put societys interests first Deliver on their promises
A local charity A national charity An international charity
An international company A news organisation A bank
A trade union A professional membership body
“Which of the following organisations would you be most likely to trust to:” Ranked by total for national charity
Base: 137 | MPs Source: Charity Parliamentary Monitor, Jun-Aug 19, nfpSynergy

10. 10
Conservative MPs are more likely to trust to local
charities to tell the truth and be ethical
72% 69% 65%
30%
40% 44%
21%
29%
19%
Tellthetruth
Keepahigh
ethicalstandard
Putsocietys
interestsfirst
A local charity A national charity An international charity
“Which of the following organisations would you be most likely to trust to:” Ranked by total for national charity
Base: 137 MPs | Source: Charity Parliamentary Monitor, Jun-Aug 19, nfpSynergy
59% 59%
54%
49%
59%
54%
29%
39%
34%
Tellthetruth
Keepahigh
ethicalstandard
Putsocietys
interestsfirst
A local charity A national charity An international charity

11. 11
How can national or international charities
capitalise on this?
Emphasise
local links
Constituency/
Local Statistics
Visits to local
branches

12. 12
What do MPs say are the most
influential ways of contacting
them?

13. 13
Face to face meetings, events, and emails were the most
influential ways all MPs said they came into contact with
charities
Base: 150 MPs | Source: Charity Parliamentary Monitor, Jan-Feb 2017, nfpSynergy
“What are the three most frequent ways you come into contact with charities, public bodies or government agencies? What do you consider to
be the three most influential ways you have come into contact with charities, public bodies or government agencies?”
41%
29%
21%
14%
13%
11%
10%
8%
6%
6%
6%
5%
27%
30%
55%
8%
15%
6%
21%
12%
7%
4%
5%
4%
Face to face meetings
Events/receptions
Email
Constituent contact
Briefings
In constituency/constituency engagement
Letters/ written correspondence
Media/ press releases
Casework
Campaigns
Advertising/ promotional material
Social media
Most Influential Ways
Most Frequent Ways

14. 14
Questions
How are you
engaging with
Conservative
MPs?
What will be
top of MPs
agenda this
year?
How can you
bring in the
local aspects
of your work?

15. 15
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16. 5 February 2020
Campaign Network: Where do we go
from here? Campaigning in the age of
successive Conservative Governments

17. Visit the CharityComms website to view
slides from past events, see what events
we have coming up and to check out
what else we do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk