There's no denying that public perception is easily swayed by media coverage and that stories like that of Kids Company can suddenly affect us all.
So I was delighted to read Karl Wilding's piece today attempting to explain why Kids Company was atypical of the vast majority of charities.
It's well worth a read, especially as I do feel I really couldn't have said anything better myself!
I think it's good that a spotlight has been shone on governance, and my hope is that boards will be more confident in examining their finances, reserves policy, and impact reports as a result of what happened. But equally important, is to keep making the point that the vast majority of charities are not Kids Company – they are small, local and reliant on donations, not government grants. More importantly, in this context, they are also by and large financially salient, well governed and administratively sound. As important as it is to acknowledge failings, we should also champion examples of good governance and high impact where we see them. There are more than 160,000 charities in the UK. Let’s be cheered by the good work and huge difference that the vast majority make every day.
