Paraphrasing Lady Bracknell

To misquote Lady B, "to lose one chief executive may be seen to be unfortunate, but to lose two might be seen as careless"

In most organisations people tend to copy the behaviour of the chief executive, since that person has clearly demonstrated their ability to get to the top of that particular tree so perhaps it's not surprising that we get the banksters we deserve. However in the voluntary sector where chief executives are expected to demonstrate the passion, commitment and dedication shown by the volunteers it is sad when their tenure is, to say the least brief.

What will the staff, volunteers and members make of the early departure of Amanda McLean from the Institute of Fundraising after only six months in post. Paul Amadi, then Chair of the Institute said in September: ''We believe that Amanda is the right person to provide leadership and direction to the Institute and its membership." So what changed so quickly?

With the Institute also in the middle of trying to recruit a new chair it does seem that acting chair Alan Gosschalk and interim CEO Bruce Leeke have got their hands over full.

Meanwhile, consultations for the Giving Green Paper have only just finished and the Government has said it'll issue a white paper in weeks. The budget announcements next week may have profound implications for the future of gift aid. The central and local authority cuts are having a devestating effect on community organisations and local charities.

Forget strategy for the moment. Any suggestions for an effective tactical response and coherent campaign to keep pressure on the Government?

Aging supporters, green papers and the banksters

Very interesting research from Cass and Southampton on the aging profile of charity supporters, which confirms what I've been banging on about. IT'S THE BOOMERS STUPID! We're a large cohort, getting older and whether we start dying in 2012 or 2016 there are much larger numbers of people with both the capacity and propensity to give to our favourite causes if asked appropriately.

The "Giving" Green Paper (get your responses in by 8th March) is very long on rhetoric about giving and very short on facts about asking. To paraphrase Gill Moody (of Craigmyle) at the Institute yesterday - fundraisers are rather like midwifes to donors. We help them achieve a transformation and if we do it right they'll carry on for life (and beyond).

Which brings us on, of course, to the Banksters who just don't get it. So much more could be done by individuals and the corporations (free banking for instance) if they could only be helped to understand the big picture.