Note : the application process is currently closed and will re-open in the Spring of 2010

What is a charity broadcast opportunity?

A charity broadcast gives charities an opportunity to raise awareness of important social issues and the work they do to tackle those issues.

It also encourages the audience to take action, whether in support of the charity concerned, or in their own communities.

BBC Wales offers broadcasting opportunities to charities on radio, online and on television.

Why do we have charity broadcasts in Wales?

These are an important part of the BBC's public service remit and relate to the BBC's broader involvement in social action broadcasting, coverage of the work of the voluntary sector, and corporate social responsibility. They are intended :

• to give charities an opportunity to raise public awareness about their work in Wales and how its work and the services it provides benefits the people of Wales
• to educate and inform the audience about social issues
• to provide the public with authoritative information and guidance about causes that seek their support
• to mobilise voluntary action
• to provide an active link with the communities we serve throughout Wales
• to give charities the opportunity to recruit volunteers

What kind of charitable causes can be featured in a broadcast?

Charities concerned with the alleviation of human suffering, whether directly or indirectly through preventative work and those promoting social, physical, cultural, psychological or moral well-being

Animal and environmental causes can be featured, to provide a wide range of interest over a period of time

Religious/Faith organisations providing :

• the broadcast relates to its charitable work
• these activities represent a substantial part of their work
• the benefits from the broadcast are available to all sections of society

Hospitals (or "Friends" of Hospitals) providing :

• they are outside the National Health Service
• they relate to projects not covered by the NHS

Educational charities, providing :

• their work has some special and additional social interest

Medical/research charities, provided that the research they fund is of the highest quality and is of public benefit

What kind of organisations can apply for a broadcast?

Any organisation applying for a broadcasting opportunity must either be registered with the Charity Commission as a registered charity or as an excepted or exempted charity registered with the appropriate regulatory body. Information about excepted or exempted charities can be found on the Charity Commissions website at www.charity-commission.gov.uk

Charities must be able to demonstrate their work and the service(s) they provide to people across Wales

Charities need to have (or have a good chance of having in the future) a good track record of charitable achievement

Charities need to be able to demonstrate sound financial practices and submit their most recent set of Annual Accounts

How are charities selected for broadcasts?

BBC Cymru Wales makes sure that all charities applying for a broadcast are eligible (see previous section - Details on who can apply).

If a Charity has been successful in being offered a charity broadcast, it can apply again for a further broadcast after a lapse of two years from the previous broadcast.

Where an application request has been unsuccessful, a new proposal can be submitted to the next round of applications.

The BBC is committed to connecting with all the communities it serves across Wales. So we aim to :

• reflect a balanced range of social issues that affect the lives of communities in Wales
• publicise the charity broadcast service as widely as possible in Wales to attract a diverse range of causes
• offer broadcast opportunities to a range of charities whose work will be of interest to audiences across Wales

On selection, BBC Cymru Wales will ensure that charities :

• present to its audiences a balanced range of causes
• include minority and local causes where the work of a charity will inform a wider audience
• safeguard the impartiality of the BBC

Where a charity is involved in political activities or campaign work on an issue of current public or political controversy, the BBC and the BBC Wales Charities Advisory Forum need to be satisfied that a broadcast can be framed within the BBC's requirements for due impartiality in programming.

See the BBC's Editorial Guidelines

This applies particularly where the charity lobbies or campaigns on an issue that has become a matter of current public controversy or political debate and/or the charity has a high media profile in arguing on one side of the debate.

Where BBC impartiality requirements may be jeopardised, an application may be rejected or the Committee may propose that the broadcast should focus on significant work(s) undertaken by the charity that falls outside its lobbying or campaigning activities (this may be agreed in consultation with the agency concerned. In the latter case, the charity will be required to spend any money raised as restricted funds for use in the work(s) specified in the broadcast.

Who makes the decisions?

BBC Cymru Wales takes advice on charitable matters from the BBC Wales Charities Advisory Forum (WCAF). This Advisory Forum consists of specialist external advisers who represent a broad range of interests across the charitable field in Wales. They are appointed by BBC Cymru Wales and confirmed in their positions by the BBC Wales Board of Management.

The responsibility for recommending allocations of broadcasts in Wales rests with the BBC Wales Charities Advisory Forum (WCAF). The Forum also advises on general policy matters relating to other BBC appeals and BBC Children in Need.

The charity broadcasts are complied by the Head of Broadcast Development or the Head of Marketing, Communications and Audiences.

How will the BBC help?

The BBC Cymru Wales Charities Co-ordinator will give relevant process information, and the programme producers will advise and support the charity through the broadcast aspects of the feature.

BBC Cymru Wales will provide a specific telephone number for callers to respond to the broadcast. BBC Information Wales will have a brief outline of the charity and what the feature is about and be able to pass on the charity's contact address and telephone number for further information.

Details of the broadcast will also be placed on Ceefax and online at bbc.co.uk/walescharities

Emergency Appeals

If some serious or major disaster occurs in Wales and a public fund is set up, a special appeal may be arranged. The Chairperson of the BBC Wales Charities Advisory Forum and the Head of Broadcast Development, BBC Wales are then able to decide on an emergency broadcast appeal, using the policies that govern charitable broadcasts in Wales.