That is not logical, Captain! A review of The Logic of Charity

In this important and timely piece of work, John Mohan and Beth Breeze tackle major questions and indeed misconceptions facing the charity sector. What is charity, and how do charities operate? Who benefits, and how? John Mohan and Beth Breeze are both academics focusing on third sector research and philanthropy, and this is a meticulously researched, scholarly publication. In it, they deploy and analyse a range of data and studies, and weave the arguments on top of systematic synopses of other writing on the subjects at hand. There’s not much doubt that the authors are on top of their subject. Indeed, the bibliography contains well over 150 publications and articles, and this is not a lengthy tome. The authors begin by asking whether there is a ‘Logic of Charity’. Who are the beneficiaries? What can charities be expected to do? And in fact, what should they not be expected to achieve? It becomes clear that neither policymakers nor in fact the ‘general public’ are particularly clear on the roles that charities play. How have public attitudes to charities changed? And how “malleable in political hands” is the sector? Funding from government? Elements of the book are especially timely, particularly the analysis of the sources of charity funding with a focus on funding from government. Why do some argue that being in receipt of statutory income renders an organisation somehow less charitable? Was there ever in fact a time when charities relied s