nfpSynergy Summer Insights Wednesday 16 th June 2010 20 Cavendish Square
May 19, 2015
nfpSynergySummer Insights
Wednesday 16th June 201020 Cavendish Square
State of the Third Sector 2009Michele Madden
Key points
• Fundraising is the key skills gap and challenge
• Successful investment in the sector is not just about money
• Organisational size affects views of the sector
• Survive or thrive
• What does the new government hold?
What are the three biggest challenges facing your organisation? Please pick the top 3
Base:618State of the Third Sector Survey, 2009, nfpSynergy
47%
31%
26%
22%
13%
14%
22%
48%
76%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Finding and keeping volunteers
Attracting high quality staff
Keeping high quality staff
Sorting out our back office functions (eg IT, finance,etc)
Securing funding from government
Creating an effective board
Communicating the importance of our work
Growing our voluntary income
Creating a sustainable funding base
Biggest Challenges for Charities
10%
18%
19%
19%
21%
22%
22%
23%
24%
24%
26%
30%
31%
32%
34%
34%
42%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Service delivery
User perspective
Financial management
Management
Human Resources
Campaigning
Internal Communications
Information Technology
Leadership
Legal expertise
Evaluation skills
Web/Digital Media
External Communications or PR
Marketing
Governance/Trustees
Strategic planning
Fundraising
Base:585State of the Third Sector Survey, 2009, nfpSynergy
Which five of these skills or expertise are you finding in short supply, or would ideally like to have more of, in your charity?’
Biggest Challenges for CharitiesSkills
Theme 1: Funds, funding and fundraising really matter
• Many of our charity respondents were concerned with the need to make ends meet
• The sector wants to grow other sources of income in order to make up the shortfall from government
• Promotion of volunteering has received a healthy dose of funds, while fundraising development has received negligible funds
• This will need to be redressed
65%
54%
53%
17%
27%
47%
21%
30%
64%
73%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
The National Compact
Local voluntary sector Compacts
Office of the Third Sector
Ministerial interest in the Third Sector
The Charity Commission
Promotion of volunteering
Futurebuilders
Capacitybuilders
Big Lottery Fund
Gift Aid
Impact for better
Money to the Sector
Supporting the Sector
‘Please tell us which government initiatives relating specifically to the third sector you think either have had, or will have, the biggest impact on your charity.’
Base:653State of the Third Sector Survey, 2009, nfpSynergy
Perceived impact of Government initiatives
Theme 2: The sector needs ideas as much as investment to thrive
• Initiatives which make a broad and high-profile contribution to sector funding have been the most positively received - Gift Aid Big Lottery Fund
• Charity Commission, the Compact and Capacitybuilders all have a
disproportionately positive response for the level of their funding
• A positive image doesn’t always mean that they have been successful
• How can initiatives be created and supported which benefit the sector, without simply handing out more money?
• Non-profit organisations are based on ideas that will make a difference, and the sector needs a few more of these in the decade ahead.
17%
28%
47%
60%
51%
62%
28%
38%
71%
73%
17%
17%
52%
54%
55%
66%
19%
19%
64%
85%
68%
62%
33%
20%
46%
33%
18%
54%
58%
63%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
The National Compact
Local voluntary sector compacts
Office of the Third Sector
Ministerial interest in the third sector
The Charity Commission
Promotion of volunteering
Futurebuilders
Capacitybuilders
The Big Lottery Fund
Gift Aid
More than £6m
£1-5m
Less than £1m
Money to the Sector
Supporting the Sector
Base: 272 charities with turnover less than £1m, 137 £1-5m, 151 more then £5mState of the Third Sector Survey, 2009, nfpSynergy
‘Please tell us which government initiatives relating specifically to the third sector you think either have had, or will have, the biggest impact on your charity.’ – Impact for the better
Perceived impact of Government initiatives By size (annual turnover)
76%77%
74%
61%
75%
77%
80%
63%
47%
54%
33%
45%
54%
18%
15%
46%
17%
26%
51%
60%
61%
47%
52%
63%
58%
58%
65%
26%
46%
26%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
ACF (Association ofCharitable Foundations)
CFDG (Charity FinanceDirectors Group)
NAVCA
Directory of SocialChange
ACEVO
Fundraising StandardsBoard
CAF (Charities AidFoundation)
NCVO
Sector press
Institute of Fundraising
More than£6m
£1-5m
Less than£1m
‘There are a lot of sector and infrastructure bodies in the third sector. Please tell us which have the biggest impact on you and your work.’
Base: 258 charities with turnover less than £1m, 132 £1-5m, 144 more then £5mState of the Third Sector Survey, 2009, nfpSynergy
Impact of infrastructure bodies By size
Theme 3: The size of an organisation has a huge impact on how it sees the world
• The size of an organisation affects its concerns and experiences
• Perceptions of government initiatives and perceptions of the impact of third sector bodies were highly dependent on the size of the respondent’s organisation
• Many stakeholders in the sector, who have very different needs
• Very few initiatives or activities will affect all organisations equally
• Being clear about who can and should benefit from an initiative is key to ensuring its effectiveness
21%
15%
8%
14%
10%
18%
18%
8%
3%
9%
21%
24%
20%
12%
11%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Had to deliver differentservices or change mission
Had to cut services
Had to cut jobs
Altered structure ordownsized
Reduced income
More than £6m
£1-5m
Less than £1m
The recession has had an impact on the third sector in a range of ways. We want to find out the different ways in which it has impacted on your organisation.
Base: 278 charities with turnover less than £1m, 139 £1-5m, 156 more then £5mState of the Third Sector Survey, 2009, nfpSynergy
Impact of the recession By size
Theme 4: The struggle to survive and thrive
• Accessing and sustaining a stable source of funding is the main
concern for small organisations, while large organisations are more
concerned with growing or sustaining voluntary income – how can
this happen in an era of recession and public spending cuts?
• Small organisations have a special set of needs
o least likely to be reached by sector bodies
o income is most affected by the recession
o while large and mid-size organisations may struggle to grow,
small organisations struggle to survive
Theme 4: The struggle to survive and thrive
• Need clear ideas as to how such organisations can be supported
from survival to flourishing
o painful (forced mergers)
o difficult (the creation of shared back office functions
o radical (sharing peripatetic fundraising support advisors)
• All organisations need to work smarter, to do more with less, and
to see government as providing a level playing field rather than
funds
46%
40%
43%
30%
13%
15%
15%
10%
18%
23%
33%
44%
48%
63%
46%
40%
34%
56%
15%
9%
18%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
It would be best for the sector if the Conservatives areelected in 2010
It would be best for the sector if the there is a hungparliament in 2010
It would be best for the sector if the LibDems areelected in 2010
I agree with the Conservative goal of helping the sectorto stand more strongly on its own feet
I agree with the Labour approach of being'interventionist and supportive'
It would be best for the sector if Labour is elected in2010
The Labour Government has done a lot to benefit thesector in the last 12 years
More than£6m
£1-5m
Less than£1m
‘What difference do you think politicians have made and will make to the sector?’ Agree + Strongly agree
Base: 276 charities with turnover less than £1m, 139 £1-5m, 154 more then £5mState of the Third Sector Survey, 2009, nfpSynergy
Sector opinions on politics By size
Theme 5: The sector is uncertain about the Conservative party
• Third Sector has felt positive towards the Labour government, and would have liked another Labour government going forward
• The stance of the Conservative party regarding the third sector has changed - interested and engaged in the sector, it is as much for its potential to deliver Conservative policy ideas- see it flourish in its own right
• Until a new government is in place it is hard to know what the future will hold- budget deficits- recession - coming decade will be very different
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