Working with Voluntary & Community

Organisations

Richard PiperGeorgina Anstey

14th September 2011

This session Perceptions

The “sector”

Funding

Major trends

Jargon

The typical charity

Behaviours and motivations

Engaging with them

Perceptions

Civil Society

General Charities

Co-operativesUniversities

Housing associations Employee-owned

businesses

Independent schools

Sports clubs Faith groups

Building societies

Clubs & Societies

Trade Unions

Political parties

Civil Society & Voluntary Sector

Civil Society

Voluntary & Community Sector

Universities

Housing Associations

Independent Schools

Sports clubs

Charities

Unincorporated organisations

Employee owned businesses

Trade unions

Co-operatives

171,000

Politicalparties

Small … and beautiful?

Over 50% are ‘Micro’ organisations but they account for <1% of total income

438 organisations (0.3%) are ‘Major’ accounting for nearly 44% of total income

Civil Society & Voluntary Sector

Civil Society

Voluntary & Community Sector

Universities

Housing Associations

Independent Schools

Sports clubs

Charities

Unincorporated organisations

Employee owned businesses

Trade unions

Co-operatives

171,000

Politicalparties

?

What do VCOs do?

• Provide services• Influence knowledge, opinion or policy• Make grants• Support other charities/organisations

Most ‘popular’ causes

Activities

Social services Culture & recreation Development Religion

Beneficiaries

Children / youth Public at large Elderly people People with

disabilities

Funding

Source of Income 2007 / 08£bn

Individual giving 13.1

Statutory sources 12.8

Internally generated 4.1

Trusts and foundations 3.0

Private sector 2.0

National Lottery 0.5

Total 35.5

Source: UK Civil Society almanac 2010 NCVO

Current trends

• The Multi-crunchEconomic downturn, public spending, natural

resources• Coalition Government policyBig Society, public service delivery, localism• Technology and PowerOpen data, impact, hierarchies falling

Jargon Quiz

Example charity structure & context

Trustee Board

CEO/Co-ordinator

Staff/Volunteers

Beneficiaries

Staff/Volunteers

Funders

Tar

get

Aud

ienc

e

Regulator

Service Users

Behaviour & Motivations

• Competition• Slow-moving• Lack of arbiter of decisions – profit (money)

not the goal• Committed• Passionate – stubborn – independent - anti-

establishment – anti-business

Engagement: Barriers

• Hugely busy, need to see absolute relevance• Suspicion of planning, hand-to-mouth, wait for a

crisis• Resistance and right to resist, identity,

independence• Complexity: of purpose, of stakeholders• Founder-syndrome and other egos• Anti-business – culture, fear, values

Engagement: Solutions

• Busy: prove the relevance• Anti-planning: play ‘firefighting’ card• Resistance: listen• Complexity: acknowledge it, don’t try to tidy

it up and pretend it’s simpler than it really is• Egos: find allies, don’t fight fire with fire!• Anti-business: don’t be their stereotype

Keep in touch

Richard Piperrichard.piper@ncvo-vol.org.uk

Georgina Ansteygeorgina.anstey@ncvo-vol.org.uk

Useful resources on NCVO websitewww.ncvo-vol.org.uk