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Collaborative Working

Collaboration and the economic downturn

“Charities that diversify their funding streams, collaborate with partners and get their income strategy right are more likely to weather the current economic crisis and emerge financially secure on the other side”

Stuart Etherington, CEO of NCVO

Collaboration has been suggested as one response to the recession, but voluntary and community organisations should ensure that they are exploring collaboration or merger from a position of strength. They should plan early, identify potential partners, and make informed decisions about whether and how to proceed with collaborative projects.

Working with others can offer opportunities to:

Deliver new, improved or more integrated services
Make efficiency savings through sharing costs
Develop a stronger, more united voice
Share knowledge and information

NCVO’s guidance Should you collaborate? Key questions offers a checklist to help organisations decide whether to embark on formal collaborative working or merger. It identifies the key issues which organisations need to consider, giving an idea where problems and complications might lie and enabling them to make informed decisions.

Should you collaborate? Key questions
Further advice on Surviving the downturn
Guidance for organisations exploring Merger

The economic downturn: 15 key questions trustees need to ask

The Charity Commission has produced a checklist of 15 key questions for trustees to ask themselves about how well placed they are to cope during the recession. Within the checklist are questions about collaboration, as the Charity Commission encourages trustees to ask whether there are activities that could be run more effectively through working with others.

Read 15 key questions trustees need to ask

Updated June 2009

Government announces £42.5 million action plan to help charitable sector

The Government’s action plan sets out a targeted package of support for voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises, in the difficult economic climate.

Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises

Among the commitments is the launch of a £16.5m modernisation fund, which will support organisations to access specialist services in order to restructure and become more resilient and efficient in the recession. The funding will help to purchase the specialist advice and guidance that organisations require to merge or collaborate.

February 2009

What is collaborative working?

Collaborative working within the voluntary and community sector - also known as joint or partnership working - covers a spectrum of ways that two or more organisations can work together. Options range from informal networks and alliances, through joint delivery of projects to full merger. Collaborative working can last for a fixed length of time or can form a permanent arrangement.

What these options have in common is that they involve some sort of exchange, for mutual advantage, that ultimately benefits end users.

"...all charities should consider seriously and imaginatively whether there are ways in which they could do more and better for their users by working together."
Charity Commission, Collaborative Working and Mergers (RS4) 2003

In recent years, interest in collaborative working has been growing, driven by the sector's drive for effectiveness and efficiency, government policy and public opinion.

Collaborative working: the wider picture

"Greater understanding of collaborative working will make the voluntary sector even more effective and improve services for beneficiaries."
Stuart Etherington, NCVO Chief Executive

Collaborative Working Team

We offer good practice information and advice to help voluntary and community organisations make decisions about whether and how to work collaboratively. We aim to support informed decision-making and raise awareness of the range of collaborative working options, although we focus on more formal, long-term arrangements.

See our Frequently asked questions.