The NCVO Funding Commission

Funding the Future

Fiona Ellis "The Funding Commission was set up by NCVO in February 2009 to respond to the sector's concerns and uncertainty about funding over the next 10 years and to set a new funding agenda. Our report, launched on 6 December 2010, contains 12 recommendations directed at the sector itself, funders, NCVO and government.

Whilst taking full account of the current financial context, we have also looked at the opportunities that lie ahead. Taking a 10 year perspective we see potential for growth in individual giving, social investment, commercial sector donations and trading, but we also call for the sector itself to step up to the mark and increase its impact, develop its financial capability and collaborate more effectively.

Its recommendations include:

a Better Asking Campaign, to improve the quality and effectiveness of fundraising, particularly by smaller and local organisations, with the aim of increasing giving by almost £9 billion in the next 10 years;
the development of new financial products, such as Social Gilts or Social Investment Bonds, to increase private investment in civil society by £10 billion over the next ten years; and
initiatives to enable civil society organisations to become more entrepreneurial, increasing trading income by £1.7 billion over the next 10 years.

We look forward to NCVO and the other leading sector infrastructure bodies taking forward the agenda we have set out in our report. Now is the time to be planning for a better and more sustainable future for civil society organisations."

Fiona Ellis, Chair Funding Commission

Download Funding the Future - Full Report (PDF 3.68MB)
Download Funding the Future - Summary Report (PDF 2.10MB)

Background papers

1. Capitalisation and social investment (PDF 95KB)
2. Trading (PDF 87KB)
3. Effectiveness (PDF 115KB)
4. Public sector funding (PDF 77KB)
5. National Lottery (PDF 24KB)
6. Trusts and Foundations (PDF 89KB)
7. Individual giving (PDF 129KB)
8. Commercial sector support (PDF 63KB)

Commissioned papers

Think piece:
- David Carrington, Funding our Future: challenges and opportunities in the next decade, January 2009 (PDF 507KB)

Capitalisation and social investment:
- Joe Ludlow, Capitalising the Voluntary and Community Sector: a review, March 2010 (PDF 548KB)
- Joe Ludlow, Capital, Capacity Building and Impact, March 2010 (PDF 69KB)
- Nick Wilkie and others, Unclaimed assets: funding for young people and social investment, London Youth, April 2010 (PDF 133KB)

Effectiveness:
- Professor Peter Wells and Dr Chris Dayson, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Measuring the Impact of Third Sector Infrastructure Organisations, June 2010 (PDF 134KB)
- Esther Ridsdale, NCVO Collaboration Team, Collaboration and Merger Case Studies, June 2010 (PDF 64KB)
- Stephen Quashie, NCVO Valuing Infrastructure Project, Boosting Local Effectiveness: the future funding of infrastructure support, June 2010 (PDF 655KB)
- Bill Freeman, Director of Consultancy Services, NAVCA, Future Local Infrastructure Scenarios, August 2010 (PDF 498KB)

Public-sector funding:
- Sarah Flood, The Government Funding Relationship: Its impact on the sector and future challenges and opportunities, March 2010 (PDF 127KB)

Individual giving:
- Joe Saxton and Michele Maddon, nfpSynergy, How Can the New Government Increase the Size of the Fundraising Cake?, May 2010 (PDF 152KB)
- Guy Yeomans, ICT Trends and Fundraising: Five-Year Perspective, May 2010 (PDF 68KB)
- Richard Gutch, Prospectus, Fundraising Director Interviews, May 2010 (PDF 32KB)
- Katherine William-Powlett, NCVO Sustainable Funding project, Innovation in Fundraising, June 2010 (PDF 149KB)
- Dr Beth Breeze, Donor Centred Philanthropy: Putting Givers at the Heart of the Charity Universe, July 2010 (PDF 36KB)
- Guy Yeomans, Data Growth, August 2010 (PDF 119KB)

Website Annexes
1. Data sources (PDF 8KB)
2. Future scenarios (PDF 14KB)
3. Initiatives to promote giving (PDF 13KB)
4. Fundraising – regulation and tax (PDF 32KB)
5. Commercial giving – tax and fiscal incentives (PDF 7KB)