Research

NCVO Research supports voluntary and community organisations by developing a strong evidence base on voluntary sector issues.

Find out about the key areas we work as well as details of all our publications and events.

You can read the papers from the NCVO/VSSN Researching the Voluntary Sector Conference 2009.

Keep up to date with events, publications and news - join the research team monthly email.

What's new:

Feb 2010

The Charity Forecast Survey is open

How has your organisation fared during the recession? How confident are you about the future of your organisation? If you are a CEO, senior manager or a trustee and an NCVO member, we would like to hear your views. The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete, and will help NCVO to represent your views and lobby on your behalf.

Take the survey

January 2010

The impact of the recession on charitable giving in the UK

This briefing paper complements UK Giving 2009 which can be downloaded below.

Key Findings

In the UK over half the adult population (54%) continue to donate to charity in an average month.
The total amount of charitable giving has declined during the recession, down by 11% from 2007/08.
The recession has had a similar impact in the United States, where charitable giving declined by 6% between 2007 and 2008.
Historic evidence suggests that the length and severity of a recession will impact on the levels of charitable donations, but that not all causes will be affected equally.
Legacy donations have decreased in value during the recession, although there has been an increase in the number of legacies received.
Individual motivations for charitable giving go beyond personal finances: charities should continue to ask for support during an economic downturn.

Download The impact of the recession on charitable giving in the UK (PDF 114KB)

Find out more about charitable giving

Understanding participation: A literature review

This review brings together different bodies of literature on participation, including literature on community development, volunteering, public participation, social movements, everyday politics and ethical consumption. It looks at the historical and current drivers of participation, the activities and actors of participation and different theoretical approaches that contribute to a better understanding of participation. It closes with an emerging ‘participation framework’ that will be further developed and refined in the subsequent stages of the project.

Download Understanding participation (PDF 604KB)

For more information visit the Pathways through Participation website

December 2009

The latest Charity Forecast Survey is available

The findings in this edition reveal that:

Charity leaders are more confident about the wider UK economy than in the voluntary sector economy.
62% of charity leaders are expecting more competition with other organisations over the next year.
Only 8% or charity leaders plan to cut the number of paid staff in the next three months.

November 2009

Values into Action

Values feature prominently in discussions about the role of the voluntary and community sector. Values are variously described as both a defining feature of the sector and as a central driving force for individual organisations. They are described as a unifying force that stretches across an otherwise diverse sector. values into action cover

This report - developed in partnership with Community Links - builds on the findings of the Community Links' Inquiry into the Values of the Third Sector by looking in more detail at how organisations put their values into practice.

Download Values into Action (PDF 292KB)

For more details contact Belinda Pratten or Veronique Jochum.

Altogether Now: The role and limits of civil society associations in connecting a diverse society

This report provides a brief summary of the presentations and discussion at the NCVO/Carnegie UK Trust ‘Bridging’ social capital seminar series. The seminar series explored the dynamics of bridging social capital in a number of different contexts and provided an opportunity for civil society practitioners, academics and policy makers to share insights into how bridging social capital is generated.

Download Altogether Now (PDF 910KB) Please note this report is only available as a PDF

The State and the Voluntary Sector

The State and the Voluntary Sector, sponsored by Rockpools and supported by The Guardian, provides a unique, easy-to-understand analysis and is an indispensible guide for policy-makers, voluntary sector leaders and anyone interested in the sector.

At a time when public expenditure is under pressure, policy-makers and voluntary sector leaders need the latest intelligence on the statutory funding relationship. This publication, part of our Almanac research programme, provides that intelligence.

Order a copy online (£25, £17.50 for NCVO members - join here)
Download the report (PDF - 3MB)
Download charts and tables from the report (XLS - 550KB)
Find out more on our Civil Society Economy page

Counter-terrorism and civil society

This report is a summary of the presentations and discussion of the final seminar in the NCVO/ESRC NGPA seminar series. It explores how global politics and international security are shaping local civil societies, and identifies some of the responses of civil organisations to counter-terrorism measures and pressures.

Download the Counter-terrorism and civil society report (PDF 918KB)

Order your free hard copy of the counter terrorism and civil society report

Blurring Boundaries

In the UK and elsewhere, many civil society organisations are increasingly delivering public services traditionally undertaken by the state. The continuously shifting nature of the boundaries between the state and civil society suggests that the space available for civil society is changing.

This report is a summary of the presentations and discussion of the seminar that took place in January 2009. It explores sector boundaries and more specifically the boundaries between the governmental sector and civil society.

Download the Blurring Boundaries report (PDF 840KB)

Order your free copy of the Blurring Boundaries report

Contact us

Email the Research Team

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Research and analysis publications

Voluntary Agencies Directory 2010

The 2010 Voluntary Agencies Directory (VAD) is the complete reference guide for the voluntary and community sector. It lists over 2,000 of the most influential organisations in the UK.

Charity Forecast 8

Charity Forecast is a quarterly report from NCVO that will give sector leaders insight into what their contemporaries are planning and thinking and show parallels with indicators from other sectors.

Future Focus 7: What will campaigning be like in 5 years’ time?

This is the seventh in a series of guides to help voluntary and community organisations think about likely changes in their external environment and how these changes could affect them.