Third Sector Research Centre

Description	TSRC was committed to a programme of active engagement with stakeholders in policy and practice to inform debate about the development of the sector and to provide data and analysis to support improved practice. This was facilitated by an active knowledge exchange and impact strategy, and was focused on seeking to ensure that research activity was informed by the developing needs of policy makers and practitioners, and wherever possible had direct implications for policy or practice. In particular TSRC aimed to work in partnership with policy and practice agencies to co-produce outputs from the research and to direct these to the ongoing practice needs of agencies in the sector. Some years after TSRC's core funding expired, continued and ongoing impact is evident from repeated ongoing citations by prominent inquiries both governmental and non-governmental. For example, the Commission on Civil Society Futures, chaired by Julia Unwin, has made very extensive use of our findings and invited members of our team to give presentations at inquiry hearings. The House of Lords Committee on charities (2017) cited our work in numerous places. Parliamentary Select Committees reported in 2018 on work our team members had done with NCVO and the criminal justice policy charity, CLINKS, on the impact of the government's policy, "Transforming Rehabilitation", endorsing our conclusions that markets in this field were working to the disadvantage of the third sector notwithstanding promises to the contrary from government. And in February 2019 a highly successful tenth anniversary event was held in Birmingham, drawing sector partners and academics together in an interactive environment to consider future research priorities for the sector. A flavour of the day can be gained from our twitter hashtag, #tsrc10 - with many highly favourable comments about our impact. Most recently our ongoing "change in the making" project, which has now worked with a small number of case study organisations for some ten years, continues to inform practice and thinking in the sector, with great demand for reflective learning from local third sector organisations (evidenced in recent events for practitioners in various locations). A crucial contribution of the centre has been work on the evidence base, in collaboration with NCVO. This is most visible in the annual NCVO Almanacs - based on the joint development and analysis of quantitative data on the third sector. The Charity Commission databases, created jointly with NCVO following the collapse of Guidestar, discussed above, provided the major source for the quantitative analysis of the sector published in the Almanac. This is the major source of data on the sector used by policy makers and practitioners across the country and can only be produced because of the collaboration between TSRC and NCVO. The Almanac data underpin evidence-based analyses of important policy questions, such as discussion of high pay in charities, where we showed, contra the claims made by various individual journalist and, in some cases, prominent public and political figures, that high pay in the voluntary sector is very much a phenomenon of private schools and independent hospitals. We know from the comments of senior stakeholders in the sector that our evidence was invaluable in countering ill-informed journalistic reports about the prevalence of high salaries. The Almanac data have also been used by ONS in estimating the contribution of the third sector to the national accounts. We understand from our key partners NCVO that these datasets and the analyses based on them are widely used - with users of the relevant NCVO website being recorded in the hundreds of thousands over the years. NCVO's Almanac has been and remains a major resource for policy and practice communities and we have now contributed to it for nearly a decade. The Centre has also had significant impacts on public debates about the sector, and in some cases TSRC has had an identifiable connection with significant policy decisions. In 2010 we were asked to supply evidence to the Comprehensive Spending Review, regarding the exposure of third sector organisations to public-sector funding streams. This analysis was publicly-acknowledged by Ministers as having contributed to the government's decision to allocate a £100Mn "Transition Fund" to organisations believed to be particularly at risk. Linked to this TSRC and NCVO have also collaborated with the sector skills agency, Skills Third Sector (now Skills Effect), to produce regular quantitative data on workforce trends in the sector, which was also been published as an NCVO almanac and was used to inform the skills development strategies of the agency. Collectively, therefore, this work has helped to transform the information base for third sector policy and practice, and is used by large numbers of organisations to inform their strategic development and applications for funding. Other examples of partnership in societal and economic impact included: 1. The Futures Dialogue - established in the summer of 2012 and running for eight months through to spring 2013, this used the findings from TSRC research to provide the basis for a dialogue on some of the key issues underpinning the future development of the third sector in England, focusing in particular upon how the sector would, and should, respond to emerging challenges. The dialogue took a number of forms including: • publication of a series of discussion papers from TSRC researchers outlining key findings and identifying issues for debate; • open invitation seminars where these findings were presented and discussed; • online 'Question and Answer' sessions hosted by Guardian Professional; • online commentary and blogs on a dedicated Futures Dialogue website established by TSRC; • meetings of a 'Sounding Board' of leading sector experts from policy and practice to debate the issues and discuss the future challenges for the sector; • a National Conference at the British Library in April 2013 where these issues were debated further by a large open audience. • The publication of a final report containing an overview of the conclusions from the dialogue and some of the challenges identified for the sector (Unity in Diversity: what is the future for the third sector? ) which was launched at the AGM of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Civil Society and Volunteering. 2. Making markets in third sector infrastructure - a programme of theoretically informed research charting the gradual emergence of a new market-oriented model of third sector support services ('infrastructure') over the last decade. Through presentations, workshops and roundtables the research has been accompanied by an extensive programme of knowledge exchange and engagement activities, reaching several hundred policy makers and practitioners over a two year period. In particular, TSRC's research has gained influence in the field through close partnership work with a number of leading sector agencies. With the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) this included a keynote presentation and workshops at successive conferences, and membership of the new Independent Commission on the Future of Local Infrastructure. With the NCVO it included convening a research roundtable on infrastructure, and practitioner workshops and presentations at three major conferences. With the BIG Lottery Fund it included research and knowledge exchange activities on the emerging infrastructure-related 'Building Capabilities' framework, where TSRC was commissioned to undertake a scoping study of 'what works in building the capabilities of frontline organisations' - a study designed to help shape the agenda for future investment and activity in this field. 3. The role of third sector organisations in delivering public services, and in particular the extent to which TSOs are, or are not, able to access emerging market opportunities. Longitudinal research on this in conjunction with relevant high-profile stakeholder organisations was quoted in Parliamentary committees which, on the basis of our evidence, questioned whether the government's pro-voluntarist rhetoric were being translated into practice. 4. Third Sector Knowledge Portal - a free to use, online library and web catalogue. The Knowledge Portal was developed by TSRC in partnership with The British Library to promote and preserve evidence, research and analysis of the work of the voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations. It brought together academic analysis, government studies, and reports from organisations themselves, and consolidated these in one easy to use and searchable collection of links and downloads. The Portal was underpinned by a unique third sector thesaurus of keywords, developed in partnership with the British Library. There are over 6,500 records in the Portal and every record in the catalogue was manually classified at TSRC. Users were able to click the keywords and author names assigned to each item to find further related content. The Portal had separate Twitter account with over 2,000 followers, which is used to promote links relating to topical issues, to engage with events and debates via Twitter hashtags, and to foster a 'user community' through informal dialogue and responses to queries. Significant additional funding to support the development and implementation of the Portal was secured from the BIG Lottery Fund. Unfortunately we were unable to secure funding post-2014 to continue its development. We continue, nevertheless, to be asked to advise others with similar interests. TSRC actively contributed to debate in other contexts. There are numerous submissions to Parliamentary Inquiries available on our website; our work has also had a number of direct citations in Parliamentary debates. Our work has received extensive coverage in Third Sector, including the somewhat rare accolade of both a cartoon (celebrating a new award in 2015) and an supportive editorial at the end of our period of core funding. We have had several interviews on national radio and have contributed to broadcast documentaries, as well as to the online and print versions of the Guardian. The tenth anniversary brochure for TSRC contains many fulsome comments from third sector stakeholders indicating the value they attach to our work. With over 3000 followers on Twitter we have a very active social media presence and we continue to build up that presence. Subsequently the work TSRC did to lay the foundations for long-term investigation of change in the third sector meant that we were well placed to contribute to discussions of voluntary sector responses to Covid - 19 via submissions to inquiries, advisory roles, and regular publication of up-to-the minute findings arising from ongoing work on the resources and activities of voluntary organisations, including their exposure to particular funding streams, volunteering, and community-level responses to austerity and Covid-19. Examples would include work that informed the evaluation of funds provided by government to charities experiencing difficulties associated with Covid, where our development of an extensive longitudinal panel of observations on charity finances enabled assessment of the extent to which funds had genuinely gone to those most at risk of financial distress, and advisory work with government departments (DCMS) and major national voluntary organisations on the capacities of the voluntary sector and its response to Covid.
First Year Of Impact	2009
Sector	Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other
Impact Types	Societal,Policy & public services

Description	Appearance to give oral evidence before House of Lords Select Committee on charities, 1st November 2016.
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL	http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/select-committee-on...

Description	Discussions with Charity Commission regarding uses of their data for research purposers
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Contribution to a national consultation/review

Description	Discussions with DCMS regarding the evidence base on nonprofit organisations and voluntary action
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Participation in a guidance/advisory committee

Description	EVidence to House of Lords Committee on charities - review of evidence on trends in voluntary action by individuals
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL	http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/select-committee-on...

Description	Evidence on the distribution, resources and characteristics of registered charities in England and Wales, drawing on collaborative work with David Clifford and Rose Lindsey
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL	http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/select-committee-on...

Description	INvitation to chair the Voluntary Sector Data Conference, London, October 2018, delivered by Inside Government with support from the Fundraising Regulator, DataKind UK. the conference was designed to assess how voluntary organisations can manage, protect and utilise data to ensure high quality reuglatory compliance while maximising social impact.
Geographic Reach	Local/Municipal/Regional
Policy Influence Type	Influenced training of practitioners or researchers

Description	Meetings with the Civil Society and Youth team from DCMS - 16th March 2021
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Influenced training of practitioners or researchers

Description	Meetings with the Civil Society and Youth team from DCMS - 8th June 2021
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Influenced training of practitioners or researchers

Description	Quoted in report of House of Lords Select Committee on Charities, Stronger charities for a stronger society
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Contribution to a national consultation/review
Impact	Breeze's work was mentioned on multiple occasions in the final report of the House of Lords Select Committee final report on charity https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldchar/133/133.pdf para 156 re: donor concerns about transparency (cites Breeze evidence) para 232 & 236 re charities' difficulties in covering core costs (Breeze evidence) para 278 re need to simplify Gift Aid charity tax relief (Breeze evidence) para 359 re the potential for social media (Breeze & Body evidence) para 390 - on social investment (Breeze evidence) para 438 - importance of distributional consequences of philanthropy (Breeze & Body evidence)
URL	https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldchar/133/133.pdf

Description	Use of research outputs from this project to inform review of charity strategy
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact	We have the following testimonial from a consultant who has been working with one of the most high-profile national charities, and one with significant royal connections, to support disadvantaged young people. She states: "I've used your study [The Logic of Charity] as a core part of our strategy for XXX, a youth charity, who are now going through a full brand refresh in 2017 as a result. XXX has been declining in relevance for a number of years, despite their communications focusing on effectiveness, topical issues and accountability. I found great insight in your study around the complex and confused nature of people's relationships with charity and its role in society, as well as the underlying emotional reasons for wanting to donate (including self-efficacy). It really highlighted how recent concerns around accountability are not that new. We've combined your insight with cultural insight around public apathy, political uncertainty and media coverage of youth disenfranchisement - going forward our communicating will look to create a relevant and meaningful role for XXX that feels much more of a movement for change than a charity."

Description	Written evidence to House of Lords Select Committee on charities (jointly with Dr Beth Breeze, Centre for Philanthropy, UNiversity of Kent) on attitudes to charities, charitable giving, and fundraising.
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL	http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/select-committee-on...

Description	Written evidence to House of Lords Select Committee on charities on the prevalence and distribution of high salaries in the charity sector in England and Wales
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL	http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/select-committee-on...

Description	discussions with inquiries into future of civil society - Law Family Commission, led by Pro Bono Economics. Discussions relate to relevance of our evidence base to their ongoing analyses of current state and future prospects of civil society organisations
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Participation in a guidance/advisory committee

Description	evidence to DCMS Inquiry into effects of Covid on the voluntary sector
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL	https://committees.parliament.uk/work/243/impact-of-covid19-on-the-charity-sector/publications/writt...

Description	evidence to Senedd Inquiry into effects of Covid on the voluntary sector
Geographic Reach	National
Policy Influence Type	Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL	https://business.senedd.wales/mgConsultationDisplay.aspx?id=393&RPID=1524943390&cp=yes

Description	ALMANAC 2015 - CHARITY SECTOR RUNNING TO STAND STILL AS OVERALL FINANCIAL POSITION REMAINS STATIC
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Charity sector income and expenditure continued to flatline in 2012/13, new data published today by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations showed (1). The figures represent a continuation of the recent trend in the charity sector economy, which has plateaued at a level slightly below the peak it reached in 2007/8 after several years of rapid growth. The sector's total income fell by 0.2% on the previous year to £40.5bn, while total expenditure, considered the most reliable measure of activity, rose by 0.1% to £39.3bn. The figures, based on the latest authoritative data available, show that earned and voluntary income from individuals rose 1.4% to £18.8bn, while income from government, in the form of contracts and grants, fell by 3.4% to £13.3bn. In line with the trend of recent years, total earned income rose slightly, by 0.4%, to £22.7bn. Income from investments rose 0.6%, while the value of investment assets rose slightly, from £73.5bn to £76.6bn. All figures are in real terms.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2015
URL	https://www.ncvo.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/907-charity-sector-running-to-stand-sti...

Description	ALMANAC 2016: THE LATEST DATA ON THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	The 15th edition of the UK Civil Society Almanac, once again providing a comprehensive overview of facts and figures related to the voluntary sector. Top 10 findings: 1. There has been a sharp rise in youth volunteering 2. The voluntary sector paid workforce rose once again to 827,000 in 2015 3. The value of the UK voluntary sector to the wider economy was £12.2bn in 2013/14 4. The number of charities with an income over £100m increased from 33 to 40 in 2013/14 5. There was a small increase in income to the sector this year, now standing at £43.8bn 6. Income from government increased slightly, by around £0.5bn 7. The sector continued to earn most of its income 8. Total spending for the sector rose slightly to £41.7bn 9. Grant-making by the voluntary sector increased in 2013/14 to £5.3bn 10. The voluntary sector's assets are disproportionately held by a small number of large organisations
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2016/04/11/almanac-2016-the-latest-data-on-the-voluntary-sector/

Description	ALMANAC 2017: FIVE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT VOLUNTEERING
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	This year's Civil Society Almanac, gives us an updated and detailed picture of volunteering in the UK. Drawing on data from the government's Community Life Survey and other sources, the message overall is that volunteering is in a stable state with rates of volunteering largely unchanged from the previous year. There are a lot of facts and figures to digest, so here are my thoughts on the most interesting findings about volunteering in this year's Almanac: • Pronounced differences between age groups • Time spent volunteering hasn't changed • Stalling growth in employer-supported volunteering • Barriers to volunteering in deprived areas
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2017/05/11/almanac-2017-five-things-i-have-learned-about-volunteering/

Description	ARE MORE CHARITIES CLOSING?
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Are more charities closing? The Almanac has demonstrated the difficult times the sector has faced over the last few years - the recession in 2008, followed by government austerity since 2010. But has the difficult financial climate translated into actual closures of charities, or have organisations been able to keep going with reduced budgets and reduced services. Around 400 organisations added each month, and 300 removed. The peaks in removals come from Charity Commission activity (a concerted effort to remove defunct organisations) rather than actual closures occurring at those times. There's certainly no trend in the figures that would indicate more organisations shutting their doors.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2015
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2015/08/19/are-more-charities-closing/

Description	Alamanac wesbite (page views 2019)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Provides the latest facts on voluntary sector organisations, workforce, charitable giving and volunteering.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018,2019
URL	https://data.ncvo.org.uk/

Description	Almanac 2016: An introduction to the latest data on the voluntary sector
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Presentation slides from a webinar which took place on 26 May 2016.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	https://www.slideshare.net/NCVO/almanac-2016-an-introduction-to-the-latest-data-on-the-voluntary-sec...

Description	Almanac 2017: An introduction to the latest data on the voluntary sector
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Presentation slides from an NCVO webinar which took place on 5 July 2017.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://www.slideshare.net/NCVO/almanac-2017-an-introduction-to-the-latest-data-on-the-voluntary-sec...

Description	Almanac 2018: what does the data tell us?
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact	In 2015/16 the voluntary sector spent £46.5bn, which is £2.6bn more than the previous year. Of this £39.5bn was used on charitable activities, whether directly or through grants. This means that across the whole sector 85p of each £1 spent went directly to organisations' charitable causes. Between 2014/15 and 2015/16 spending on charitable activities increased by 8% (approximately £2.5bn). A small part of this increase is due to organisations now including governance costs as part of charitable activities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2018/05/09/almanac-2018-what-does-the-data-tell-us/

Description	Almanac related blog posts on NCVO website (page views), 2019
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Almanac related blog posts on NCVO website (page views), 2019
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2019/06/19/uk-civil-society-almanac-2019-the-latest-data-on-the-voluntary-...

Description	Almanac related blog posts on NCVO website SMALL CHARITIES DATA (page views), 2019
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Dissemination of small charities key findings from NCVO data.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2019/01/21/small-charities-key-findings-from-our-data/

Description	Almanac website
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	The website had the following views: 2017: 203,431 views 2016: 206,991 views 2015: 305,598 views
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2015,2016,2017,2018
URL	https://www.ncvo.org.uk/

Description	Are EU staff leaving the charity sector?
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Unfortunately, the data doesn't allow us to see where these European staff are going - it could be that they are leaving the country but it could also be that they are moving into the private sector. Realistically, it's too soon to say what effect the referendum has had. The chart below shows us that while the number of Europeans in the sector dipped significantly in the last year, it's also only down to the level it was at two years ago, though recent data shows it is below the trendline. Nevertheless, we will need longer-term data and likely some qualitative research insight before we can draw definite any conclusions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2018/06/04/are-eu-staff-leaving-the-charity-sector/

Description	Article in public interest media
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact	Article in the New Statesman, 21st January 2016, summarising key findings from John Mohan and Beth Breeze's book, The Logic of Charity.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/welfare/2016/01/charity-time-austerity-great-expectations-hard-...

Description	Blog aimed at professionals and volunteers in the third sector, arguing for realism in expectations of change in volunteering levels
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	This was a short summary of our book on volunteering for the main trade paper, Third Sector, in June 2018
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018
URL	https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/john-mohan-rose-lindsey-realistic-volunteering/volunteering/article/14...

Description	Blog for the general public via The Conversation
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Public/other audiences
Results and Impact	Contribution to The Conversation, outlining key findings of our book on volunteering
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018
URL	http://theconversation.com/volunteering-levels-static-since-the-1980s-despite-all-the-efforts-to-inc...

Description	Blog published by Policy Press in Volunteers Week, to mark the publication of our major book based on this project
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Public/other audiences
Results and Impact	Communcation of findings to a wider audience including both academics and non-academics
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018
URL	http://policypress.wordpress.com/2018/06/05/volunteers-week-the-future-of-volunteering

Description	Briefing Paper 1 : Assessing the financial reserves of English and Welsh charities on the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Presentation of initial findings
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2020
URL	https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/tsrc/research/assessing-financial-vulnerability-and-risk-in-th...

Description	Briefing Paper 2: Income dependence and diversification of UK charities at the onset of Covid-19
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Specific update on first of the identified areas of focus: Income dependence and diversification of UK charities at the onset of Covid-19. Setting the scene for future research
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021
URL	https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/tsrc/research/assessing-financial-vulnerability-and-risk-in-th...

Description	Briefing Paper 3: The impact of COVID-19 on the foundation and dissolution of charitable organisations
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Assessing the COVID impact on establishment and dissolution of Charitable Trusts
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021
URL	https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/tsrc/research/assessing-financial-vulnerability-and-risk-in-th...

Description	Briefing Paper 4: Patterns of financial vulnerability in English and Welsh charities after the onset of Covid
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Setting out the financial vulnerabilities of Charities in England And Wales post COVID pandemic
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021
URL	https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/tsrc/research/assessing-financial-vulnerability-and-risk-in-th...

Description	Briefing Paper 5: Financial vulnerability of Scottish charities during the COVID-19 pandemic
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Assessing the Financial vulnerability of Scottish Charities during the COVID-19 pandemic, following on from Briefing paper 4 which covered English and Welsh charities
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021
URL	https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/tsrc/research/assessing-financial-vulnerability-and-risk-in-th...

Description	Briefing paper 6: Financial Vulnerability in UK charities under Covid-19: an overview
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact	Final presentation in the series for this grant, to pull together themes, trends and conclusions. Also included a view of potential follow on research topics
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2022
URL	https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/college-social-sciences/social-policy/tsrc/financial-vulnerab...

Description	CHILDREN'S CHARITIES: WHAT THE LATEST DATA TELLS US
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	At the same time as the latest Almanac, was launched we also produced some analysis of the children and young people's voluntary sector. This analysis, produced with the Children's Partnership, is based on the same dataset and methodology as the Almanac, but focusing on those charities who work mainly with children and young people. This sector is large - we identify 37,000 organisations whose core work is with children and young people, with total spending of £5.6 billion. The largest source of income comes from individuals (44%), but income from government is a larger proportion for these organisations than for the voluntary sector as a whole (42%). These organisations are also much more likely to receive funding from local government. In the year we looked at, 2012/13, this income from government fell by £150 million from the year before, while income from individuals had risen by a small amount.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2015
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2015/08/09/childrens-charities-what-the-latest-data-tells-us/

Description	Conference: Beyond the echo-chamber: a vision for social policy
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Conference held virtually due to impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2020
URL	http://www.social-policy.org.uk/news/social-policy-digital-festival-13-17-july/

Description	Conference: Building bridges in the aftermath of COVID-19 : Where will the philanthropy of today lead us tomorrow?
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Attendees from across the Globe to advance, coordinate and promote excellence in philanthropic research in Europe.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021
URL	https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xdGPErMwuqxOGAIdbaSlsrvWjbChnVNx/view

Description	Conference: CELEBRATION OF ARNOVA'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY: Reflections on Where We Are and How Far We Have Come!
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	50th ARNOVA conference held on line /hybrid due to the impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021
URL	https://www.arnova.org/page/50th

Description	Conference: Collective Action and Responsiveness in the Global Context
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Presenting findings and methodology to the most respected scholarly research association focused on the Third Sector and become part of the community that is building a foundation of knowledge about civil society, the non-profit sector, philanthropy, volunteerism, and social economy around the world. ISTR members access the latest developments in Third Sector Studies, the larger community of third sector scholars, researchers and practitioners, and opportunities for professional development and public outreach.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021
URL	https://www.istr.org/page/Virtual_2021

Description	Conference: Global Challenges: National Social Policy Responses
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Held virtually due to the impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021
URL	http://www.social-policy.org.uk/spa-2021-conference-programme/

Description	Conference: Nonprofits and Philanthropy in a Polarized World: Speaking Truth to Power and Using Power to Speak Truth
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	First conference attendance post ESRC award
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019
URL	https://www.arnova.org/page/conference2019

Description	Current patterns in civic engagement by age group
Form Of Engagement Activity	A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact	Written evidence on current patterns in civic engagement by age group presented to the House of Lords Select Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change. Evidence included in Committee Report
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2013

Description	DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED: FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED WHEN EXPLORING DATA ON GRANT-MAKING IN THE UK
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Supporters
Results and Impact	We know from the Almanac 2017 that grants to the voluntary sector represents a total of £6.3bn, which is 14% of the total income of the sector. Most grant money (93%) comes from other voluntary organisations (47%) or the government (46%). Despite its importance to the sector, the proportion of the money given out in grants by government has been decreasing with more funding given through contracts. The transition from grants to contracts has been challenging for many charities, especially the smaller ones. To better understand the challenges ahead, this blog analyses the grant-making data in our Almanac dataset. By looking at grants by sources, size of recipients and subsectors, I learned five lessons that I'm sharing here. About a third of the money given out by voluntary sector grant makers goes to super-major organisations with an income greater than £100m. Only 20% of the sector's grant money goes to the 129,000 charities with an income lower than £1m.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017,2018
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2017/10/03/dont-take-it-for-granted-five-lessons-i-learned-when-exploring-...

Description	Deprived areas have fewer charities and voluntary groups
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact	A survey by the University of Southampton has found that there are approximately three times as many charities providing benefits to more affluent areas The Guardian
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2011
URL	http://www.guardian.co.uk/voluntary-sector-network/2011/sep/20/charities-voluntary-groups-deprived-a...

Description	EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY: USING THE UK CIVIL SOCIETY ALMANAC
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	The mantra, 'evidence-based policy', is one that policy professionals live by. But robust data - either quantitative or qualitative - is expensive to produce regardless of whether you commission the work out, or do it yourself. This is why NCVO's UK Civil Society Almanac is such a useful resource for people working in voluntary and community sector policy who want to understand the shape of the sector and how it is evolving over time. How I use the Almanac data: • Responses to government decisions • Strengthening campaigns The Almanac shows that there has been a decline in grant funding over time. Whilst there seems to have been a slight increase in grants over time in the 2016 edition of the Almanac, the data also shows that, overall, smaller charities continue to see a fall in government funding. This is because charities struggle to bid for large contracts and are unable to manage the default payment by results model. The Almanac data therefore provides us with evidence of the problem that Grants for Good has identified and will also help us measure whether our campaign has been successful over time.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2016/06/02/evidence-based-policy-using-the-uk-civil-society-almanac/

Description	Effect of the NHS white paper on TSOs
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Local
Primary Audience	Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact	TSRC seminar Infirmation shared with particpants
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2012
URL	http://www.tsrc.ac.uk/NewsandEvents/Pastevents/tabid/576/Default.aspx

Description	Entrepreneurial ventures or agents of the state? : exploring the substitution effect between commercial revenue and grants : voluntary income among charities in England and Wales
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Participants in your research or patient groups
Results and Impact	Presentation given in Atlanta, Georgia, 12/04/11 Section not completed
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2011

Description	FIVE NUMBERS THAT DESCRIBE THE EUROPEAN UNION WORKFORCE IN THE UK VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact	Each year, the UK Civil Society Almanac presents information on the voluntary sector workforce using data from the Labour Force Survey by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Following the referendum in June 2016, we thought we'd take a look at the numbers and proportions of European Union nationals working in the UK voluntary sector today and compare to the workforce as a whole or to other sectors. For the purposes of this blog post, we have not included UK nationals in the EU figures below but have included people from Ireland, who make up about 11% of the EU voluntary workforce.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2017/08/29/five-numbers-that-describe-the-european-union-workforce-in-the-...

Description	Google Scholar 60 journal articles over the period 2019-2020
Form Of Engagement Activity	A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	60 journal articles published online via Google Scholar
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019,2020
URL	https://scholar.google.com/

Description	HOW YOU USE DATA
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	The results of our survey make for interesting reading. We found that 80% of respondents used data to assess and understand need (including for inclusion on funding applications), 77% used it to help planing and decision making and 65% used it to demonstrate their impact. These figures are probably higher than we might have expected - but it's worth noting that those responding to the survey are probably more likely to be engaged with data than charities as a whole. In terms of the sources of data that people used, we found following: 62% of respondents used local authority data 61% used data from government departments 41% went to survey datasets directly 33% used data from infrastructure organisations
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2016/02/19/how-you-use-data/

Description	Helping to map the foundations of a 'big society'
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Public/other audiences
Results and Impact	News release on University of Southampton website None
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2011
URL	http://www.soton.ac.uk/mediacentre/news/2011/aug/11_77.shtml

Description	Launch Event (2016)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Launch event (2016)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016

Description	Launch Event (2017)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Launch event (2017)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017

Description	Launch event (2019)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Launching of the 2019 edition of the UK Civil Society Almanac (19 June 2019)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2019/06/19/uk-civil-society-almanac-2019-the-latest-data-on-the-voluntary-...

Description	Leadership, Diversity, and Civil Society
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact	The voluntary sector and wider civil society find themselves under a multitude of pressures. The impact of a deadly pandemic which has cost over 2 million lives worldwide has both reduced organisation's fundraising ability and meant their services are never more needed. The Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice orientated campaigns are contributing to a re-evaluation of the sector's commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and how it may consciously or inadvertently serve to reproduce wider inequalities. Heightened conflicts within national and international politics arouse civil society's need to lead as a space where trust, dialogue, and collaboration occur, and where the pressures of rapid social change can be ameliorated. The climate crisis cannot be solved without civil society and voluntary action. At times, these challenges have seen the sector lead as an innovator at a local and global level. In some cases, we have perhaps witnessed a growing sense of agency as it seeks a stronger voice in defining its own role in society. How the voluntary sector shows leadership, or how its leadership needs to be recast in order to tackle these multi-faceted challenges, is a central concern. And if an increased or renewed commitment to social justice and representation is occurring, we need increased reflection and learning about how that process is taking place, to assess the internal and external role leadership should play in correcting the failures of diversity in the sector. This conference invites participants to explore these issues. In 2021, the Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference - organised by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN), in partnership with the Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) - will provide a unique opportunity for academics, policy makers and practitioners from the UK and further afield to come together to share findings and discuss the implications of research for the sector's future as a site of social leadership and social justice.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021
URL	https://www.vssn.org.uk/2021-voluntary-sector-and-volunteering-research-conference/

Description	Membership by Rob Macmillan of the IPPR North Future of Civil Society in the North Advisory Group
Form Of Engagement Activity	A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Regional
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Rob Macmillan was a member of the IPPR North Advisory Group for its three-year research programme on 'The Future of Civil Society in the North'. The group met approximately three times per year to advise on and guide the programme, discuss research ideas and projects, and comment on findings. The group mainly consists of influential practitioners from third sector organisations in the north of England. The group has provided an opportunity to feed in ideas and reflections from the 'Change in the Making' study as it progresses. It concluded with a final meeting to discuss future research priorities in November 2018.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016,2017,2018
URL	https://www.ippr.org/research/major-programmes/the-future-of-civil-society-north/

Description	NCVO Almanac 2017 - Top facts: volunteering (You Tube)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	NCVO Almanac 2017 - Top facts: volunteering. You tube presentation. 762 views (as at 12 March 2018)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2vsVBr7ndc

Description	NCVO Almanac 2017 Top facts: income (You Tube)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	NCVO Almanac 2017 Top facts: income. Presentation on You Tube. 169 views (as at 12 March 2018)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTeQDKvOllY

Description	NCVO Almanac 2017 Top facts: workforce (You Tube)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	NCVO Almanac 2017 Top facts: workforce. Presentation on You Tube. Viewed 158 times (as at 12 March 2018)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5QXe2eRZLg

Description	NCVO Almanac website (page views), 2019-2020
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	NCVO Almanac website (page views) 2019/20
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019,2020
URL	https://data.ncvo.org.uk/

Description	NCVO Member Assembly Session (September 2017)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Member Assembly Session (September 2017)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017

Description	NCVO Webinar - How charity sector trends can inform your next board strategy (Slideshare), 2019
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact	Webinar
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019
URL	https://www.slideshare.net/NCVO/ncvo-webinar-how-charity-sector-trends-can-inform-your-next-board-st...

Description	NCVO webinar board 116
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	NCVO webinar: how charity sector trends can inform your next board strategy
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019
URL	https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ncvo+webinar+board+-+116

Description	NCVO webinar: Almanac 2016 - an introduction to the latest data on the voluntary sector (You Tube)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	This webinar was recorded on 26 May 2016.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVdplBwzarw&t=6s

Description	NCVO webinar: Almanac 2017 (You Tube)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	This webinar was recorded on 5 July 2017.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok4PP6aJc-k&feature=youtu.be

Description	NCVO's UK Civil Society Almanac 2016 (You Tube)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	What state is the UK's voluntary sector in? Short animation, which is based on the latest edition of NCVO's UK Civil Society Almanac published April 2016. Available on You Tube.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmlSZh-Uj1I&t=19s

Description	NCVO's UK Civil Society Almanac 2017 (You Tube)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	NCVO's UK Civil Society Almanac 2017 presentation
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4rJ3NWb0pY

Description	Newspaper article
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact	Article in the Guardian, January 2014, critiquing contentions that "charity deserts" exist - as proposed by various Conservative leaning think tanks.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2014
URL	https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/15/charitable-resources-not-targeted-where-needed

Description	Nine things to know about the UK voluntary sector
Form Of Engagement Activity	A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact	Nine facts about charities and volunteering, taken from the UK Civil Society Almanac 2018.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018
URL	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VWANM5tOLg

Description	Online roundtable discussion, exploring volunteering and the state
Form Of Engagement Activity	A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Roundtable discussion bringing together academics and voluntary sector practitioners and activists to discuss relationships between volunteering and the state
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2022

Description	Online workshop for third sector leaders
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Regional
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Facilitated online workshop focusing on 'Relationships within the VCFSE Sector'. Third sector leaders coming together to reflect upon implications of research for their own practice. Organised and facilitated by Angela Ellis Paine and Rob Macmillian, in partnership with BVCS.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2023

Description	Online workshop for third sector leaders
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Regional
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Third sector leaders participated in an online workshop, organised and facilitated by Rob Macmillan and Angela Ellis Paine, in partnership with BVCS. Workshop title: Space to think: A forum for third sector leaders in Birmingham' session on 'Community Wealth Building' .
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2022

Description	Online workshop for third sector practitioners: co-production in research
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Regional
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Chairing and facilitating an online workshop, for third sector practitioners exploring 'participatory research in social care' Organised by BVCS and Universities of Birmingham.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2022

Description	Online workshop for university engagement leads, academics and civil society organisations
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact	Online workshop bringing together University engagement leads, academics, and civil society organisations to discuss building meaningful relationships between Universities and civil society organisations
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019,2022

Description	Online workshop: Levelling up: what role for the voluntary and community sector? 15 Dec 2021
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Regional
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Third sector leaders from across Birmingham came together for a 'space to think' workshop, organised and facilitated by the research team in partnership with Birmingham Voluntary Sector Council. The workshop provided a space for reflection, focused around the topic of changing needs within communities. Research findings were shared as a way to stimulate reflection and debate. This was a highly interactive session, with participants challenged to think in new ways about needs within their communities, and how they might respond to them. Participants talked about how the session had stimulated their thinking, and were keen to learn more.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021

Description	Online workshop: Space to think: Changing needs: what do we know and how do we respond? 22 Sept 2021
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Regional
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Part of a series of online workshops, organised by the research team in partnership with Birmingham Voluntary Sector Council. The session used findings from research to stimulate discussion, reflection, sharing of experience and learning. It began with a brief presentation based on recent research evidence, provided to stimulate discussion, with an emphasis will be on group based participation, discussion, and a sharing of experiences and learning. There was a high level of reflection and debate throughout the workshop.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021

Description	Oral evidence
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact	Oral evidence to Great Britain, Parliament, House of Commons, Communities and Local Government Committee on 21 May 2012 Evidence included in Committee Report
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2012
URL	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmcomloc/uc112-ii/uc11201.htm

Description	Participation in Pro Bono Association network meetings
Form Of Engagement Activity	A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Rob Macmillan and Angela Ellis Paine have been participating within a network of organisations (predominantly third sector) involved in the field of Pro Bono / skills-based volunteering. They have attended regular meetings, sharing findings from research and reflections on research gaps and approaches, to help shape the network's thinking and activities. This has contributed to considerable discussion, new understandings, and the potential for future collaborations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021,2022

Description	Presentation within Health Education England event on the Future of Volunteering
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact	Many voluntary and public sector organisations attended the two-day conference organised by Health Education England, within which a presentation was given as part of a debate on the future of volunteering. This stimulated thinking amongst participants on recent developments in volunteering, and what this might mean for its future. The presentation sparked questions and discussion both across the panel and amongst participants.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2021

Description	Prisoners need greater awareness of third sector, says research
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Public/other audiences
Results and Impact	Press release on Third Sector Research Centre website None
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2011
URL	http://www.tsrc.ac.uk/NewsandEvents/Prisonersneedgreaterawarenessofthirdsector/tabid/829/Default.asp...

Description	Public lecture: He waka eke noa: are we all in this together? Government-voluntary sector relations in contemporary Britain
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Public/other audiences
Results and Impact	Distinguished visiting lecture, given as part of a visit to the University of Auckland under the auspices of the Seelye Fellowships, in 2020. The visit was truncated by Covid-19 and so it was recorded instead: https://www.policycommons.ac.nz/2020/02/25/public-lecture-bigging-up-society-politics-policy-and-evidence-in-the-british-voluntary-sector/
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2020
URL	https://www.policycommons.ac.nz/2020/02/25/public-lecture-bigging-up-society-politics-policy-and-evi...

Description	Real times : an in-depth study of third sector organisations over time
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact	Delivered at one day seminar, hosted by the Timescapes Initiative, University of Leeds Promoted research development
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2010

Description	Six Almanac/Road Ahead presentations (2019)
Form Of Engagement Activity	A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Almanac/Road Ahead presentations at Charity Bank Road to Growth events (x6) - 2019
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2019/01/14/the-road-ahead-2019-what-can-charities-expect-from-the-year-ahe...

Description	Small charities: key findings from our data (2019)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	There are over 136,000 registered small and micro charities in the UK, making up 82% of all charities. More than half of them (58%) have an income under £10,000. There are also many organisations that are too small to register and therefore are not captured in our data. Some research[1] estimates an additional 600,000 to 900,000 of such unincorporated groups and organisations. Our data also shows, that most of the small organisations (79%) work in their local area rather than on national or international level. A much higher proportion than of larger organisations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018,2019
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2019/01/21/small-charities-key-findings-from-our-data/

Description	Smaller government : bigger society?
Form Of Engagement Activity	A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact	Written evidence submitted by the ESRC Third Sector Research Centre (BS 102) to the public administration select committee. Evidence included in Parliamentary Report
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2011
URL	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmpubadm/writev/smaller/bs102.htm

Description	So special? : 'distinction' claims in the third sector
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact	Part of sociology and social policy seminar series Further invitations to participate in discussion
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2013

Description	Social Enterprise
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact	Understand what it takes to launch and run a sustainable social enterprise with this flexible program of online courses from Middlesex University Business School.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019
URL	https://www.futurelearn.com/programs/social-enterprise

Description	Social enterprise start-ups blossom
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact	Article in Financial Times, 4th August 2011 Financial Times
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2011
URL	http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1d2b3ed2-aa2e-11e0-94a6-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1eRRDRP8P

Description	THE ALMANAC 2017 FINDINGS - WHAT DO THEY MEAN FOR YOU?
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Other audiences
Results and Impact	Earlier this week we launched the 16th edition of the UK Civil Society Almanac, which provides a comprehensive overview of the charity sector's structure and economy based on data reported by charities for the year to March 2015. In many ways, the new figures can be seen as the continuation of trends identified in previous years: • Donations continue to provide the largest share of income from individuals • Charities are taking an increasing role in delivering public services • Levels of volunteering remain stable • Increase in government income • Uneven distribution of assets • Growth of earned income • Importance of donations • What next? Recommendation
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2017/05/12/the-almanac-2017-findings-what-do-they-mean-for-you/

Description	THE SQUEEZED MIDDLE: SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED CHARITIES IN A CHANGING FINANCIAL LANDSCAPE
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Over 40,000 charities in England and Wales have an income between £25,000 and £1m, representing one-third of the voluntary sector. Today, NCVO published a report, commissioned by Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, that explored the finances of these small and medium-sized charities to improve our understanding of the challenges and opportunities that they face. Income for smaller charities is unstable. Small and medium-sized charities were more likely to experience substantial income change (a rise or fall of more than one-fifth) than larger charities between 2008/09 and 2013/14. Looking at individual charity accounts we found that this is probably because smaller charities rely on fewer sources of income, while larger charities have more diverse income streams so that eg a single grant has less impact on their overall income. We also investigated one income band, £100,000 to £500,000, in more detail and found that these charities were more likely to lose than gain income over this time. Take-home messages from the analysis: • Income for smaller charities is unstable • The income mix for small and medium-sized charities has shifted • Smaller charities fared worse (proportionally) than larger charities • How are small and medium-sized charities coping? • So what? • Despair or diversify - funding for the future
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2016/02/11/the-squeezed-middle-small-and-medium-sized-charities-in-a-chang...

Description	Translating demands into decisions : the case of the public services (social enterprise and social value) bill
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Local
Primary Audience	Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact	Presentation at 'Getting research into public policy' summer school http://as-coursecast-1.adf.bham.ac.uk/Panopto/Pages/Viewer/Default.aspx?id=ee49ae75-9e9a-4c68-a555-40ef44c49ed5 http://as-coursecast-1.adf.bham.ac.uk/Panopto/Pages/Viewer/Default.aspx?id=ee49ae75-9e9a-4c68-a555-40ef44c49ed5
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2011

Description	Trustees Conference Session (November 2017)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Trustees Conference Session (November 2017)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017

Description	Trusts and Foundation Event (July 2017)
Form Of Engagement Activity	Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Trusts and Foundation Event (July 2017)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017

Description	UK civil almanac 2018: launch event
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact	NCVO's UK Civil Society Almanac, now in its 17th year, is the most authoritative data source on the voluntary sector. It provides a comprehensive picture of the sector's structure and economy, helps improve understanding of key trends and drivers, and informs the work of decision-makers and policy-makers. The session will be chaired by Peter Kellner, chair of NCVO. Karl Wilding, director of public policy and volunteering, will present our findings with guest speakers Sally Young, chief executive, Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service and David Ainsworth, editor, Civil Society Media. It's an opportunity for you to gain invaluable insights, hear about current trends within the sector, and network and debate with colleagues.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018
URL	https://www.ncvo.org.uk/2-content/2192-almanac-launch-2018-booking

Description	Views of NCVO Almanac website - this publication is based on data jointly constructed by NCVO and TSRC throuh this project. The website had 247 000 views in 2016 and in 2017 (so far) over 63000.
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Our dataset, which we are building on in this project, underpins analyses of UK civil society in the NCVO Almanac of Civil Society. Without ESRC support the data would not be available for analysis. NCVO report that the Almanac website has received 366 000 views in 2015, 247000 in 2016, and 63000 in 2017, to date. They have also published various blogs based on the data, available at http://blogs.ncvo.org.uk, which have each had several hundred reads.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2015,2016,2017

Description	WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CHARITIES AND THE EUROPEAN UNION?
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	As the process of Brexit unfolds, NCVO research is exploring what the evidence tells us about relationships between the European Union, the voluntary sector and volunteering. There are lots of gaps in our understanding of these relationships, so we are attempting to fill some of these. I've taken a look at what our data and research tells us about the relationship between charities and the European Union. Using data from the Almanac, I've put together what we do and don't know across four areas: funding, where they operate, workforce and giving. As European funding makes up only a small part of the voluntary sector's funding, and the Almanac figures are based on a sample of charities, these figures should be treated as estimates which give a general picture of the scale of funding. • Charities received over £300m from the EU in 2013/14 • We estimate that 41% of income from the European Union arrives in the form of grants, with the rest as contracts. • What's missing? Data on funding from the EU is patchy • 4,300 charities operate in EU27 countries • Number of England and Wales-registered charities operating in EU27 countries • Workforce • Charitable giving At NCVO we'll be working to try and fill in some of these gaps over the coming weeks and months, as well as looking at other areas, including volunteering.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	http://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2016/12/16/what-do-we-know-about-charities-and-the-european-union/

Description	WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CHARITIES' RESERVES?
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Part of Kids Company's downfall seems to have been its hand-to-mouth operating model. It was unusual in having a commitment to meet all the need it found, and then try to work out how to meet the costs later. Most charities aren't in a position to do this. Kids Company hence spent virtually all the money that it received in almost every year of its existence. In other words, it wasn't saving for a rainy day. It didn't have the cash reserves that charities need in order to see them through rough patches, or to act as a cushion should they need to wind down. Charities are expected by the Charity Commission to set out their policy on their reserves in their annual reports. Good practice is to hold several months' operating costs in reserve. A lack of reserves, combined with what you might call a 'lumpy' funding profile - characterised by intermittent large donations or grants - is a very high tightrope to walk. Most charities would seek to avoid this. That said, it's not easy for a charity to build up reserves. Margins on public service contracts are frequently slim to non-existent, and donors often (unfortunately) object to donations being used on what they see as an 'overhead'. It takes conscious effort on the part of managers and trustees to ensure they are saving rather than spending all their income on what they see as pressing needs or opportunities in the present. The Almanac gives some basic statistics on the reserves that charities hold. Our estimate is that charities' reserves are collectively worth around £49 billion. This is equivalent to around 15 months of spending - so with no incoming resources the sector would be able to survive at current spending levels for just over a year by using its reserves. This is a sizeable sum, but the aggregate figures hide a lot of variation - reserves aren't distributed equally. A large amount of reserves are held by a small number of grantmakers. Removing the reserves of 15,000 foundations brings the total for the remaining "operating" charities to £20 billion, equivalent to 7 months of spending. Some parts of the sector have even fewer average reserves. Umbrella bodies and international organisations have an average four months' spending in reserve, advocacy and cultural organisations just five. Social services organisations - our largest category - also have five months' spending in reserve. Half of these charities (around 3,800 out of 7,600 organisations) have less than three months spending in reserves, generally thought of as a guideline amount (although the reserves needed by any individual charity will vary, and will be based on a reserves policy they have developed according to their needs). One fifth of these largest organisations (1,500 charities) have less than one month of spending in reserve, while 450 of those large charities - over one in twenty - say they have no reserves at all. In addition, we estimate that a further 31,000 smaller charities (those with less than £500,000 income) also have no reserves - around 25%. But for smaller charities reserves are often less important - for those without staff to pay or significant creditors the financial impact of closure is more limited.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2015
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2015/08/07/what-do-we-know-about-charities-reserves/

Description	WHAT DOES THE NEW UK CIVIL SOCIETY ALMANAC TELL US?
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact	The Almanac, brings together data from charities' accounts, administrative data and surveys to provide a comprehensive overview of the structure and economy of the UK voluntary sector, and is full of information on a range of topics including finance, workforce and volunteering. It's a publication but also a website [data.ncvo.org.uk] and a programme of work providing additional analysis and insights all year round. This year, a number of key findings stood out for us. • Increases in income and spending seen in 2013/14 have continued in 2014/15 • Larger organisations have experienced the biggest increases in income • Income from individuals is driving the increase in total income for the sector • Income from central government is now higher than income from local government • The sector employs an increasing number of people • Levels of both regular and less regular volunteering remain stable • The voluntary sector continues to make a sizeable contribution to the UK economy
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2017/05/09/what-does-the-new-uk-civil-society-almanac-tell-us/

Description	What effect will the 'big society' have on communities?
Form Of Engagement Activity	A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact	Article in The Guardian The Guardian
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2011
URL	http://www.guardian.co.uk/voluntary-sector-network/2011/aug/08/big-society-effect-communities

Description	What we know about Britain's biggest charities
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact	Super-major charities are more likely to be involved in international activities than other charities. 18% of them operate in this area compared to 4% of all others. Also, some charities who are classified as working in other subsectors - such as the Children's Investment Fund Foundation which sits within the grant-making foundations subsector - also have an international focus. Super-major charities are also more likely to be based in London and the south than other charities. However, this often reflects the location of their headquarters and does not capture the fact that many will operate throughout the UK, working with local communities and organisations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2018
URL	https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2018/12/04/what-we-know-about-britains-biggest-charities/

Description	You and yours : discussion on charities and funding
Form Of Engagement Activity	A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact	John Mohan shared his expert views with Radio 4's You and Yours listeners about issues relating to the public funding of voluntary organisations, answering the question: at a time of cuts in levels of public spending, what proportion of organisations receive public income? What kinds of organisations are most likely to receive public funding? And what kinds of areas have a high share of publicly funded organisations? He was also asked his opinion on the extent to which voluntary organisations may be able to fill the gap left by cuts in public funding. Led to further media interest in the research
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2011

Description	broadcast, BBC radio 4
Form Of Engagement Activity	A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact	Broadcast on Radio 4' THinking Allowed, 21st March 2016, in the form of a discussion of my book (co-authored with Beth Breeze), The Logic of Charity, along with a prominent philanthropist (Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett) and Dr Lindsey McGoey (Author of No such thing as a free gift).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0738k6v

Description	construction of database which underpins the efforts of NCVO to produce their annual statistical Almanac of civil society, a key reference source for decisionmakers and seekers of evidence both in the UK and abroad
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Public/other audiences
Results and Impact	the data underpins the NCVO Almanac and they produce a website through which its findings are disseminated. in 2015 they estimate that 305598 people used this website. the data are widely used in the third sector as an evidence base. they contribute to decisionmaking by funders, and by commissioners of public services
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2015
URL	https://data.ncvo.org.uk/

Description	further development of database which underpins the NCVO statistical almanac of civil society
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Public/other audiences
Results and Impact	access to the NCVO Almanac website - this website is very widely used in the voluntary sector as a source of evidence for decisionmaking. in 2016 NCVO estimated that 206991 people visited the website. they use the data in a range of ways - assessing the health of the sector, looking at which organisations are growing / declining, the changing funding base, and so on.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2016
URL	https://data.ncvo.org.uk/

Description	presentation at conference of charity trustees and investment managers
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Regional
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Presentation at Birmingham Charities conference organised by an investment management firm which manages considerable sums of money for charities mainly in the West Midlands. The theme of the conference was about the changing environment for charities and so the presentation, reflecting on themes and results from several years of TSRC's work, concentrated on elements of change and continuity in the funding environment.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019

Description	presentation at conference of regional and local voluntary organisations
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	Regional
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Presentation at conference of Sandwell Community Hubs, organised by a regional infrastructure body for the voluntary sector in the west Midlands. The theme of the presentation concerned the role of the third sector sector in the regeneration of deprived neighbourhoods and communities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019

Description	presentation at conference of third sector organisations
Form Of Engagement Activity	A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	National
Primary Audience	Third sector organisations
Results and Impact	Presentation of overview of key findings on change and continuity in the third sector at TSRC tenth anniversary conference
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2019

Description	views of NCVO almanac website
Form Of Engagement Activity	Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme?	No
Geographic Reach	International
Primary Audience	Public/other audiences
Results and Impact	the data underpins the NCVO Almanac and they produce a website through which its findings are disseminated. in 2017 they estimate that 203431 people used this website. the data are widely used in the third sector as an evidence base. they contribute to decisionmaking by funders, and by commissioners of public services
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity	2017
URL	https://data.ncvo.org.uk/