Taking the Pulse of the Small Charity Sector

Taking the Pulse of the Small Charity Sector June to August 2017 17th Edition

Background of Respondents Geographical spread East 6% London 3 Scotland Midlands(E&W) 1 North(NE & Y&H) 1 North West 7% Scotland South East 18% South West 10% North ( Inc. NE & Y&H) Wales 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 North West Wales Midlands East (Inc. East Midlands & East) London South West South East Cause type Where services are delivered International 16% National 19% Regional 1 Local 50% 20% Children & Young People 19% Education 18% Health 1 Community 1 Disability Arts & Culture Environment Homelessness Sport Animals Religion 0 5 10 15 20

Regional Data Summary Results from June to August 2017

National Data Summary: June to August 2017

Contents Foreword 1 Income Generation 2 Service Delivery 4 Workforce 6 Governance 9 Conclusion 11 Perceptions Survey: Impact Measurement 12 Brexit Temperature Check 13 Methodology 16 Pauline Broomhead Olivia Lam

Foreword Pauline Broomhead, Chief Executive, FSI There is no doubt that the country is in the midst of political and economic change but we also know that both of these elements mean that the country and the charity sector is deep in social change. Right now, for many small charities it is difficult to see the end of the tunnel, now is the time for small charities to take control of the things we are in control of. The members of the FSI tell us that they have three distinct challenges. The first and most urgent is to manage the urgent demand for their services. This quarter the, like quarters before it, has seen over 6 of charities reporting an increase in demand for their services. The reality is that that since June 2013, demand has risen by an astounding 11. This unprecedented rise in demand has put a strain on small charities, especially those delivering social care outcomes, but more generally all small charities providing local support to local people. There is little doubt that unless we face this most urgent of challenges small charities will be overwhelmed and, with at least one in five fearing for the future of their charities, we are only too aware that they are being stretched to breaking point. The second and most important challenge we face is building financial sustainability within our small charities. Increasingly, as we travel across the country we are meeting charities who are struggling to make ends meet and are dipping into reserves in order to do so. We must look as widely as possible at how we build financial sustainability within our small charities, not only looking at increasing traditional sources of income but looking at how we can maximise our expertise and build mission based businesses: delivering services to those who can pay in order to subsidise service delivery to those who cannot. We must not give up on our ability to secure contracts from Local Authorities to deliver local services but instead be proactive in understanding the needs of the Local Authority and when appropriate collaborating with other charities in our area, in order to deliver end to end services that meet the needs of service users and the Local Authority. We can also build sustainability by looking at how we use our resources more effectively. From a better use of volunteers, there is a continued trend of increased numbers of volunteers supporting small charities (3 of our members reported an increase this quarter), through to collaborating more effectively with others, an area where we can make huge improvements when only 2 of small charities are collaborating in any meaningful way. Finally, we must address the underlying challenge facing our sector: of increasing the quality of governance. We all know that governance is no easy task and that in an ever more complex regulatory environment and with ever increasing concern from the public, stronger and more robust corporate governance is essential. We believe that many of our members are calling for this, they want to deliver the best governance possible but they need support through development and easily available and understandable information to do this. Enter side stage the new Governance Code, which is excellent but the proof of the pudding will be whether small charity boards implement it. Ensuring our trustees have a real understanding of their statutory responsibilities has never been more important. Each day as I step onto the tube I am reminded to mind the gap and each day charities are looking for ways to bridge the gap: the gap between diminishing resources and financial sustainability. The gap between the resources needed and the resources available to deliver services, and the gap between the passion of trustees and their grasp of what is required of them in the new and more complex small charity world. However I am confident in the creativity, innovation and determination of small charities across the UK striving each day to bridge the gaps and meet the very real needs of those in our society who, for whatever reason, are not able to support themselves. 1

Index Results: June, July and August 2017 Income Generation Quick Analysis Statutory Income (1) We asked in the three months June, July and August 2017 has your statutory income increased, decreased or remained unchanged? 8 8 of small charities reported their statutory income levels remained unchanged. Voluntary Income (2) We asked in the three months June, July and August 2017 has your voluntary income increased, decreased or remained unchanged? 50% 20% of small charities experienced a decrease in voluntary income this quarter. 9% 1 9% Earned Income (3) We asked in the three months June, July and August 2017 has your earned income increased, decreased or remained unchanged? 2 0% 8% 7 20% of small charities experienced an increase in earned income this quarter. 2 + Decrease 16-2 Decrease 11-1 Decrease 6-10% Decrease 0- Decrease Unchanged 0- Increase 6-10% Increase 11-1 Increase 16-2 Increase 2 + Increase

Detailed Analysis Statutory income In an era of continuing funding cuts, reduced resources available pose a threat to small charities and community groups as the current commissioning environment looks set to remain favouring contracts over grants, which we know disadvantages smaller organisations 1. Statutory income levels remain unchanged for the majority of small charities (8) between June and August 2017 (Figure 1). Only 1 reported an increase and 8% reported a decrease in statutory income over the same period. This form of income is one that consistently experiences the largest drop for small charities and community groups, with results of the Small Charity Index showing that it has decreased overall by 1 since June 2013. A regional perspective This quarter, the East, North West and South West experience drops in statutory income, of, and respectively. Voluntary income Charities need to raise other sources of income in order to make up for the shortfall in statutory income and be able to deliver their services. Donating money is the main way in which the public engages with a charity, however in the current quarter, voluntary income remained static for half of small charities and community groups (50%) (Figure 2). Only 9% reported increases above 10%, while 20% experienced a decrease in the same period. With only a total growth of since June 2013, this suggests that voluntary income does not sufficiently compensate for other funding shortfalls. A regional perspective The North and Wales have seen a increase in voluntary income this quarter, while the North West and South West experienced a increase. Earned income A growing number of small charities and community groups are exploring new business and funding models, such as mission based enterprises, with earned income becoming the sector s most important type of sustainable funding. Between June and August 2017, 20% of small and local charities and community groups reported an increase in earned income (Figure 3). Overall, the Small Charity Index has reported a total increase of 1 in earned income since June 2013. A regional perspective The greatest increase was seen in the North, which saw a rise in earned income this quarter, while London and the East reported a rise. 1 Foundation for Social Improvement (2013) Gridlock: Breaking through the barriers to commissioning services from the small charity sector [http://www.thefsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/gridlock.pdf] 3

Service Delivery Quick Analysis Demand for services (4) We asked in the three months June, July and August 2017 has your charity seen the demand for services increase, decrease or remain unchanged? 0% 3 16% 16% 1 1 6% 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 2 + Decrease 16-2 Decrease 11-1 Decrease 6-10% Decrease 0- Decrease Unchanged 0- Increase 6-10% Increase 11-1 Increase 16-2 Increase 2 + Increase 6 of small charities reported an increase in demand for services this quarter. Confidence in a small charity s ability to meet the demand for services (5) We asked taking everything into account, how confident do you feel about your charity s ability to deliver its planned level of services over the next 12 months? Base: All individual respondents (n = 342) 10 Fully confident 20% 9 8 7 17% 6 5 8% 2 1 10% 8 of respondents reported they are confident to a lesser or greater degree that they will be able to continue to deliver their serivces over the coming 12 months. 4 3 2 1 Not at all confident 4

Working in collaboration (6) We asked does your charity work in partnership with other charities? Yes 7 No 2 (7) We asked the charities that answered yes, what percentage of your services during the three months June, July and August 2017 were delivered in partnership? 3 Only 2 of small charities are collaborating at a meaningful level i.e. undertaking more than 30% of activities in collaboration with others. 1 10% 10% 0-10% 11-20% 21-30% 31-40% 41-50% 50+% Detailed Analysis Demand for services The small charity sector is recognised for its ability to provide flexible and responsive support as a result of being embedded within its local community. Indeed, half of the respondents (50%) to the Small Charity Index would describe their services as being delivered within their local community. The changing role of the state has had a huge effect on small charities. With the effects of central and local government funding reductions, introduction of the welfare reforms and additionally lower incomes of poorer households, this places increasing pressure on small charities and community groups to fill the gap in service provision. This has resulted in 6 of small charities and community groups reporting an increase in demand for their services between June and August 2017 (Figure 4). 29% reported increases in demand of more than 10%, while only reported a decrease in demand in the same period. These results highlight the continuous rise in demand for small charities and community groups services, with total increase in demand in services since June 2013 being a significant 11. A regional perspective Small charities and community groups across all regions experienced an increase in demand for services, with the Midlands reporting the greatest increase of 1, and the East and North West reporting 1 increases. 5

Confidence in a small charity s ability to meet the demand for services One characteristic that unites all small charities is their resilience as, despite the trend in increasing demand for services not looking to change, 8 of small charities and community groups stated they feel confident to a lesser or greater degree that they will be able to continue to deliver their services over the next 12 months (Figure 5). A regional perspective The confidence of small charities and community groups working in the North West reported to be the highest at 78%. Working in collaboration The FSI champions the benefits of partnership working to provide better services and use resources more effectively in response to increased demand for services 2. Results from the Small Charity Index show that 7 of small and local charities and community groups report to be working in partnership with other charities (Figure 6). However, only 2 of small charities and community groups are collaborating at a meaningful level, i.e. undertaking more than 30% of activities in collaboration with others (Figure 7). Workforce Quick Analysis Staff and volunteer recruitment and retention (8) We asked in the three months June, July and August 2017 have your paid staff numbers risen, fallen or remained unchanged? 68% of small charities report their staff numbers remain unchanged over the current quarter. 2 + Decrease 16-2 Decrease 11-1 Decrease 68% 7% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 6-10% Decrease 0- Decrease Unchanged 0- Increase 6-10% Increase 11-1 Increase 16-2 Increase 2 + Increase 2 Foundation for Social Improvement (2016) Collaboration: more than the sum of the parts [http://www.thefsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/small-charity-collaborations.pdf] 6

(9) We asked in the three months June, July and August 2017 have your volunteer numbers risen, fallen or remained unchanged? Over a third of small charities (3) reported an increase in volunteers this quarter. 2 + Decrease 16-2 Decrease 11-1 Decrease 6-10% Decrease 7% 5 1 10% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0- Decrease Unchanged 0- Increase 6-10% Increase 11-1 Increase 16-2 Increase 2 + Increase Challenges (10) We asked in the three months June, July and August 2017 which of these issues has presented the greatest, second greatest and third greatest challenge? Workload continues to be the most pressing concern to small charity leaders this quarter, selected as the greatest challenge by 30% of respondents. 30 25 20 30% 27% 19% Greatest Second Greatest Third Greatest 19% 20% 2 15 10 7% 10% 1 1 10% 1 1 1 10% 6% 1 7% 8% 9% 5 0 Workload Training Investment Retention Cashflow Demand Funding Motivation Recruitment 7

Staff motivation (11) We asked on a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the current motivation/morale of your staff? Base: All individual respondents (n = 343) 0% 1 8% 2 2 10% 1 1 Very Poor 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Excellent 80% of respondents reported staff motivation as good to excellent over the current quarter. Detailed Analysis Staff and volunteer recruitment and retention Staff and volunteer form the backbone of small charities and community groups, and results from the Small Charity Index demonstrate positive staff and volunteer retention rates. Staff numbers have remained relatively stable, with 68% of small and local charities and community groups reporting no change in numbers, while 20% have indicated an increase (Figure 8). Volunteers provide essential services and often work directly with service users. It s encouraging to see 3 of respondents reported an increase in volunteer numbers between June and August 2017 (Figure 9), an increase from 30% in the last quarter. The Small Charity Index has seen a steady rise in volunteer numbers, with a total increase of 3 since June 2013. A regional perspective The North West saw the largest increase in volunteer numbers, by this quarter. Challenges Many small charities and community groups face a capacity crunch as they aim to bridge the gap of rising demand for their services with static income levels. As a result, workload remains the most pressing concern facing small charities and community groups (30%), followed by funding (2) and demand for services (19%) (Figure 10). Staff motivation Working under such pressures would suggest diminished staff well-being. However morale remains high amongst the workforce, despite being pushed to breaking point, with 80% of respondents reporting staff motivation as good to excellent between June and August 2017 (Figure 11). 8

Governance Quick Analysis Reserves (12) Does your charity hold reserves? Yes 8 No 17% (13) If charities answered yes to question (12) we asked, how much of your reserves have you used during Base: All the Individual months of Respondents June, July and (n = August 301) 2017? Maintained level of reserve 67% Used 2+ Used 16-20% Used 11-1 7% A third (3) of those holding reserves have reportedly used reserves over the previous quarter. Used 6-10% 6% Used less than 1 Trustee Confidence (14) Some charities may face exceptional challenges and may have to contemplate closure, we asked how likely is it that your charity will face closure in the following 12 months? Base: All individual respondents (n = 343) 10 Very likely 9 8 7 6 5 10% 4 3 1 18% 2 1 Not at all likely 2 of charities don t feel confident that they can continue to deliver services in the current environment. 4 9

Investing in Development (15) We asked how confident are your Trustees to take opportunities for development, outside of your current business plan which carry a financial risk? Base: All individual respondents (n = 344) 10 Fully confident 9 8 7 9% 8% Only of small charity Trustees report to be fully confident to take up opportunities for development. 6 5 4 3 2 16% 17% 10% 1 1 1 Not at all confident 1 Detailed Analysis Reserves Operating in this climate means that however effective, well managed and impactful charities, they are not immune to funding cuts or closure. Stronger and more robust governance is essential to a small charity s ability to survive. The majority of respondents to the Small Charity Index (8) (Figure 12) report to hold reserves, however 3 of those holding reserves reported to have used reserves over the quarter (Figure 13). The remaining 17% of small and local charities and community groups find themselves in a risky situation operating without reserves. Trustee confidence Respondents to the Small Charity Index were asked to determine how likely it would be that their charity would face closure in the following 12 months, 4 reported that it is not at all likely. Yet during a time when the public are increasingly relying on charities for support, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being very likely, 2 selected between 5 and 10 (Figure 14). Investing in development Taking all of the above into consideration, it is not surprising then that only of small and local charities and community groups charity trustees report to be fully confident to take up opportunities for development, outside of their current business plan, that carry a financial risk (Figure 15). 10

Conclusion The quarterly Small Charity Index illustrates how small charities and community groups are able to demonstrate great resilience in the face of ongoing challenges in the sector. However, the funding landscape still points to favouring the growth and survival of larger charities, which is of concern to small charities and community groups given their vital role in civil society and the wider social value they provide that cannot be replaced by larger charities. In our fourth Small Charity Index Trends report 3, we highlighted the three main issues: the most urgent challenge of demand for services, the most important challenge of financial sustainability and the underlying challenge of governance. In order to address these three challenges, we must: 1. Build more sustainable small charities and community groups through investment in developing the skills to investigate and build mixed income economies. 2. Demonstrate the value to commissioners of commissioning small charities and community groups to deliver local services. 3. Support small charities to understand and develop skills in demonstrating impact and measuring social value. 4. Encourage and support more small and local charities to investigate the opportunities that building mission based enterprises could bring. 5. Embrace the use of volunteers and go beyond the traditional volunteer role, making our volunteers part of the solution not only to mitigate the resource issues we face, but to better meet the needs of beneficiaries. 6. Embrace new technologies that will improve service delivery. 7. Be open to more and more meaningful collaboration. 8. Find the resources to offer development opportunities to trustees so that they are able to govern charities to the best of their ability and have the confidence to assess when it is appropriate to take considered risks in order to build long term sustainability in charities or community groups. 3 Foundation for Social Improvement (2017) Small Charity Index Trends 2017 [http://www.thefsi.org/sc-index/trends/] 11

Perceptions Data Impact measurement This quarter s Perceptions Suvey focused on impact measurement. It s generally accepted that measuring the impact we have made on the causes we support is beneficial for small charities and community groups, and we wanted to understand where charities were at with this. (16) Please select the answer that most closely represents the level to which your charity measures impact. 60 50 5 40 5 measure impact for nearly all of their activities. 30 20 2 19% 10 0 Nearly all activities Half of activities Small proportion of activities Don t measure impact (17) Why do you measure your impact? 25 2 2 2 20 2 measure impact to know the difference their services are 15 1 1 making. 10 5 0 Know the Meet funders difference requirements our services are making Improve our services Be more competitive Prioritised by management Other (18) What resources do you allocate to impact measurement? Base: All individual respondents (n = 334) 80 7 70 60 50 40 30 20 2 7 have a member of staff to measure impact. 10 0 12 Member of staff Volunteer External consultant

The majority of respondents reported to measure the impact of their activities, with 5 stating they do so for all or nearly all of their activities, 2 for half of their activities and 19% do so to some extent (Figure 16). Only report to not measure the impact for any of their activities, one respondent said, As a campaigning/ influencing charity it is very hard for us to measure impact in a formal way. But we are very aware of the need for us to be able to try and describe and explain the difference we make. When asked why they measure their impact, the most common reason was to know the difference their services are making (2), followed by meeting funders requirements (2) and to improve their services (2) (Figure 17). One respondent explained, We need to ensure that our programmes are achieving the intended (positive) impact, that our theory of change is correct, that the interventions we have selected are not causing unintended harm, etc. Rigorous evaluation is critical. Small charities and community groups are most like to allocate a member of staff with monitoring and evaluation skills to measure the impact (7), while 2 use volunteers and use an external consultant (Figure 18). Brexit Temperature Check In June 2016, the UK voted to leave the European Union. Through the Small Charity Index, we are keeping a general overview of how small charities and community groups are feeling and dealing with the post-brexit vote. (19) On the day after the Brexit result, how positive/negative did you feel? 10 Fully confident 9 8 7 39% of small charity leaders stated they were not at all confident about the future on the day after the Brexit result. 6 5 1 4 6% 3 1 2 16% 1 Not at all confident 39% (20) How positive/negative do you feel now about the decision to Brexit? 10 Fully confident 9 8 7 6 5 1 Just over a year since, the proportion of those who continued to be not at all confident fell to 3. 4 7% 3 16% 2 1 1 Not at all confident 3 13

39% of small charities and community groups stated they were not at all confident about the future on the day after the Brexit vote, and only stated they were fully confident (Figure 19). Just over a year since, the proportion of those who continued to be not at all confident fell to 3, yet an increase from 29% in the previous quarter (Figure 20). This suggests that following negotiation developments of what the Brexit outcome may look like, it still remains unclear how Brexit will affect their charity in the future. Those who were fully confident remains low at. (21) What impact do you think a reduction in EU migration would have on a) your charity and b) the small charity sector? 40 35 36% 39% 30 25 27% 2 2 20 18% 15 10 5 6% 1 10% 0 Major impact Moderate impact Minor impact No impact Don t know Your charity Small charity sector (22) If you have indicated there would be an impact, how do you think a) your charity and b) the small charity sectory would cope? 50 40 4 38% 30 3 3 2 20 1 10 0 10% Very positively Somewhat positively Somewhat negatively Very negatively Don t know Your charity Small charity sector The Migration Advisory Committee announced a call for evidence to review the economic costs and benefits of EU migration and to consult on what the UK s immigration policy should look like post-brexit. We wanted to ensure small charities and local community groups voices were heard in this. Just over half of respondents (5) believed a reduction in EU migration would have an impact on their charity, while a greater number (7) believed there would be an impact on the small charity sector overall (Figure 21). For those that said that there would be an impact, respondents thought their charity would be more able to cope positively (5) compared to the sector overall (4) (Figure 22). 14

(23) If you currently employ people from the EU, have you made contingency plans for post-brexit? 100 80 8 60 40 20 16% 80 0 Don t employ people from EU No Yes Don t know (24) Do you think the impact would be different if the same reductions in migration policy also applied to non-eu migrants? 70 66% 60 50 40 30 20 2 1 10 0 Don t know Yes No The majority of respondents (8) do not currently employ people from the EU, and of those that do, only have made contingency plans for post-brexit (Figure 23). When asked if the impact would be different if the same reductions in migration policy also applied to non-eu migrants, two thirds (66%) reported that they didn t know, while 2 believed the impact would be different (Figure 24). When asked what they think are the advantages and disadvantages of employing EU workers, the majority of respondents highlighted the advantages of doing so. The advantages focused on the skills, diversity and talent pool that EU nationals offered. EU workers provide a bigger pool of talent and experience for an employer to identify the best person for the task at hand. They also have a greater level of language skills, which can be very helpful for working internationally. They also bring a broader global perspective to the workplace which is valuable in international work, which can be lacking from employees in an increasingly inward looking UK. Employees from EU countries bring a different perspective and have other experiences, which benefit our charity. Our delivery team also speak a number of languages, which is beneficial for engaging with people who have English as an additional language. 15

Employing EU workers helps to bring in a variety of different cultures and points of view to the table which helps to give a more dynamic edge to services, hopefully making them better. We are always seeking the best candidate for our roles, and a broad range of experiences which an EU worker may bring is always an advantage. The learning and best practices that can be gained from working with EU workers from different contexts and backgrounds can result in creative solutions to challenges and also increase opportunities for funding, as well as provide essential second language skills. Respondents highlighted a few disadvantages, which focused on language barriers, cultural clashes and the potential of not understanding the workings of the UK charity sector. Methodology The FSI Small Charity Index is a quarterly State of the Small Charity Sector Report. The Small Charity Index reports across four key areas: Income Generation, Service Delivery, Workforce and Governance. The aims of the Small Charity Index are to assess the challenges facing small and local charities and community groups across the UK, identify trends as they emerge and provide a benchmark against which policymakers can make decisions to support the sustainability of the sector. The data gathering and analysis of trends is carried out by the FSI through its membership of over 5,500 distinct small charities and community groups. The FSI is able to capture large amounts of qualitative and quantitative data through surveys and consultations, in addition to face-to-face consultations with over 2,200 small charities and community groups per annum through its training and advice programmes. The Small Charity Index is compiled using the above analysis together with the biennial Skills Survey and current research projects undertaken by the FSI. With additional reference to relevant research published by other infrastructure membership bodies such as Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), NCVO, Localgiving, Lloyds Bank Foundation and Small Charities Coalition. Examination of other data sources additionally informs the analysis behind the Small Charity Index. Members of the FSI have an annual turnover of under 1.5 million, and respondents from this quarter s Small Charity Index show 50% have an annual turnover under 150,000, 19% between 150,001 and 250,000, 18% between 250,001 and 500,000 and 1 between 500,001 and 1.5 million. Data for the current period was collected between 1 September - 16 October 2017, and refers to the period 1 June to 31 August 2017. Comparisons are made with the same questions recorded each quarter since June 2013, giving a total of 51 months of comparative data. 16

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