The charities, community groups and social enterprises which make up the social sector are essential to our society. Social sector organisations create solutions to the problems facing the people with the lowest wellbeing. They provide spaces and means to lift the voices of the people with the lowest wellbeing. And, often, they prevent people from falling into despair in the first place.
The stronger the social sector is, the better it will be able to make a difference to the lives of people with low wellbeing.
However, the social sector is facing a range of issues. Our latest data shows some of the critical challenges that social sector organisations are experiencing:
· If charity funding from local government had stayed at 2010-11 levels between 2011-12 and 2020-21, charities would have had £13.2 billion extra to support local people over that period.
· 36% of charities say that they do not expect to be able to meet demand over the coming three months.
· Social sector spending on training has fallen by 25% per employee since 2011.
But these challenges can be overcome.
Productivity and organisational effectiveness in the social sector both need to improve, and could be helped to do so by the creation of a Civil Society Evidence Network to share best practice across a fragmented landscape. Better, more timely, accessible data for, from and about the sector is also important to better focus the social sector’s work. Closer formal and informal relationships with every layer of government are crucial to solving the systemic issues which reduce wellbeing in the country. And funding for the sector needs to increase in quantity and quality. The government and the FCA could make a big difference by working together to increase philanthropy from the wealthiest.
Together with businesses, charities, government and funders, and guided by the evidence gathered in the Law Family Commission on Civil Society, PBE is working to unleash the social sector’s potential. We use our research to inform charities and funders about the health of the sector, and to develop solutions to address the challenges holding the social sector back from making more of a difference to the lives of people with the lowest wellbeing.
Constrained charity finances are preventing charities from making the biggest difference possible. The new government should look to financial advise on philanthropy as a way of encouraging the wealthiest to give more. Read more
Our latest VCSE Sector Barometer with Nottingham Trent University National VCSE Data and Insights Observatory explores the changing nature of service delivery, as charities step up to respond to community challenges. Read more
Financial advisers and firms seeking to attract the business of under-35s who already possess significant financial assets will need to adapt to their generous approach to giving. Read more
PBE has looked up the backgrounds of all 650 elected MPs to identify those with publicly advertised charity-sector backgrounds. This free resource is openly available for charities. Read more
Keir Starmer's new Cabinet Ministers' experience prior to parliament makes the new Cabinet one with the strongest charity sector background in modern history. Read more
Director of Services Will De La Cruz discusses how PBE champions and supports small charities across the UK in his blog for NCVO. Read more
The latest sector Barometer with the VCSE Observatory finds that, with volunteering at an all time low, small charities are struggling the most. Flexibility and infrastructure support are part of the solution to this decay in volunteering. Read more
Employers are struggling to boost both employee’s wellbeing and productivity. Workplace volunteering – where employers support employees to participate in volunteering during work time – offers a potential triple dividend to help tackle this challenge. Read more
New analysis by PBE suggests volunteering is delivering productivity gains worth billions to the UK economy. Our report for Royal Voluntary Service estimates productivity gains to the economy attributable to volunteering of at least £4.6bn each year. Read more
The fifth quarterly VCSE Sector Barometer explores the relationship between charities and local government, at a time when local councils across England are in crisis. Read more
PBE's Labour and Civil Society Summit offers a chance to consider how the charity sector can work alongside the public and private sectors to help to understand, shape and drive delivery of some of the Labour Party’s key ‘missions’ for reforming Britain. Read more
The charity sector is bucking the trend on trust, and PBE's Director of Policy and Communications Nicole Sykes explains why leaders in our society should be lining up to access their expertise. Read more
PBE examines the consequences of the OBR's outlook and the Chancellor's Autumn Statement for charities. Read more
There is a philanthropy knowledge gulf in the UK’s financial sector, which is preventing financial advisers from engaging their clients on philanthropy. PBE sets out five steps to overcome this gap. Read more
New research by PBE shines a light on the significant contribution of women to the UK charity sector and examines the under-discussed gender imbalance that holds the sector back. Read more
The Q4 2023 VCSE Sector Barometer focuses in on volunteer wellbeing, looking at the effects of the cost of living crisis on staff and volunteers, and the ways charities are supporting staff. Read more
PBE Chair Lord Gus O'Donnell and Be the Business Chair Sir Charlie Mayfield make the case for putting the social sector at the heart of the UK's productivity drive. Read more
PBE's Nicole Sykes makes the case for greater financial advice on philanthropic giving. Read more
The third instalment of the quarterly VCSE Sector Barometer shines a spotlight on the volunteer recruitment and retention challenges faced by charities, against a backdrop of high demand but cautious optimism. Read more
The Q1 2023 VCSE Sector Barometer shines a spotlight on the recruitment and retention challenges faced by charities, against a challenging financial backdrop and high demand. Read more
Ahead of the announcement of the Chancellor's 2023 Budget this week, PBE's Anoushka Kenley, Jack Larkham and Nicole Sykes make the case for the charity sector's role in helping to solve the UK's inactivity challenge. Read more
Following two years of research, the Law Family Commission on Civil Society, carried out by Pro Bono Economics, has published its landmark final report. Read more
This latest research for the Law Family Commission on Civil Society explores the importance of productivity in the social sector and the vital work required to boost it. Read more
The Q4 2022 VCSE Sector Barometer shows rising demand, rising costs, income deterioration and service cuts in some organisations. Read more