Our weekly survey is designed to take the temperature of the civil society sector as the Covid-19 crisis continues to unfold, monitoring the pressures being faced by charities and voluntary organisations across the country and understanding how the picture is changing over time.
Over the course of 12 & 13 May 2020, a total of 406 respondents filled in the survey.
The 406 respondents were split between 125 ‘small’ charities (annual income of less than £500,000), 211 ‘medium’ sized charities (income between £500,000 and £10 million), 67 ‘large’ charities (income of £10 million or more), and three ‘others’.
Commenting on the findings Matt Whittaker, Chief Executive of Pro Bono Economics, said:
“Seven weeks into the Covid-19 lockdown there is little sign of any easing of the pressures being faced in the social sector. Nine-in-ten organisations say they expect the pandemic to negatively affect their ability to fulfil their charitable objectives, and two-in-five say they’ve become more pessimistic over the last week.
The good news is that three-in-four say they think it is unlikely that the crisis will force them to stop operating within the next six months. Nevertheless, a sizeable minority of one-in-ten think they will cease to exist. That’s significantly lower than figures reported in other sector surveys, but it would still represent a big loss to social and economic wellbeing in the UK – with our estimate suggesting that civil society activity is worth some £200 billion a year.
It is important too to note that the proportion thinking they will go out of business rises to 15 per cent among smaller charities. Organisations in this group appear less able than larger charities to access financial support from the government and others: just 38 per cent say they have furloughed staff, compared with 75 per cent of large charities. They also appear to have less financial wiggle room: 31 per cent have drawn down on their financial reserves, compared with 43 per cent of large charities. In the absence of such sources of resilience, the primary response of smaller organisations has instead been to cut back on their activity.”
Notes: 28/29 Apr = 433 responses. 5/6 May = 126 responses. 12/13 May = 406 responses.
Source: Charity responses to PBE & Civil Society Media survey.
Notes: 406 responses, comprising 125 ‘small’, 211 ‘medium’ and 67 ‘large’.
Notes: 406 responses.
Notes: 406 responses, comprising 125 ‘small’, 211 ‘medium’ and 67 ‘large’. Modest sample sizes mean these breakdowns should be treated with caution.
Notes: 406 responses. Respondents were asked to tick all options that applied.
Notes: 406 responses, comprising 125 ‘small’, 211 ‘medium’ and 67 ‘large’. Respondents were asked to tick all options that applied.
Notes: 12/13 May = 406 responses.