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 26 & 27 May 2020, a total of 323 respondents filled in the survey. The respondents were split between 114 ‘small’ charities (annual income of less than £500,000), 166 ‘medium’ sized charities (income between £500,000 and £10 million), 41 ‘large’ charities (income of £10 million or more), and 2 ‘other’.
Commenting on the findings Matt Whittaker, Chief Executive of Pro Bono Economics, said:
“Relative to the trends described in previous weeks, our latest findings appear to point to a slight lightening of the mood in the sector. The proportion reporting that they have become more pessimistic in the seven days leading into the survey has been falling steadily over the past few weeks, and dropped to 34 per cent this time around.
“While this was the week in which small charities were able to start applying for support through the new Coronavirus Community Support Fund however, it was large charities that were most likely to report a steadying of the ship. Two-thirds of this group thought things were broadly unchanged week-on-week, compared with half of the small charity group.
“Nevertheless, the overall picture painted by the survey is still one of considerable difficulty. Nine-in-ten expect their income to fall relative to pre-crisis plans in the next six months, and more than one-in-ten say it is “likely” that they’ll cease to operate altogether. It’s possible that the mood in the sector is starting to bottom out, but we are long way from any sort of recovery. The near-term and longer-term futures of many thousands of vital organisations across the UK remain incredibly uncertain.”
Notes: 26/27 May = 323 responses. Past weeks: 196, 406, 126, 433 responses respectively.
Source: Charity responses to PBE & Civil Society Media survey.
Notes: 323 responses, comprising 114 ‘small’, 166 ‘medium’ and 41 ‘large’.
Notes: 323 responses, comprising 114 ‘small’, 166 ‘medium’ and 41 ‘large’.
Notes: 323 responses.
Notes: 323 responses. Respondents were asked to tick all options that applied.
Notes: 26/27 May = 323 responses. 19/20 May = 196 responses.
Notes: 26/27 May = 323 responses. Past weeks = 196, 406 responses respectively.