TAKEN FOR GRANTED: Lack of funding puts charities and public services under threat

Steph Long 22 Nov · 1 min read

[Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash]

“Without increased funding public services are increasingly likely to cease”

Research conducted by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has revealed that 40% of charities have never received enough funding to deliver the vital public services asked of the team, while 73% of charitable organisations questioned confessed the current demand can’t be met. Additionally, a staggering 87% said they have to subsidise with other charitable income, including donations and financial reserves.

The government spent ￡16.8bn on grants and contracts between 2020/21 and, while that may seem a significant sum of money, more is needed to keep up with inflation, operating costs and higher demand. Sadly, this isn’t a new challenge charities are facing, as many reveal it’s been an ongoing problem for over a decade.

Sarah Elliott , CEO of NCVO told Charity Today that “Charities and voluntary organisations are the foundations of public service delivery, providing vital support to people and communities. Many services, like homelessness interventions and support for victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse, wouldn’t exist without charities”. Vibert also believes “the goodwill of charities has been taken for granted”, and we couldn’t agree more.

Events have people-power and can make a real difference to charities and causes worldwide. By joining forces with Ticketpass, sporting fixtures, music festivals and corporate networking can all raise much-needed funds.