Two in five organisations in Scotland yet to find collaborator. 

Two in five charities in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland who want to collaborate with the private sector have yet to find a corporate partner, a new report warns. 

A new report into charity and private sector collaboration by social value management platform What Impact has found the proportion is even more stark in Wales, where three in five are not working with a business in a corporate partnership despite wanting to.

As reported by Charity Times, the biggest obstacle for charities to engage with firms is “lack of sufficient funding” - with more than half of those surveyed underlining this issue. 

In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland this was mentioned by more than half of respondents, while in Wales it was cited by seven in ten.

A lack of volunteers was mentioned by more than one in ten respondents from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and almost one in five from Wales.

Charities also reported a lack of interest among firms as an obstacle, with only one in five charities saying that they have seen an increase in corporate partnership collaboration.

The report highlights a “critical need for more effective engagement strategies to bridge the gap” between charities and the private sector”. 

The report adds that while charities “are keen to partner with private sector organisations” “companies must understand" charities "often rely on restricted grants, leaving them short on funding for essential administrative costs”.

Companies were urged to “play a crucial role by providing unrestricted funding, skills, and resources to support” charities, “which ultimately benefits the communities they serve”.