Anna Fowlie is urging organisations to complete SCVO's important State of the Sector survey to highlight the sector's hopes and fears for the future
What are your predictions for the third sector for 2019?
It’s a complex question and while some issues span the entire sector, most of your answers will depend on a myriad of factors – the kind of organisation you work with, your mission, the area of work you’re involved in and, of course, your own personal experiences.
At the start of the year, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) published figures which showed that public trust in charities had dropped by nine percentage points in two years. In the first half of 2018 some large, household-name charity organisations were exposed by the press for their failure to protect those who depended on them. As a result, themes like safeguarding, governance and reputation have been prominent for the sector over the past 12 months. However, we also know that levels of trust remain high.
By letting us know what your thoughts, concerns and hopes for civil society in 2019 are, you can help inform our policy approach and the work that we do
Anna Fowlie
We know that charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations have some common worries – Brexit in particular is causing a great deal of uncertainty for everyone – and many are still tackling issues that feel intractable, like homelessness and poverty. But we also know that each organisation has its own individual challenges, achievements and plans for the future. If SCVO is to accurately represent and support our members and the wider third sector in Scotland, we need to know what these are.
That’s why we’re asking those working and volunteering in third sector organisations to complete our State of the Sector Survey. We undertook our last survey in 2016 and a lot can change in two years. It’s vital we are aware of the things that matter to you now, so we can have a better understanding of how we can support you and represent you. By letting us know what your thoughts, concerns and hopes for civil society in 2019 are, you can help inform our policy approach and the work that we do.
The survey itself covers a range of areas, including your organisation’s current status, future plans, finance, staffing, digital and media coverage of charities. This isn’t all doom and gloom and dismal predictions – we want to identify your hopes and aspirations for the future too. There’s a lot of good work going on in the third sector and we want to know what exciting plans you have for your organisation.
A thriving third sector is essential to achieving a Scotland that is a better place across poverty, environment, wellbeing and rights. We have the benefit of being a small country with a strong sense of social justice and a history of innovation, and I would like us to hold onto that by working collectively, to support each other and respect each other’s right to be heard.
Without your input, we can’t be certain that what we do reflects your needs as third sector organisations, so please take the time to share your views with us so we can improve our work.
Please take 5 minutes to complete our State of the Sector survey.
Anna Fowlie is chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
