It’s 2030 and the charity sector is extinct. That might sound dramatic, but it could happen…
To remain relevant as well as true to our fundamental principles we can’t simply stand still, we have to continuously improve and adapt.
– Chris Reed, British Red Cross
The ultimate success for charities is that they no longer need to exist, that the cause they are fighting for is fixed up and tidy.
The biggest risk to the sector is that charities might be extinct before the job is done.
When you look at evidence of statistical decline in:
- Income: Charitable giving has reduced for the third year running (CAF UK Giving 2019)
- Trust: Less than half the population (48%) say that charities are trustworthy (NCVO, May 2019)
- Membership: UK charity membership levels hit an ultimate low of 16% in April 2015 (npfSynergy)
- Volunteering: The percentage of those formally volunteering once a month has decreased from 27% in 2013-2014 to 22% in 2019 (DCMS Community Life Survey 2019)
- Trustee diversification: 61% charities say trustees are out of touch with beneficiaries needs (Ecclesiastical Charity Survey March 2019)
We’ve done the maths and believe this gives the charity sector a lifespan of 10 years.
The charity sector as our source of strength
We’re heading towards 2030 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. More than ever, humans need to know, through action and not just words, who they can trust.
There has never been a more important time for the charity sector to be our source of strength, to ensure humanity thrives.
Therefore it is really important that we enable the sector to be fit today in order for them to help humanity thrive in the future.
In our thought paper, Fit for today, thrive tomorrow, we are looking at what the future looks like and collaborating with our #CharityForum gang in order to create action.
The #CharityForum is about bringing together amazing people that are passionate about what they do and about supporting others, to shape society. We call ourselves ‘the gang’. Together we’re creating the energy, the catalyst, the action that is helping everybody navigate the next decade.