Public happy to support charities that provide services for Government
Melanie May | 27 November 2017 | News
Most people are not put off from giving to a charity if it provides services for the Government in exchange for funding but do not want to see charities take on more, according to a new report from nfpSynergy.
The nfpSynergy report, Do the public think it is acceptable for charities to provide public services for the government? shows that just over half (53%) think that it is ‘very acceptable’ or ‘somewhat acceptable’, with 8% thinking that it is somewhat or very unacceptable. Two thirds (65%) of the public also say that knowing that a charity receives both public and government funding for the services it provides would make no difference to their likelihood to support, with 13% saying that it makes them less likely to support.
However, the public are increasingly unsure about charities playing a greater role in service provision. 41% said they would be happy to see this, while 38% were unsure, and 21% oppose it. This has changed since 2009, when 56% said they would be happy, 28% unsure, and 16% in opposition.
The report says:
“This change suggests that seven years of Conservative-led governments has caused a shift in public perceptions when it comes to service provision. The public may be reluctant to see further changes to who provides services, following a period in which many services have had their funding reduced or outsourced.”
Despite this unwillingness to se charities take on more, they are however seen as the most acceptable external providers of public services for the government. Over half (53%) think that this is ‘very acceptable’ or ‘somewhat acceptable’, and 8% think that it is somewhat or very unacceptable. In contrast, 35% of the public think it acceptable for private companies to provide public services.
The report compares data from its July 2017 Charity Awareness Monitor to that from November 2009, and examines public attitudes towards charities taking a role in service provision, and how those compare to attitudes toward the participation of private companies.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.