News

CSV, BTCV and NCVYS all lose out in strategic partner decisions

Governance | Tania Mason | 9 Mar 2011

CSV has joined the list of Office for Civil Society strategic partners that will not be receiving further funding from the Cabinet Office programme, bringing to an end its 40-year strategic funding relationship with central government.

The volunteering charity, whose outgoing director Dame Elisabeth Hoodless (pictured) made national news headlines last month when she criticised the government for having no “strategic plan” for the Big Society agenda, was the third most highly-funded strategic partner.  The charity's Volunteers in Child Protection programme won the overall prize at last year's Charity Awards.

A spokesman told Civil Society yesterday: “We are deeply disappointed not to have been selected as a strategic partner with the OCS after a relationship involving core strategic funding from central government lasting 40 years.

“We have strong relationships with many parts of government and will continue to strengthen these and develop further links that benefit our core mission of supporting civil society and volunteer action.”

He also said he expected the OCS would still want to continue its “strategic relationship” with CSV, and that CSV would be “keen to help the OCS to build and nurture relationships with volunteers”.

In 2009 the charity admitted, in its summary of progress made with its strategic grant, that it had aligned several of its organisational priorities with those of the then-Office of the Third Sector. 

BTCV and NCVYS also unsuccessful

BTCV and the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) have also learned they will not be receiving strategic funding from the OCS after 1 April. This brings to ten the number of partners that are known to be off the list:

•    CSV – unsuccessful in first round.  This year’s grant was just over £1m, around 6 per cent of CSV’s total income.
•    NCVYS – unsuccessful in first round.  This year’s grant was £242,000, around 16 per cent of total income.
•    TimeBank – unsuccessful in first round.  This year’s grant was £525,300, around 27 per cent of total income.
•    Community Development Exchange – unsuccessful in first round.  This year’s strategic grant was around £250,000, 87 per cent of total income. CDX had applied for £75,000.
•    BTCV – unsuccessful in first round. This year’s grant was £331,200, less than 1 per cent of its total income.
•    National Youth Agency – did not apply. This year’s grant was £292,000, just over 3 per cent of total income. The charity said it did not apply for ongoing strategic funding despite being invited to do so. A spokeswoman said it felt its work fitted better with other government department objectives and its focus did not fit with OCS’s new funding criteria.  The charity had already undergone a major organisational restructure to diversify its funding streams and reduce its reliance on government funding.  
•    YouthNet – did not apply.  This year’s grant was £484,600, around 9 per cent of total £5.2m income.
•    LGBT Consortium – did not apply.  This year's grant was £94,556, around 17 per cent of total income.
•    Youth Action Network – has already announced it will wind up in September and transfer its assets to NCVYS.
•    V – a separate funding agreement has been reached with v.

A number of partners have told Civil Society that they have been invited to interview at the OCS.  These are:

•    Navca
•    Acre, bidding jointly with Community Matters
•    Urban Forum
•    Volunteering England
•    Women’s Resource Centre
•    Social Enterprise Coalition
•    Co-operatives UK
•    Charities Evaluation Services, bidding jointly with Voice4Change England.

NCVO, the Institute of Fundraising, Philanthropy UK, Third Sector European Network and the Citizenship Foundation all declined to comment.

Several others had not returned calls by the time this story went live.  These were: Acevo; Social Enterprise London; Mentoring & Befriending Foundation; Locality (formed by the merger of Bassac and Development Trusts Association);  Church Urban Fund; British Youth Council; Community Foundation Network; the School for Social Entrepreneurs, which is bidding jointly with Social Firms UK, CAN and the Plunkett Foundation.

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Directory: Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) | BTCV | Charity Awards | Community Service Volunteers | National Association for Voluntary and Community Action | National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
Who's Who: Dame Elisabeth Hoodless