A major survey of how people who work and volunteer in charities see the sector, their own organisation and the year ahead, has opened.
From today, nfpResearch wants anyone working in or around the sector, in any role, to respond to its International State of the Sector survey.
For the first time, the same questions are being asked in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
The intention is to find out whether the pressures UK charities describe – on funding, on public trust, on relationships with government – are specific to this country or felt across the international sector.
In the UK, the survey is being shared by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, ACEVO, the Association of Chairs, CharityComms and the Association of Charitable Foundations.
The survey asks what people think about the mood of the sector and their own organisation, whether income is rising or falling and whether reserves are being used.
It also asks which criticisms of the sector are fair and what it deserves credit for, how government and the public treat it, how organisations are using AI, and how work feels day to day.
Tim Harrison-Byrne, co-managing director of nfpResearch, said: “We hear a lot about the sector’s finances and much less about how the people in it are feeling.
“We want to hear from everyone, from chief executives and trustees to frontline staff and volunteers, so the sector can describe itself with the same confidence it describes its income, and compare notes with colleagues in five other countries.”
The survey takes around 10 to 12 minutes and is anonymous. It closes on 30 November and the findings will be published in spring 2027.
Charity trustees, volunteers and staff can take part here.
