Pre-existing relationships and compatibility of organisational aims were found to share the credit for successful partnerships in a survey of small charities published by the Charity Commission today.

The Strength in Numbers survey found that 45 per cent of the 2,515 small charities in England questioned had collaborated with another charity in the past two years. Some 73 per cent of these were collaborating at the time of the survey, but only 26 per cent of those collaborating had entered formal agreements. 

Charities facing particular challenges over the past two years, including organisational growth, increased service demands and operational issues were found to have been more likely to collaborate.

A majority of 84 per cent of those collaborating reported positive outcomes with only 1 per cent reporting no benefit at all. The survey identified the main factor in the lack of success in partnerships as the quality of leadership, planning or communication with 29 per cent citing this reason.

But the key to successful collaboration, the survey found, was the quality of pre-existing relationships with partner charities and the compatibility of organisational aims, values and mission. Some 55 per cent of collaborating charities agreed with the former and 52 per cent with the latter.

Dame Suzi Leather, chair of the Charity Commission, said the survey should encourage small charities to take the steps towards collaboration: "Small charities are saying that collaboration works and brings real benefits; to themselves, and most importantly, to their beneficiaries.

"Some charities haven’t collaborated because they have never been approached. So, don’t wait; be the one to make the first move, and increase the sense of local people working together for local causes," she said.