The charities that rely most heavily on public funding at present are those working with the most disadvantaged people and in the most deprived areas, according to initial findings of research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The funding cuts they face could therefore have a disproportionate affect on some.
Professor John Mohan of the Third Sector Research Centre, who led the study, reports that around one third of voluntary and charitable organisations in England receive public money to support their work. Of these, over 20,000 organisations say that the public sector is their most important source of income. "It is very clear that public funding is more important to voluntary organisations than previously thought," said Professor Mohan. "And this is particularly true for those organisations working in deprived areas and with disadvantaged people."
The study concludes that policymakers need to take particular care in judging the effects of government cuts over the next few years.
ESRC Research.