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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 March 2020
Typical questions
• Which charity has the highest income?
• I need information on charity regulation.
Starting points
• Synonyms for charities can include civil society, third sector and philanthropic organisations. Charities are often regarded as a form of non- governmental organisation and their publications can be Grey Literature.
• Common questions can relate to regulation (see also the Law chapter), access to bursaries (see also Grants) and volunteering (see the Careers chapter which covers internships).
• Many resources are country specific. Always check requirements.
Recommended resources
Key organisations – UK Charities Aid Foundation
www.cafonline.org
Non-profit organisation that supports UK and international charities. Website has guidance on charity management, corporate giving and the impact of philanthropy. The latter include a large collection of research reports on trends in giving.
Charity Commission for England and Wales
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission
Official regulator of charities in England and Wales. Website provides advice for charities, copies of legislation and the public register. Individual entries include contact addresses and financial returns.
For Scotland see OSCR – Scottish Charity Regulator – www.oscr.org.uk.
DSC (Directory of Social Change)
www.dsc.org.uk
Provides training and support for charities. Publishes an annual directory of Grant Making Trusts, which is available for purchase. Website offers free access to some research reports on charity policy and markets.
NCVO
www.ncvo.org.uk
Membership organisation supporting voluntary organisations in the UK. Website provides free access for non-members to resources on charity policy and law. It publishes the UK Civil Society Almanac (data.ncvo.org.uk), which has charity income, spending and assets data. Subscription required for full access.
Third Sector Research Centre
www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/tsrc/index.aspx
Based at the University of Birmingham - a central point for tracing recent research- based evidence about civil society (charities, pressure groups and NGOs). Read news, research reports and papers. Main focus UK.
Key organisations – international
Start by identifying the main charity regulator for the nation concerned. These websites usually have information on the relevant legislation. They may also have registers of charities. A good example from the USA is: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits .
Another good starting point is:
International Society for Third-Sector Research (ISTR) [Specialist]
www.istr.org
Founded in 1992. Promotes scholarly study of civil society, philanthropy and the non-profit sector worldwide. Its website offers useful information on its regional networks. It also includes free full text research reports.
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