(Version February 2007)

As independent regulator of charities throughout England and Wales it is important that the Commission recognises and seeks to understand the issues and trends facing charities on the Register.

In recent years the role of charities in public service delivery has become a much debated issue and one that has increasingly been highlighted within the Charity Commission’s own case work.

As part of ongoing work to gain an increased understanding of the issues facing charities delivering public services, the Charity Commission commissioned work to carry out consultation with charities across the Register.

In order to gauge the opinion of as many charities as possible all charities on the Register were invited, either via the Charity Commission’s newsletter Charity Commission News or by email, to respond to an online survey.

Whilst over 3800 charities responded to the survey the number and breadth of charities that responded will have been influenced by those charities that had, firstly, seen the invitation, secondly, been able to access the internet in order to respond to the questions and, thirdly, felt motivated to reply.

As a result, it is important that the report is seen as a reflection of the experiences and views of those responding to the survey. Whilst we believe that the report raises some important issues for debate, it is not representative of all charities on the Register, and the findings should be considered as indicative only.

Please follow the link below to view the report:

RS15 Stand and deliver - The future for charities providing public services (PDF 357KB).