CHARITIES are facing rising demand and shrinking incomes during the recession and a third are now unsure about the future, research has suggested.
The Charity Commission published its third survey examining how organisations are coping with the downturn, and urged them to consider teaming up to survive.
Its poll suggested that less than one in 10 (9%) of charities had considered merging or collaborating to survive the downturn.
However they had made other efforts to claw back resources – a fifth (21%)had tried to reduce officeand energy costs and 18% had boosted fundraising efforts.
Some had been forced to delay or cancel projects entirely – 7% of charities overall, but 23% of groups with incomes of £1 million or more.
And a fifth of all the charities had seen demand for their services increase, with larger organisations hit harder.
Chairwoman of the Commission Dame Suzi Leather said: “We want to see more charities considering whether they could work collaboratively.”
