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Charities are increasingly involved in delivering public services for government. We have concerns about the extent to which this constitutes charitable activity, and whether this may be inadvertently changing what charities are for.
We do not believe the government has properly examined the potential impacts of its commissioning agenda on the beneficiaries of charity, the individual organisations involved, or society as a whole.
Read more about our policy principle of Responsible Independence
When Nick heard it from the grapevine: Narrative account of a roundtable meeting between Nick Hurd and charity leaders (November 2010)
Representatives of charities from across the country had an opportunity to put their ideas, questions and concerns directly to Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd during a recent roundtable discussion hosted by DSC. Delegates had responded to ‘Word from Hurd’ columns in DSC’s enewsletter, offering their opinions and ideas on a range of issues. In the wake of the Spending Review announced the week before, there was considerable focus on funding cuts and issues with central and local government commissioning of services.
The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) 2010: What does it mean for the voluntary sector? (October 2010)
On 20 October 2010 the Chancellor announced a long-anticipated package of £81bn cuts to public spending, including an additional £7bn cuts to welfare on top of the £11bn already announced in the summer - the biggest financial shakeup of government in decades. This is our in-depth analysis of the CSR and what it means for the voluntary sector.
DSC's response to Conservative Party Policy Green Paper No. 5: A Stronger Society: Voluntary Action in the 21st Century (June 2009)
Summary of Budget 2009 for the voluntary sector (April 2009)
The budget gave the sector a £20m Hardship Fund but set a time-bomb ticking for those charities delivering public services.
Download Summary of Budget 2009 for the voluntary sector (April 2009) (298.50 Kb)
Summary of Conservative green paper (June 2008)
DSC’s summary of the seven key areas where the Conservatives plan to focus their policy for the voluntary sector.
Download Summary of Conservative green paper (June 2008) (99.68 Kb)
Civil society (April 2008 Charity Times)
This article by Ben Wittenberg, Director of Policy and Research , discusses what the terms we call ourselves mean (if anything).
Download Civil society (April 2008 Charity Times) (29.00 Kb)
The level playing field (February 2008 Charity Times)
This article by Ben Wittenberg, Director of Policy and Research, argues that there cannot be a level playing field of competition between public, private and voluntary sectors in commissioning.
Download The level playing field (February 2008 Charity Times) (28.68 Kb)
DSC’s evidence to the Public Administration Select Committee inquiry (January 2008)
DSC presented oral and written evidence to the committee as part of its inquiry into Commissioning from the Third Sector.
The future of the voluntary sector in a changing world (September 2007)
Ben Wittenberg gave a speech to St Albans CVS in September 2007, outlining the challenges facing the sector generally, particularly in its relationship with government.
Download The future of the voluntary sector in a changing world (September 2007) (290.30 Kb)
DSC’s response to the final report of the Third Sector Review (July 2007)
This document outlines the good, the bad and the ugly in the government’s summary of its largest ever consultation with the voluntary sector.
Download DSC’s response to the final report of the Third Sector Review (July 2007) (306.69 Kb)
Public service delivery isn’t for everyone (February 2007 Charity Times)
This article by Ben Wittenberg, Director of Policy and Research , argues that the government’s public service delivery agenda is only aimed at a small slice of the voluntary sector.
Download Public service delivery isn’t for everyone (February 2007 Charity Times) (87.13 Kb)
The Interplay between State, Private, and Voluntary Sectors (February 2007)
This paper examines the state of the relationship between the voluntary or ‘third’ sector and government in particular. It discusses fundamental problems and proposes ways to start solving them.
Download The Interplay between State, Private, and Voluntary Sectors (February 2007) (359.42 Kb)
DSC response to the Charity Commission report Stand and Deliver (February 2007)
DSC welcomed this important report, which looked at the role of charities in delivering public services.
Download DSC response to the Charity Commission report Stand and Deliver (February 2007) (271.87 Kb)
DSC e-news survey on whether a level playing field can ever exist (February 2007)
We asked our enewsletter subscribers if they thought a so-called ‘level playing field’ of competition between public, private and voluntary sector providers was possible. 76% said the sectors were so different this was impossible.
DSC’s response to the Third Sector Review (September 2006)
In our response we argued that it was not for government to determine our ‘role’, and that government should start enabling us to work better and stop trying to harness us for its own agenda.
Download DSC’s response to the Third Sector Review (September 2006) (273.92 Kb)
DSC e-news survey on whether delivering public services is charitable (April 2006)
We asked enewsletter subscribers if they thought that delivering public services for the state could be considered charitable activity. 68% said no.