UK Civil Society Almanac 2022

The UK Civil Society Almanac is one of the best sources of data on the voluntary sector. The Almanac is an essential resource for your organisation. You can use it to:

• highlight the value of the sector, influence policy and strengthen your campaigns
• inform your financial plan and fundraising strategy
• assist with your board’s strategic thinking
• compare your organisation against others
• explain the context your organisation works in
• understand workforce trends
• improve your volunteer involvement.

The Almanac provides data that can be used to understand the sector, influence policy and inform your campaigns.

You can use the Almanac to:

• Talk to the government and the public about the value of the sector.
• Estimate how a government policy change might impact your organisation and the wider sector.
• Strengthen your campaigns with robust evidence.
  

For more information, explore the impact section.

The Almanac provides financial information and data on different funding streams which can aid your organisation in financial planning and identify potential gaps in your fundraising strategy. While the findings don’t yet show the full impact Covid-19 has had on the sector, you can still use the Almanac to get an idea of the challenges facing the sector today and in the future.

You can use the Almanac to:

• Understand the types of income available to your organisation and how these might change.
• Compare and benchmark your organisation’s current funding mix.
• Identify gaps in your current funding streams and compare your organisation to others of a similar size.
• Gain insights to inform your financial planning and fundraising efforts.

For more information, explore the financial overview.

The Almanac is a fantastic source of quick, reliable statistics that can be used in board meetings to share findings with trustees and other members of governance.

You can:

• Get headline figures and trends on the voluntary sector, including the funding environment, volunteer management or challenges in workforce.
• Use the data when creating presentations for board meetings or away days.
• Provide easy-to-understand information and an overview of the sector to new board members.

For more information, explore the executive summary.

The Almanac contains information on the size and scope of national and local charities as well as data on their finances. Use it to help you benchmark how your organisation is doing.

You can use the Almanac to explore:

• How does my organisation differ from the wider voluntary sector?
• Is our funding mix similar to organisations of a similar size?
• How does our income and expenditure differ from organisations in the same subsector?

For more information, explore the financial overview.

The Almanac provides an overview of the voluntary sector that can be easily shared and understood by those within and outside of the sector.

The Almanac can be used to:

• Find data that is easy to understand for those in and out of the sector, such as the sector’s size and contribution to the economy.
• Make charts and graphics about the sector for use in your presentations, using the full data tables.

For more information, explore the executive summary.

The Almanac gives you a clear understanding of the characteristics and recruitment of those who work in the voluntary sector.

The Almanac can be used to:

• Compare your employee profile to the sector, including employment types and contracts.
• Help you develop your diversity and inclusion strategy by learning about characteristics of the workforce, including gender, ethnicity, age, education and nationality.
• Identify potential recruitment challenges by seeing data trends on levels of employment by sector. Identifying key trends can help you predict potential challenges when putting together your recruitment strategy.

For more information, explore the workforce summary.

The Almanac can help you understand your volunteer base and improve the quality of your volunteer strategy or programme.

The Almanac can be used to explore:

• How has volunteering changed over time?
• How can my organisation improve the way it engages with volunteers
• How can my organisation attract a broader range of volunteers?
  

For more information, explore the volunteering overview.