Our survey ran from 5th March to 28th April 2025. Thank you so much to the 672 people who responded on behalf of their organisations. We’re extremely grateful for the time that charities and other social sector organisations give to taking the survey, especially when many are under pressure with rising demand and costs, alongside funding gaps.
Our survey began as one aimed at charities and has evolved so that any not-for-profit organisation in the UK voluntary, charity and social enterprise sector at any stage with digital can get involved. Some questions may be less relevant to very small organisations with no paid staff.
We want our survey responses to represent the variety of organisations across UK civil society and our team is working hard to make progress towards this goal. We recognise that this is an area we need to keep developing. This is why we ask about size, location, type of organisation, main target group and whether the organisation is led by specific population groups. In this section, we set out which groups responded and which didn’t.
Types of organisations in our sample
Our sample represents a wide range of organisations. These include:
- Small charities:
We have 428 responses from charities with an income less than £1m, representing 65% of our responses overall. This has increased from 385 responses in 2024. The annual income of respondents is as follows:- £0 to £10,000: 48 organisations (11%)
- £10,001 to £100,000: 124 organisations (29%)
- £100,001 to £500,000: 177 organisations (41%)
- £500,001 to £999,999: 79 organisations (18%)
- £0 to £10,000: 48 organisations (11%)
- Large charities:
We have 208 responses from large charities (similar to 2024) with an annual income greater than £1 million, representing 31% of our sample overall.
- Organisations led by lived experience:
190 charities (28% of our responses) are led by people with lived experience of the issue they address. This is positive to see.
- Specific types of organisations:
- Grantmaking trust or foundation: 52 responses (8%)
- Infrastructure organisation: 90 responses (13%)
- Social enterprise or community business: 148 responses (22%)
- Registered charity or Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO): 555 responses (83%)
- Company limited by guarantee: 88 responses (13%).
- Grantmaking trust or foundation: 52 responses (8%)
- Roles of those completing the survey:
- Almost a quarter (24%) of our respondents are CEOs
- 26% are from the management team (an 8% increase on last year)
- 25% are from the leadership team, a 5% increase from 2024
- 21% are staff members
- 15% are trustees.
- Almost a quarter (24%) of our respondents are CEOs
- Digital stages:
A quarter (24%) are at the earliest (curious) stage with digital, while a third (32%) are at the next starting out stage. 44% describe themselves as advancing or advanced with a strategy for digital. This indicates that the survey is attracting responses from organisations at all stages of their digital journey.
Diversity, equality and inclusion in our sample
We ask respondents for detailed information about the population groups represented by their board and leadership, as well as their target groups. We do this in order to:
- understand whose voices and which groups are represented in the survey
- identify gaps to inform our outreach while the survey is live and for next year’s survey
- to examine any differences in digital priorities, barriers, funding and support needs.
The intention is to inform funding, support, research and campaigns that tackle structural inequality, institutional racism and sexism in the sector, which have led to chronic underfunding for these groups.
Charities led by specific marginalised groups
We asked respondents if their organisation is led by specific population groups, with at least 75% of their board and 50% of senior management identifying with that group. Organisations led by specific minority ethnic groups represented include:
- Global majority communities (a range of ethnic groups, except white British, other white groups and white minorities): 76 responses (12%)
- Black (Black African/Black Caribbean/Black British/Black Mixed/Black Other): 66 responses (10%)
- Mixed (e.g. White and Black, White and Asian, any other Mixed/Multiple ethnic background): 99 responses (15%)
- Asian or Asian British (e.g. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Any other Asian background): 51 responses (8%)
- A specific group experiencing ethnic or racial inequality not listed above (e.g. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities, Arab, Jewish): 13 responses (2%).
Charities led by people from other specific marginalised population groups or circumstances include:
- Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants: 31 responses (5%)
- Neurodivergent people (including learning disabilities and difficulties): 76 responses (12%)
- Disabled or d/Deaf people: 72 responses (11%)
- Faith communities: 58 responses (9%)
- Women, girls and marginalised genders: 224 responses (34%)
- LGBTQIA+ groups: 57 responses (9%)
- Older people (65+): 126 responses (19%)
- Young people (16–25): 40 responses (6%)
- Welsh language speaking communities: 4 responses (1%).
Population groups represented by charities responding to the survey
We asked survey respondents to identify their main target population groups, selecting those that were most relevant to their core purpose. It is worth noting that many charities are place based or issue focused. Our largest group of respondents (304 organisations) provides services that are open to everyone and target diverse groups. They represent 45% of our sample.
We have a very strong representation (over 100 responses) of organisations working with specific ethnic minority communities from the following list (charities typically selected two of these, as well as groups from the second list below). This includes:
- Global majority communities (a range of ethnic groups, except white British, other white groups, white minorities): 58 responses (9%)
- Black groups (Black African/Black Caribbean/Black British/Black Mixed/Black Other): 67 responses (10%)
- Asian or Asian British groups (e.g. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Any other Asian background): 47 responses (7%)
- Mixed groups (e.g. White and Black, White and Asian, any other Mixed or Multiple ethnic background): 65 responses (10%)
- Specific group experiencing ethnic or racial inequity not listed above (e.g. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities, Arab, Jewish): 30 responses (4%).
We were also interested in whether our survey respondents were working with the following population groups or people with specific circumstances. On the whole, we achieved a good representation across these groups:
- Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants: 79 responses (12%)
- Neurodivergent people (including learning disabilities and difficulties): 104 responses (16%)
- Disabled or d/Deaf people: 123 responses (18%)
- Women, girls and marginalised genders: 97 responses (15%)
- LGBTQIA+ people: 52 responses (8%)
- Faith communities: 36 responses (5%)
- Older people (65+): 85 responses (13%)
- Children and young people (up to 25 years old): 182 responses (27%)
- People living in poverty (experiencing economic or educational disadvantage): 153 responses (23%).
The groups we focus on in this report
We provide a dedicated section in the report (see the section on Diversity, equality and inclusion groups) for some of the groups on the basis of:
- having at least 50 responses
- uncovering differences in skills, barriers and funding needs in our analysis
- sector research and campaigns highlighting chronic underfunding for specific groups
- linked to the above, our previous reports focused on a specific group.
We decided to focus on charities led by specific groups because there were clear differences in responses. In contrast, responses from charities working with each target group tended to be less distinct. This is due to the larger sample sizes and because charities typically work with four or more groups (given that people have intersectional backgrounds and identities, as well as charities working with a range of groups). For this reason, we do not provide a detailed breakdown of responses for each target group.
In our Diversity, equality and inclusion section of the report, we provide profiles for:
- Black led charities: Black groups (Black African/Black Caribbean/Black British/Black Mixed/Black Other): 66 responses (10%)
- Disabled or d/Deaf led charities: 72 responses (11%)
- LGBTQIA+ led charities: 57 responses (9%).
- Charities led by neurodivergent people: Neurodivergent includes those with cognitive differences, learning disabilities and learning difficulties: 76 responses (12%).
On our website, we also publish our datatables detailing the responses in full for these groups (as well as others) for further investigation.
UK nations and regions in our sample
Overall, we have a strong representation of responses from across the UK nations and England regions. For the first time since the survey launched, we have enough representation from charities in Northern Ireland to analyse the data independently of our main sample.
Nations represented
- England: 484 responses (72%), similar to 2024.
- Wales: 60 responses (9%), similar to 2024. Large charities make up 49% of the respondents (higher than the 31% in our main sample) and 49% are small.
- Scotland: 59 responses (9%), similar to 2024. Large charities make up 45% of the respondents (higher than the 31% in our main sample) and 53% are small.
- Northern Ireland: 42 responses (6%), an increase from 14 responses in 2024. Of these, 67% are small charities.
- Mostly online/remote: 34 responses (5%).
- Charities working across the UK/UK-wide: 121 responses (18%).
England regions
We have a good representation of charities in every region in England. However, we could build on this to improve representation in the North of England and the Midlands.
To aid our regional analysis this year, we filtered out charities working across the UK and England. As a result, some of the responses for individual regions are too low to compare. We combined the responses from each region into the following groups. Note that the individual regional totals will not add up to the combined total number, as many charities work in multiple regions. The proportions of small and large charities are largely consistent in each. We have analysed the differences between these regions (see ‘nations and regions’ section):
- London (150 responses, 23%): including London only (150).
- South of England (185 responses, 28%): including East of England (45), South West (48), South East (92).
- Midlands (61 responses, 9%): including West Midlands (34) and East Midlands (29).
- North of England (90 responses, 13%): including North West (40), Yorkshire and the Humber (33), North East (24).
When looking at the NCVO Almanac 2023 data, 51% of charities are based in London and the South. Our responses are consistent with this. However, we have a slight under representation of charities in the North of England (13% compared to 16%). We also have an under representation in the Midlands (9% compared to 21%). It is worth noting, however, that we filtered out organisations working across the UK and England (the NCVO Almanac does not). We also asked where organisations are based and deliver the majority of their work, while the NCVO Almanac only focuses on main office locations.
Our definitions
Digital
We ask about digital in a holistic way. We cover specific digital skills and tools, technology, AI, data and digital services. We also include general digital culture, attitudes, digital funding and support needs of organisations led by those from marginalised groups.
We believe that charities with strong digital capacity can respond effectively to user needs, while navigating the opportunities and risks of technology. At the core of this is a commitment to safety, inclusion, accessibility and social and environmental justice. They will also have good governance, visionary leadership and a strategic approach.
Size
- Small charities: Respondents specifying an annual turnover of up to £1 million.
- Large charities: Respondents specifying an annual turnover of £1 million or more.
Digital stage
We asked charities to select from the following statements which stage of digital development was the best fit for them. We found a clear relationship between each digital stage and markers of digital progress, showing these stages are relevant and meaningful.
- Curious: We have some digital basics in place, such as social media or remote working and see opportunities to do more.
- Starting out: We’re developing our use of digital but don’t yet have a strategic approach.
- Advancing: Digital is part of our strategy and we’re investing in technology and skills, but we’ve not embedded this yet.
- Advanced: Digital is fully embedded in our organisational strategy and our ways of working.
You will see that in our expanded AI section of the report we ask about the different stages of AI adoption. We have not yet combined stages of digital and AI adoption as we need a solid evidence base to do so meaningfully.
Charities
We use the term ‘charity’ in this report as shorthand to refer to the range of nonprofit and social sector organisations completing the survey, rather than to refer only to registered charities (which make up 83% of respondents).
Rounding data
All survey data was rounded up or down to the nearest whole number. Percentages may not total 100 due to this process.
Overview of survey respondents
Types of organisation
- 83% are registered charities (555 responses)
- 22% are a social enterprise or community business (148 responses)
- 8% are a grantmaking trust or foundation (52 responses)
- 13% are an infrastructure organisation (90 responses)
- 28% are lived experience led (190 responses).
Where respondents are based
The map shows the number of organisations based or working in each region and country. Participants could select multiple locations, including options for UK-wide, England-wide and online. As a result, the numbers do not correspond with our overall sample size of 672.
