Charities and nonprofits are under increasing pressure, but what do those pressures look like from the inside? From the funding landscape to workforce wellbeing, from shifting political winds to questions of public trust, it can be difficult to keep track of all the challenges and opportunities facing the sector in 2025.

There’s no shortage of conversation about risk in the charity world. But there’s far less data.

When I first started working in the charity sector, I had only a vague idea of what a charitable trust or foundation was. The names were often historic – usually a person long since deceased – and they seemed to sit quietly in the background, influential but invisible. I doubt I was alone in that confusion, but I wanted to find out for certain how the average person would get on explaining what these organisations are and  what they do.

What does the public know?

Maia Coelho

Support for charities is personal, and a strong brand personality is key to creating lasting emotional connections amongst current and potential supporters. But what makes the ideal charity? Let’s uncover the attributes that truly resonate with people.

As we approach the end of the year, the team at nfpResearch would like to take a moment to wish all our partners, clients, and friends in the charity sector a joyful holiday season. It’s been an eventful year for us, filled with meaningful research, new initiatives, and exciting opportunities to share our findings with you. This has included a refresh of our product line, and the addition of our sector data monitor nfpIntelligence.

In our most recent webinar, hosted October 8th 2024, we explored the importance of effecti

Naomi Croft

On Wednesday 5th June we hosted an online event sharing clips and analysis from interviews we did with members of the UK’s ethnic minority communities regarding their engagement with charities. This was an opportunity for charities to get a deeper insight into how these under-represented audiences engage with the third sector and what could be done to better involve them through donations, awareness, and volunteering.

From all of us here on the nfpResearch team, we want to say:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

In preparation for what will inevitably be an eventful year for charities, this week our team hosted a free webinar where we explored what to expect for 2024. From changing donor habits, shifting public trust, and an upcoming general election, we believe that it’s never been more important for the sector to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to strategy. We appreciate everyone who was able to join us for our online event, but don’t worry if you couldn’t make it: today we’re sharing our key takeaways from UK Charities: Planning your 2024 strategy. 

nfpResearch recently appeared at CharityComms’ Strategic Marketing Conference 2023, an event which made for an absolute treasure trove of insights into marketing and comms. Having received a lot of positive feedback around one of our resources, we thought that we’d share it in today’s blog to give you an idea of how you can evaluate the external factors that can impact your charity and mission.

Being immersed in our sector, it can be easy to forget that we’re subject to a lot more news about charity than the general public. Sure, there are a few items that have a wide reach: scandals, Christmas ad round-ups, the occasional accusation from a politico. Or, charities can be used as a peripheral indicator of hardship, with a presence around the war in Ukraine, death of the Queen, or cost-of-living crisis. But in general, the relationship between the public and charities falls back on the belief that no news is good news.