Charities and their Publics

Workshop Leaders: Professor Saul Becker and Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs

Expectations that individuals have of the services around them are changing (1). Technology has enabled citizens to be better informed of the ‘choices’ available and, consumer empowerment programmes strengthen recourse to redress when minimum standards are eschewed. Moreover, rising demographic demand set against the cold economic climate, has intensified outsourcing by local authorities. Private companies and spin-outs continue to dominate this ‘social market’. While most people don’t appear to mind whether public or private sector provides – they do however, want to know that values remain integral to the business model (2).

This context poses particular challenges for charities. Generally, charities continue to enjoy high levels of trust (3) with their ‘publics’ – their volunteers, members, staff, donors and users/customers/clients - the latter group in particular, maintain high levels of gratitude. On the one hand, this provides opportunities for charities to participate more fully in local provision and to imbue the social market with their values. On the other hand, sustaining a culture of dependency, especially among the most disadvantaged and those at risk of vulnerability, run counter to the call for respect and dignity advocated by the sector.

This roundtable will bring together a post-disciplinary team of experts, academics and practitioners to understand how the sector relates to its publics and, the way in which they can ameliorate both short and long-term circumstances for the ‘beneficiaries’.

(1) Consumer Trends Survey 2013
(2) The Collaborative Citizen 2014
(3) Ipsos Mori 2014

To register to attend this workshop please email Sarah Jeffery.