The study, commissioned by the three groups and funded by ChangeUp, found that premises, finance and ICT functions could all be shared between the three groups. Each of these functions would either be managed by a special purpose company jointly owned by the organisations, or by a single lead organisation.

The study also identified four areas where informal collaboration would be beneficial: regional events; human resources; events administration; and membership administration.

In a joint statement, the chief executives of all three organisations said: “Collaboration and innovation are essential traits of successful third sector organisations. Acevo, CFDG and the Institute of Fundraising now have a great opportunity to further develop our longstanding strategic collaborations.”