ACEVO and Voice4Change England have launched a new survey to investigate the occurrence of racism within the charity sector.

The survey comes as part of the joint project ‘Making diversity count in the charity sector’, which was launched by the organisations earlier this year.

BAME charity employees will be asked about their experiences of racism in the sector, with the view to catalyse a more equality-focused, diverse and inclusive charity sector and improve sector diversity by putting BAME voices at the heart of the conversation.

The survey forms part of the research phase of the project, and is open to BAME individuals who have been working in the sector for any period over the past five years, whether as staff, trustees or volunteers.

It explores how race and ethnicity affect individuals’ experiences of charities, in areas such as recruitment, personal development opportunities and incidents of racism.

The results from the survey, alongside findings from roundtable events and in-depth interviews, will help to re-energise the drive towards greater equality, diversity and inclusivity across the sector.

The survey is open until 30 September 2019. You can complete it here.

Making Diversity Count has been funded by a grant of over £67,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Upon the project’s launch, Voice4Change CEO Kunle Olulode said: “If the charity sector is to fulfil its promise as an agent of progress, it needs to build diversity, equality and inclusion into its DNA.

“Change means that we listen to the voices, experiences and ideas of BAME employees in charities. Leadership in charities is also essential, which is why we are excited to be working with ACEVO to develop practical solutions to make the charity sector a place where everyone is the ‘right fit’.”

ACEVO chief executive, Vicky Browning added: “Charity leaders are not representative of the communities they serve. Alongside the moral and legal case for improving diversity, research has shown that diverse organisations are more effective and more financially successful.

“Despite widespread awareness in the sector of these facts, progress towards greater diversity has been slow and, too often, not inclusive of BAME voices. We are looking forward to working with Voice4Change England to help find solutions to these barriers.”

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