Just 25 per cent of charity professionals think their charity's organisational structure is “fit for the future”, a new report has revealed.

The report, The Future Charity, which was compiled by three consultancies: Kivo, Manifesto and massive found three-quarters (74 per cent) of those surveyed think their organisation’s “structures and processes inhibit our ability to change”.

The authors suggest the sector is in crisis today, citing problems including increased competition for funding, falling income, the effects of scandals; and “archaic” governance within organisations.

Only one third of respondents (33 per cent) believed their organisation was “ready for the next decade of technology” and more than six in ten (62 per cent) said their organisation struggled to deliver an effective digital experience.

More than half (53 per cent) blamed these failings on a poor organisational culture; while 47 per cent blamed an inability to recruit people with the skills needed to meet these challenges.

The report recommended steps charities can take to begin to rectify these problems. These include seeking “to attract experienced agents of change from a wider variety of backgrounds” to serve in leadership roles; building appetite for risk at board level; ringfencing resources for innovation; enabling more flexible working and investing in higher pay for key individuals; improving data-gathering and performance/ impact measurement; and improving collaboration, both within the sector and with external partners including commercial organisations.

The authors surveyed 105 individuals working in the sector, three-quarters of whom worked for charities with annual incomes of £10 million or more, with more than half working for organisations with annual incomes of more than £50 million. A majority (58 per cent) were managers, while 74 per cent worked in either fundraising or digital roles.

The report can be downloaded here.

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