Background to the Research

• The first edition of State of the Sector contained the first comprehensive picture of the scale and scope of the economic activities of the NI voluntary and community sector.
• The State of the Sector II moves this onto a new plane. It provides a more in-depth analysis of the sector's economy and human resource capability. A snapshot view of the 'state of the sector' from the general public's point of view is also presented in this second edition.
  

Research Approach

• 3,000 organisations were selected using a random sampling procedure. A postal questionnaire designed to collect data on activities, staff and financial details of the voluntary and community sector was sent to each organisation in the sample.
• The bulk of the work was carried out in August and September 1997. A response rate of 34% was achieved.
• 135 surveys were returned unopened and were subsequently excluded from the survey.
• Of the 988 replies, 12 organisations reported that they were now extinct, that is, had ceased to operate, and eight organisations reported that they were dormant, that is, inactive at present. Therefore, the total number of organisations in the achieved sample was 968.
  

Main Findings

• There are approximately 5,000 voluntary and community organisations in NI.
• The sector is engaged mainly in a wide range of service provision, and community and economic development.
• 21% of organisations are controlled from outside NI, showing that NI has a largely self-sustaining voluntary and community sector.
• The largest group of beneficiaries is individuals.
• The sector is mainly of recent origin. 85% of organisations in the survey were founded after 1968.
• The voluntary sector's gross income is approximately £514m.
• There is considerable diversity in the size of the organisations. The majority, 84%, had an annual turnover of under £100,000.
• Expenditure accounts for approximately £448m or 95% of total income.
• The assets base of the sector is £574m.
• Liabilities are estimated to be £126m.
• There are approximately 33,550 paid employees in the voluntary sector and 79,000 formal volunteers.
• Approximately one-third of organisations had under 20 volunteers but some had in excess of 1,000 volunteers.
• 79% of the public agree that the voluntary sector works to help or change society.