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Charities are holding up say trustees

Charities are holding up, and sentiment amongst trustees has improved over the last year, according to figures from Rathbones Investment Management.

At a recent event, 34 per cent of delegates felt that the outlook for the sector was positive, compared with 30 per cent who felt that the outlook was negative. This is low compared to the 55 per cent who expressed concern at a similar event last year.

Nevertheless, there are concerns that market volatility, Government cuts, and reduced donations will impact on the sector.

To combat this, 24 per cent of those surveyed plan to reduce operating costs, while Government initiatives to encourage charitable bonds won the support of those questioned, as to thirds believe these will have the greatest, or second greatest positive impact on funding.

Commenting, Ivo Clifton, Rathbones’ head of charities at Rathbones, said, “It is encouraging that overall sentiment within the charity sector is improving although concerns still remain. As the coalition government took office last year, questions over the impact of government cuts were front of mind. These do persist, but as the wider economic outlook remains uncertain, attention is refocusing on the impact of broader market forces on charity funding.”