We need your help to build a picture of Edinburgh’s third sector for a new report. Your feedback will help identify trends, the needs and the challenges facing groups and organisations across the city.
Please complete this survey (7 questions):
EVOC are pleased to share a summary report from the consultation event on Edinburgh’s Community Plan (LOIP 2018-2028) Refresh:
The refreshed Community Plan is due to be approved and launched in June, with opportunities to shape the next Plan to follow.
THIRD SECTOR FACES GROWING PRESSURE
Charities across Edinburgh entered the new year facing a complex operating environment, as Scottish Charity Register data reveals more organisations were removed from the register last year than were newly established.
According to the register, 101 charities were registered in Edinburgh during 2025, while 122 were removed from the register.
Removal from the register can include mergers or charities completing their purpose, but the figures highlight the ongoing pressures within the voluntary sector as organisations adapt to rising costs, regulatory demands and changing funding patterns.
This local picture mirrors UK trends. The Status of UK Fundraising 2025 report found that 54% of UK charities saw their fundraising income remain static or fall over the past year, with a substantial majority attributing this to wider economic conditions. While income is not universally declining, many organisations are having to work harder to maintain stability.
Ansvar Insurance, a specialist insurer for charities and not‑for‑profit organisations, says the challenge is less about short-term survival and more about long-term sustainability.
Adam Tier, Head of Underwriting at Ansvar, commented: “Edinburgh has always had an incredibly active charity sector, but these figures show just how challenging the current environment has become.
“Rising operational costs, a more competitive fundraising landscape and increased demand with an average of 27% of Edinburgh residents relying on charitable services mean organisations need to think differently about sustainability.”
To help local organisations strengthen their resilience, Ansvar is encouraging charities to explore less obvious strategies that can make a meaningful difference:
Despite the pressures, the registration of new charities in Edinburgh during 2025 demonstrates the commitment of local communities to addressing social need.
Adam Tier added: “Financial sustainability isn’t just about raising more money. Often, it’s about taking a fresh look at existing processes and asking the right questions.
“The organisations that thrive are those that plan ahead, understand their risks and adapt early, positioning themselves to weather these challenges and continue serving their communities for years to come.”
https://www.cafonline.org/insights/research/uk-local-giving-report-2025#interMap
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is calling for voluntary organisations and the people who work and volunteer in Scotland’s voluntary sector to apply for its annual Scottish Charity Awards.
Now in its 20th year, the Scottish Charity Awards are designed to celebrate the best of the voluntary sector, and to highlight the incredible organisations, inspiring people and innovative projects that have made an immeasurable difference to the communities they support over the past year.
Applications are now being accepted for 2026, with SCVO placing particular importance on hearing from voluntary organisations and people that reflect the diversity of Scotland’s essential voluntary sector.
All registered charities, social enterprises, campaigning groups, community interest companies and people who work and volunteer in these spaces are eligible to enter.
Last year saw the success of attempts to make the awards simpler and more accessible to as many people and organisations as possible.
There are nine award categories at the Scottish Charity Awards. Six recognise the achievements of organisations, and three recognise individuals.
The award categories are Small Charity of the Year (turnover under £100k), Medium Charity of the Year (turnover £100-500k), Large Charity of the Year (turnover over £500k), Trustee of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Employee of the Year, Partnership of the Year, Campaign of the Year, and Climate Impact; with the winners to be decided by a panel of judges. For 2026 organisations can only make one application across all categories.
SCVO received an overwhelming response last year with hundreds of applications, and hopes that even more organisations will be inspired to apply this year.
This year, SCVO will be bringing its celebratory awards ceremony, hosted by Sally Magnusson, to Glasgow’s Radisson Blu on 11 June.
Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: “Each year, the Scottish Charity Awards stand out as a real highlight for me.
“Across Scotland – and far beyond – voluntary organisations are transforming lives in countless ways, and it’s impossible not to be moved by both the scale of their impact and the diversity of their work.
“Past finalists and winners often share how meaningful it is to receive recognition on a national stage. We also take care each year to refine and refresh the awards, ensuring they remain timely and relevant.
“Whether you’re a small grassroots group powered entirely by volunteers, a large national charity, or anything in between, there’s a place for you. Don’t hold back — put forward a nomination or submit an entry for this year’s awards.”
Applications are open until 12 noon on Tuesday, 17 March 2025 and can be completed on the SCVO website: scvo.scot/scottish-charity-awards/apply.
Unpaid carers, disabled people and people with lived experience of social care will have a say on local services after Scottish Parliament regulations come into force.
Social Care Minister Tom Arthur tabled an order giving service users and third sector organisations a vote during integration joint board decision making. This ensures their perspectives carry equal weight in shaping decisions about services, such as care in the community to enable people with disabilities or long term conditions to remain at home.
The 31 boards bring together the NHS and local councils with key community and service representatives to oversee planning and delivery of social care and community health services. Until now only members appointed by the NHS health board and local councils can vote.
The draft regulations will come into force in September after the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s scrutiny of the legislation concluded yesterday.
Mr Arthur said: “I am determined to ensure those who access and support community health and social care services have an equal say in making decisions that affect their communities.
“These regulations extend voting rights to unpaid carers, service users and third sector representatives, collectively representing the voice of lived experience. It is only fair that these voices carry equal weight alongside other members – to help ensure local services are funded properly to meet the needs of people.
“People with lived experience provide valuable insight into challenges and opportunities which should be considered during planning. This change will bring decision making closer to the people we all serve. We expect to see more inclusive, collaborative and improved choices as a result.”
The Scottish Government will develop an agreement with the third sector to strengthen its voice and improve lives, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has said.
The Third Sector Partnership will be co-designed with the sector, guided by some of the key principles in the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation’s 2026 manifesto, to set out how both can work together to enhance services.
This includes:
Ms Somerville said: “Scotland’s third sector is essential to the wellbeing of our communities. From local charities supporting vulnerable families to national organisations tackling poverty and inequality, they reach people and places that government cannot reach alone.
“This partnership will put our relationship with the third sector on a clear, principled footing, strengthening their voice and improving lives. It builds on our commitment to fairer funding and signals that we value the sector as an essential delivery partner and as an independent, strong voice that provides support for people across the country every single day.”
The Scottish Government intends to work with partner organisations and the wider third sector to develop and refine the agreement in the next Scottish Parliament, subject to the outcome of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
This is in addition to delivering a Fairer Funding pilot that provides multi-year funding worth more than £130 million over 2025-2027, prioritising organisations that deliver frontline services and tackle child poverty.
Welcoming the Scottish Government’s commitment to a “Third Sector Partnership”, Anna Fowlie, SCVO Chief Executive, said: “Voluntary organisations are at the heart of Scotland’s response to the biggest challenges we face. They make our communities better places to live. Too often, however, public bodies overlook the voluntary sector in planning, decision-making and delivery. That must change.
“To ensure that our sector is properly recognised as an essential partner, we need the right infrastructure in place – to support genuine partnership working between the voluntary and public sectors. Our manifesto sets out why a formalised relationship, set in law, would help achieve this. We welcome all commitments that move Scotland closer to achieving that goal and will engage constructively with their development.
“It is essential that any future scheme is properly resourced, and co-designed with the voluntary sector, so that it reflects, from the start, the experience, evidence and needs of Scotland’s essential sector.”
SCVO’s 2026 Scottish Parliament election manifesto, Scotland’s Essential Sector, is available here: https://scvo.scot/about/manifesto-2026
The draft Scottish Budget 2026-2027 commits a dedicated £20 million fund for third sector partners to deliver support that people need in their communities.
The Gathering is organised by SCVO and runs on 10 and 11 February 2026.
A Fairer Funding pilot to deliver on the Scottish Government’s top priority of eradicating child poverty. The Pilot commenced in April 2025 and consists of 51 separate grants, totalling over £130m over 2025-26 and 2026-27 to organisations across Scotland.
Seven organisations have been selected to receive funding for campaigning projects aimed at improving the lives of people in Scotland.
Covering a wide range of issues from access to health checks for disabled people to helping older people connect with their communities, these projects will lay the essential groundwork and build momentum for larger campaigns.
Celia Tennant, Chief Executive of Inspiring Scotland, said: “Achieving long term, systemic change requires sustained effort and commitment. And while there is no shortage of people with the required passion and good ideas, funding for the crucial early stages of social justice campaigns is often limited.
“Our goal was to support those with a clear vision, deep knowledge of the issues, and confidence in building larger campaigns, but requiring resources to explore ideas, gather evidence, and test approaches for maximum impact.”
For this funding call, we partnered with Changing Ideas, an organisation with a strong track record of supporting campaigners to tackle social injustices in the UK and worldwide, and we’re excited to bring their experience and investment to Scotland.
David Graham, founder of Changing Ideas, said: “We are delighted to fund charities and groups working for change across the environment, childcare, women’s and girls’ rights, and more.
“We see this as the first step in building momentum for wider systemic change, and we are excited by what our partners will go on to achieve.”
Although this call focused on supporting a small number of projects, we were overwhelmed by nearly 100 applications, clearly demonstrating the strong appetite for campaigning in Scotland.
We wish all those who weren’t selected best of luck in their efforts.
After careful consideration and interviews with shortlisted applicants, the following seven projects were selected for funding:
Amy Woodhouse from Parenting Across Scotland explains how the funding is going to help the organisation realise their ambition for all children and young people in Scotland to have access to a hobby of their choice: “Hobbies are brilliant for so many reasons – they help children develop new skills, make friends and boost confidence.
“They can provide solace when times are tough and offer positive spaces for children to grow and develop. They should be a part of every childhood, but sadly they’re not. Cost, accessibility, lack of choice, transport difficulties and long waiting lists all prevent children from taking part.
“The solutions are possible, but we need a co-ordinated national approach to really make progress. Support from the Ideas for Change fund will help us to build momentum behind our hobbies campaign and ensure that all children and young people, regardless of their circumstances, can benefit.
“We are very grateful to Inspiring Scotland and Changing Ideas for this award.”
A spokesperson for Vintage Vibes said: “We are delighted to be selected by Inspiring Scotland as one of seven fantastic organisations to run a campaign to improve the lives of Scottish people in 2026.
“Our campaign will launch later this year, building on our highly acclaimed Ten Years Bold campaign, and will aim to spread empowerment in older people across Scotland, tackling ageism and challenging stigmas. We can’t wait to start!”
Inspiring Scotland are proud to partner with Changing Ideas and the seven funded organisations, and look forward to supporting their efforts and sharing updates as their campaigns progress.
The 2026-27 Budget will support a stronger NHS, with a record £22.5 billion for health and social care, expand cost of living support and invest in Scotland’s infrastructure.
Published alongside the latest multi-year Scottish Spending Review, Infrastructure Strategy and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline, the draft Budget invests almost £68 billion including direct support for families and household budgets.
The 2026-27 Budget includes:
Ms Robison said:“This Budget delivers for families across the country, for a stronger NHS, and for a more prosperous future.
“It will fund landmark policies to continue efforts to eradicate child poverty – investing in a brighter future for Scotland and the children growing up here.
“Almost £68 billion is being invested in 2026-27 and almost £200 billion through the Scottish Spending Review and Infrastructure Investment Pipeline, demonstrating the scale of our ambition for our nation.”
Other measures include:
REACTIONS:
Responding to today’s proposed Scottish Budget, Poverty Alliance Policy & Campaigns Manager Ruth Boyle said: “People in Scotland want a just and compassionate society – but too many feel the system is rigged against them.
“There was some good news today – but we can do much more to make sure that every child in Scotland gets the investment they need for a decent life and a better future.
“Ensuring that every child in primary school gets a healthy breakfast is an excellent investment, because no child should go to school hungry.
“Increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 for eligible households with a baby under 1 is welcome and will help families at a time when they face increased costs. However, this must be a first step towards boosting that payment to £40 for every eligible child in the country.
“That is the kind of fundamental investment the Government needs to make if they are serious about meeting the 2030 child poverty targets.
“With Scotland not on track to meet those legally binding targets, we need all political parties to set out their plans to invest in country where no child lives in poverty. Our children can’t wait any longer.
“We can make that kind of investment in Scotland – and there is support for it. In among the Budget documents is new polling from YouGov showing that 54% of people in Scotland believe that Government should redistribute income from the better-off to those who are less well off. Just 29% disagree.
“The Scottish Government must raise revenue to invest in our shared national priorities, like tackling child poverty and reducing the cost of living. It’s right that the Government has turned to those with the biggest assets to contribute more with a tax on private jets and increased council tax for the highest value homes.
“This has to be the start of long-promised, fundamental reform of council tax so that our local councils can provide the services that all of us need, and that are a vital lifeline for so many households in poverty.
“The Poverty Alliance will continue to call for the measures we need to provide a Minimum Income Guarantee that no-one will fall under – including increasing wages, investing in strong public services, and providing a social security system that gives everyone in Scotland a secure foundation to build a better future.
“Today’s budget has some positive steps towards that ambition – but we need to go further and faster if we are to build a Scotland free from poverty.”
Commenting on today’s draft Scottish Budget, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity, said: “It’s hugely positive to see child poverty being made a top priority in today’s budget.
“The significant funding boost to whole family support and extra resources for third sector organisations will provide a lifeline to families who need help most, right across Scotland.
“But we can’t afford to slow down. Scotland’s legal target to eradicate child poverty demands bold, accelerated action. Life is tougher than ever for many children and families and at Children First we witness this first-hand every day.
“That’s why we urgently need a National Front Door that offers a simple accessible way for families to get the help they need when they need it.”
Children First’s manifesto for the 2026 Holyrood elections calls on the next Scottish Government to deliver a comprehensive offer of whole family support to tackle child poverty and give every family the emotional, practical and financial support they need.
Read the manifesto here: 2026 Holyrood Election Manifesto | Children First
Trussell’s Cara Hilton said: ‘While we welcome the @scotgov‘s £40 SCP rate for babies under 1, we continue to call for an increase to £40 a week for all.
‘Our @TrussellUK data shows food parcels for families with children aged 12-16 in Scotland rose by 7% over the past 5 years. #ScotBudget‘.
Responding to the Scottish Budget and Scottish Spending Review, Anna Fowlie, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Chief Executive, said: “Too often and for too long, voluntary organisations that provide vital services to people and communities across Scotland are treated as the poor relation to mainstream public services.
“They have had to contend with budget cuts, short-term funding cycles, late payments, incoherent decision-making, poor communication, inadequate grant management, and more.
“Reform of the voluntary sector funding landscape is long overdue. The Scottish Spending Review is welcome, giving the Government the long-term outlook to make progress on its commitment to deliver improvements, including multi-year funding for Scotland’s voluntary organisations.
“Welcome too is the Scottish Government’s commitment to multi-year funding for sections of the voluntary sector—this shows, again, what is possible.
“Today we had hoped for more than a recommitment to the ‘first step’ announced last February—the Scottish Government’s ‘Fairer Funding’ pilot.
“We know the benefits of multi-year funding: better staffing, stability, and future planning for the services people and communities rely on. The Government’s own research confirms this.
“Multi-year funding alone, however, will not provide the sustainable funding environment the voluntary sector so desperately needs, funding that is flexible, sustainable, and accessible.
“We need to see real progress and recognition of SCVO’s Fair Funding asks beyond multi-year funding. Wider reforms are, unfortunately, now unlikely to be seen before the next parliamentary term.
“In the meantime it is essential that in the weeks following the Scottish Budget the Scottish Government support local authorities and voluntary organisations by meeting their commitments to timely notifications and payments.
“We look forward to further engagement on both Fair Funding and charity regulation in the next parliamentary term.”
Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson said: “Social housing delivery in Scotland remains too slow, too little and too late for the more than 10,000 children homeless tonight. Today’s budget doesn’t do enough to change these facts.
“Shona Robison’s budget was an opportunity for Ministers to put their money where their mouth is. On the face of it an additional £34 million for social housing, compared to the most recent budget, is a step in the right direction – but it is not enough.
“The extra money will only deliver 36,000 affordable homes by 2030 – more than 26,000 short of where they say they would need to be to deliver their promise of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.
“The new Parliament will need a new approach and new money to deliver the social homes needed to reduce homelessness. Homes that the government promised, that academics say we need but for which there is still no credible plan to deliver.
“We must be honest about the real costs of failure. Failing to build the social homes we need means rising homelessness, rising child poverty, rising costs for councils, health boards and the taxpayer.”
Responding to the Scottish Government’s Budget, Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Age said: “It is disappointing to see nothing new in this Budget to adequately respond to the growing number of older people in poverty.
“One in six pensioners now live in poverty across Scotland, a total of 160,000 older people, and we must see more action to support them.
“We want the Scottish Government to set out a clear, targeted strategy to bring down the alarming number of older people in poverty, increase access to the vital Discretionary Housing Payments that can help older renters meet shortfalls in rent, and increase the social security support available to those on a low income in later life.
“With pensioner poverty at its highest level in nearly 20 years, and likely to continue to rise as our population ages, it’s vital all political parties include measures to bring down the levels of poverty in later life in their manifestos’ ahead of May’s Holyrood elections. In a compassionate and wealthy society, we should all be able to live a financially secure, dignified later life.”
Responding to the Scottish Government’s Budget statement which slashed the 40% discount on business rates bills for pubs at the same time as a rates revaluation will lead to higher bills from 1 April, Stuart McMahon, Director of pubgoers group CAMRA Scotland said: “Pubgoers and publicans simply won’t stand for a Budget which will force more of our locals to go to the wall by landing them with bills they simply can’t afford.
“I fear that slashing the 40% discount on business rates bills for pubs to just 15% at the same time as these bills are increasing will be absolutely disastrous.
“Transitional reliefs may sound good but if this Budget still means higher business rates bills than pubs are paying now then this will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for many hard-pressed licensees.
“Pubs need permanently lower business rates bills so that they can survive, thrive and play their part as vital community hubs.”
The Scottish Government’s budget announcement of further funding for the college sector, which includes a combined increase of £70 million in resource and capital funding, received a qualified welcome. Principal of Edinburgh College, Audrey Cumberford said: “While this is a welcome step in the right direction for college funding, there is still more that needs to be done.
“This increase will help to undo some of the damage done by years of real terms cuts, but more is needed if we are to ensure the future sustainability of our sector.
“There is now a clear consensus across the political spectrum for better funding for colleges.
“I would urge parties to continue to work together to make sure we unleash the true potential of our sector so we can continue to drive economic growth and improve the lives of Scots across the country.”
Responding to the Scottish government’s 2026-27 budget, announced today by Finance Secretary Shona Robison, RCEM Vice President for Scotland Dr Fiona Hunter said: “Scottish Emergency Departments are in the midst of a crisis born of political apathy towards tackling the difficult problems of social care capacity, delayed discharges and the overall issue of hospital flow.
“Today’s budget indicates once again that the Scottish government understands what the issues are. £2.3bn extra for social care, an uplift in frontline NHS spending, specific targeted action on delayed discharge and local engagement – these are all measures we warmly welcome from the government.
“As well as this, our members will be pleased to hear about improvements to training, retention and working conditions.
“However, we’ve been here before. Time after time the reality in our A&Es has got worse, not better, despite claims from the government that the NHS has been on ‘the path to recovery’ in recent years.
“We are seeing more and more patients waiting alone on trolleys in hospital corridors for hours on end, getting sicker and being put at risk of harm.
“This has happened because exit block has not been tackled, despite promises to the contrary from the government.
“The devil will be in the detail and I will reserve judgement for when myself, and the members I represent, see improvements in our Emergency Departments.
“We look forward to continued engagement with the government on how it seeks to tackle hospital flow, and await further information on how the Health Secretary will take today’s promises and turn them into action and, ultimately, improvements for our patients.”
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU, said: “This Budget offers some short-term stability for councils, but it ducks the bigger questions about how local government is funded.
There is still no meaningful move towards multi-year settlements, which councils overwhelmingly say they need in order to plan sustainably. Our annual State of Local Government Finance in Scotland research, launched last week, reinforces this.
Incentivising a council tax freeze risks further undermining local fiscal autonomy, while adult social care remains the single biggest pressure on council finances without clear, dedicated funding.
Housing investment is welcome, but spreading it across the country without enabling local flexibility limits its capacity to tackle the areas of greatest need.
Overall, this is a Budget that manages immediate pressures but avoids the structural reform required to put local government finance on a sustainable footing.”
The Existing Homes Alliance (EHA) is a coalition of over 20 housing, environmental, fuel poverty, consumer and industry organisations calling for urgent action to transform Scotland’s existing housing stock.
Lori McElroy, Chair of the Existing Homes Alliance said: “While we welcome the ongoing support to help homeowners, landlords and tenants to make their homes warmer, healthier and more affordable to heat, this remains a drop in the ocean when we have over 800,000 households living in fuel poverty and 44% of Scotland’s homes falling below Energy Performance Certificate band C.
“Scotland has excellent fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes such as Warmer Homes Scotland, Area-based Schemes and the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, as well as generous grants through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme, but the gap between what is needed and what is currently being delivered is wide.
“This Budget, as it stands, is a missed opportunity to significantly scale up these programmes which would reduce fuel poverty, improve public health by tackling damp and mould, and prepare the workforce and supply chains needed to deliver our climate change targets – supporting thousands of jobs and economic opportunities across Scotland.”
Joanne Smith, Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “For children to thrive, it’s vital that they have the best start in life, and so we are heartened by the Scottish Government’s commitment to increase the Child Payment for under ones. But we are disappointed that young families now will not reap those benefits, with it starting in more than a year’s time.
“We also welcome the Scottish Government’s renewed investment in the whole family support fund and its work to continue to deliver the Promise. But it is so important that in this it recognises the fundamental need for support for very young children, just like the Scottish Child Payment does, so that families get the help they need right from the start.”
Scotland’s Chief Constable Jo Farrell has responded to the Scottish Government’s tax and spending plans for 2026 to 2027.
Chief Constable Farrell said: “I recognise a £90m cash-terms uplift to revenue funding and an improved capital allocation for policing against a challenging public finance picture.
“I set out the funding requirements for policing in evidence during the Criminal Justice Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny work.
“Police Scotland will continue to engage with the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Government to understand the full implications of the budget and develop our planning for the year ahead.
“My focus continues to be on prioritising our frontline to deliver safer communities, less crime, and supported victims as part of our vision for policing.”
COSLA: Budget Reality
Only a sustainable, multi-year funding model for Scotland’s third sector can address growing pressures on workers across the charity sector, new research has found.
The 2025 Voluntary Workforce Survey, carried out by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) – Scotland’s national membership organisation for the voluntary sector – spoke to more than 1,300 people working for charities and voluntary organisations.
Funding insecurity and uncertainty, and general funding shortages impacting on pay and resources, are all having a negative impact on staff, with representatives from across the sector warning that unless action is taken, the situation will not improve.
1 in 4 survey respondents reported being on fixed-term or temporary contracts, rising to 1 in 3 for front-line workers. This is far higher than the wider workforce where only 1 in 10 workers is on a non-permanent contract.
More than a quarter of voluntary sector workers (27%) felt it was quite or highly likely they would lose their job in the next 12 months, twice the rate reported in the wider workforce (13%).
Alongside this stress about their future, the number of staff who felt they had a good work-life balance has also dropped from 60% to 50% between 2015 and 2025.
Many respondents spoke of workloads increasing due to problems recruiting and retaining staff, often a knock-on effect of funding cuts and funding insecurity.
SCVO are calling for the Scottish Government’s own funding principles to align with SCVO’s definition of Fair Funding – developed through significant research and engagement with the voluntary sector.
This includes longer-term funding of three years or more; flexible, unrestricted core funding, which enables organisations to provide security; timely decision-making and the inclusion of inflation-based uplifts and full costs, including core operating costs in grants.
Despite the pressures facing them, workers also underlined their belief in their work, and the meaningful services they provide. 84% of respondents said that making a real difference to people and communities is one of best aspects of their work, while 87% saw their work as useful – far higher than the wider Scottish workforce.
While still generally positive, job satisfaction is down 15 percentage points from 79% in 2015 to 64% in 2025. The main factors driving this downturn in satisfaction appear to be higher workloads and stress, and most importantly funding.
SCVO Chief Executive, Anna Fowlie said: “Scotland’s voluntary sector is powered by people who care deeply about making a difference. Our workforce survey shows a strong sense of purpose among voluntary sector workers, and commitment to the work they do day in, day out.
“But it also highlights the significant strain being put on voluntary sector workers as a result of the financial pressures that have become all too familiar to the voluntary sector.
“Voluntary sector leaders will, of course, be up for the challenge of delivering rewarding, fair work. Too often this is being undermined by public sector funders. Budget cuts, short-term funding cycles, late payments, incoherent decision-making and poor communication have become all-too familiar.
“This needs to change – and our politicians know it. Ahead of the Scottish Budget and Spending Review, the Scottish Government has a real chance to create a funding landscape that is multi-year, sustainable, flexible and accessible. The people and communities served by Scotland’s dedicated voluntary sector workers deserve nothing less.”
Lucinda Godfrey, CEO of Charity Leadership Scotland, commented: “These numbers confirm what many leaders already feel: the work is vital, but the weight of it is heavy.
“At Charity Leadership Scotland, we are committed to collaborating on powerful research that assesses the wellness of Scotland’s voluntary sector and ideally leads to meaningful action to protect and support the individuals and organisations underpinning it.”
The voluntary sector in Scotland employs just over 136,000 people, meaning that 5% of Scotland’s 2.66million workers are employed in the voluntary sector.
Shauna Wright, lead officer for fair work in Unite the Union, commented: “Unite the Union stands with care and not‑for‑profit workers who have faced underfunding in their sector, resulting in higher stress levels and concerns about their future employment opportunities in an industry where they have not felt valued for the work they provide.
“Urgent action is needed to secure fair pay terms and conditions.”
Charities across the country are being urged to review their fraud prevention measures following latest data showing that 10 charity fraud incidents were recorded across Scotland in the past 13 months.
Data from Action Fraud’s Fraud and Cyber Crime Statistics Dashboard shows that these 10 incidents resulted in total losses of £31,700.
The figures reflect crimes reported to police, which may include cases where charities were directly targeted or where members of the public were deceived by fraudsters posing as charitable causes.
Ansvar Insurance, which specialises in providing cover to the charity and not-for-profit sectors, is highlighting the importance of vigilance ahead of Charity Fraud Awareness Week (8th to 12th December 2025), which aims to raise awareness and share good practice across the voluntary sector.
Adam Tier, Head of Underwriting at Ansvar, commented: “These figures represent real money that should have gone towards genuine charitable causes. Whether the victims are charities themselves or members of the public misled by fraudulent fundraising, the impact on trust in the sector is the same.
“The voluntary sector faces unique vulnerabilities, such as limited resources and high staff turnover, which criminals can exploit. As we approach Charity Fraud Awareness Week, we’re encouraging organisations to look beyond the basics and strengthen their long-term fraud resilience.”
While most charities are familiar with standard security protocols, Ansvar is drawing attention to three often-overlooked protective measures that organisations should not neglect:
Adam Tier added: “Charity Fraud Awareness Week is an opportunity for every organisation, large or small, to pause and review its controls.
“Prevention doesn’t always mean big budgets; it’s often about simple checks and staying alert to changes that don’t feel quite right.”
To help local organisations assess their vulnerabilities, Ansvar has published a cyber risk management guide on its website :-
https://ansvar.co.uk/resources/risk-management-guides/protection-from-cyber-attack/.
