It’s true to say that mentality and culture in the third sector are very different from those in the corporate sector. It’s more difficult, however, to define exactly what that difference is. Some see the corporate sector as shrewd, canny, and businesslike. The very purpose of a corporate entity is to provide a return for its shareholders. Although there may be some aspects of the corporate sector that we in the voluntary one don’t like, there is much that chief executives of charities can learn from the way the private sector is run. Read more »

Most charities exist because someone had a good idea, wanted to do good, wanted to help others, or wanted to alleviate poverty. The people that are actively involved in running or supporting charities are good people, who want their client group to genuinely benefit from the work they do.

The government has made much of its admiration for the voluntary sector, with David Cameron repeatedly pledging to help charities, claiming that “we need a government that helps to create a big society.” Unfortunately, from my experience this doesn’t seem to be happening on the ground. Read more »