The contribution of the voluntary and community sector and grantmaking to Lon-don’s civic strength
MyCake and SuperHighways
The role and contribution of voluntary organisation to local communities has traditionally been difficult to measure. London’s Civic Strength Index draws upon a wide range of data sources to do this, so that users can compare different areas across London using the GLA’s Civic Strength Tool.
MyCake, in partnership with SuperHighways, were funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA) to explore how the measures for the contribution of voluntary organisations and grantmaking can be refined and strengthened. Our work sets out how a narrower definitions of registered charities and their resources, including volunteering, will lead to a more nuanced picture of the sector’s contribution to civic strength. We have also proposed methodological improvements to the data on grantmaking so that the Index focuses on grantmaking to the voluntary and community sector. This includes linking 360Giving’s data on grantmaking to the register of charities so that we have a clearer picture of which parts of the sector in London are supported by grantmakers.
We believe that our work has implications beyond London. Understanding the role and contribution of the voluntary and community sector to communities is more important than ever as groups and organisations navigate challenging times. We hope that our work will help a more consistent, nuanced approach to future work.