Public and charity views published

01 August 2008

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, OSCR, has published the findings of its surveys into the views of the public and the charity sector carried out earlier this year.

The surveys, which track views on charities and charity regulation, were conducted in April and are published today in a summary report: Public and Charity Perceptions – Summary of OSCR’s 2008 Surveys.

The survey of the general public tracked levels of trust in Scottish charities and gathered views on areas of interest and concern. The survey of charities sought feedback on OSCR’s priorities, communications and operational functions; and tracked issues of concern to the sector.

Where possible, survey results are compared to those given in OSCR’s 2007 surveys. OSCR has seen an improvement in all its scores. Some comparisons are also made with England and Wales using information from the recently published 2008 Charity Commission Study into Public Trust and Confidence in Charities.

The surveys follow the publication last month of Scottish Charities 2008, OSCR’s profile of the charity sector in Scotland and, said chief executive Jane Ryder, demonstrated the regulator’s ongoing commitment to transparency and informing the public and the sector.

‘As a proportionate regulator we are pleased to see that our activities, communication and guidance continue to find favour with the sector,’ she said. ‘It is also reassuring to see that the public is generally very supportive of charities and we will consider how we can inform the public about the work of the regulator,’ she added.

Key findings from the charity survey were:

- 79% believe that OSCR strikes the right balance between regulation and advice to the sector.

- Only 13% of respondents find OSCR’s documentation difficult to complete and over 90% have Internet access and email.

- The charity sector’s main concerns are funding and volunteer recruitment.

Key findings from the public survey were:

- The public is mainly trusting of charities and donates generously. Only 5% of respondents have no trust in charities; and only 4% give nothing to charity.

- 75% believe that charities are very good, or good, at the work they do.

- The public is mainly concerned about charity running costs and keeping of accurate accounts.

The research was carried out by Robert Marshall, an independent researcher based at the University of Glasgow. OSCR will repeat its surveys in early 2009.

Issued by OSCR, The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Quadrant House, 9 Riverside Drive, Dundee DD1 4NY. For further information call 01382 220446 or email mark.simpson@oscr.org.uk or morag.mcdonald@oscr.org.uk