Below the radar

This paper uses the 360Giving dataset to find and explore grassroots non-profit organisations operating at the local community or neighbourhood level. Such organisations are vital to UK civil society but often fall ‘below the radar’, and have previously been under-represented in research and statistics. This paper demonstrates the value of data-sharing in bringing them into the spotlight.

The Big Local programme has always demonstrated the importance of community connectedness and grassroots solutions to solving local issues and supporting the most vulnerable members of a community. What we didn’t know was the extent to which such grassroots organisations exist. Using available data from 2016 to 2019, NCVO and 360Giving found that over 13,000 of these small – yet important – organisations are in operation across the UK.

Documenting the existence of these organisations and the funds they distribute is essential if we are to truly recognise the enormous value they add to communities, and support their vital work. 

Read more about what this research shows (and why it matters) in this blog from our Research team.