The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
Cost of living & the #RunningCostsCrisis
We're here to support you in tough times
As the cost of living crisis takes hold, people and communities need voluntary sector services more than ever. At the same time, voluntary organisations face spiralling costs, falling income and an uncertain future. We know that 61% of voluntary organisations are experiencing financial challenges while continuing to see an increased demand for services.
It’s a worrying time. We're here to provide practical support and help fight your corner.
We are regularly updating this page with new information, news and updates, so please keep checking to make sure that you're up to speed with all of our latest #RunningCostsCrisis resources.
We’re also eager to hear from you. How are you affected? What would help?
Information & advice
When your budgets are tight and your future feels uncertain, making sure your policies and ways of working are efficient is important. We’re here to help with our information on a range of topics, from getting and keeping funding, to business planning and organisational development, to staff retention and reward. Get in touch if you need us.
Policy & influencing
We’re giving you information to deal with things as they are, but we’re also always working closely with government, funders and the sector, to influence and guide decisions and discussions. Here’s a round up of the way we’re using our voice to support you through financial uncertainty.
- We continue to brief MSPs in Holyrood and MPs in Westminster on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on voluntary organisations, drawing on the findings of the Scottish Third Sector Tracker.
- Our position paper on the need for Fair Funding has led the Scottish Government to commit to fairer funding in its Policy Prospectus and Programme for Government.
- We briefed MSPs ahead of the Scottish Budget. This included a call for support with energy costs that the UK government had provided to the sector in England and Wales to be replicated in Scotland.
- Last year MSPs used our briefings to secure commitments to multi-year funding from the Cabinet Secretary and Deputy First Minister.
- SCVO and the TSI Scotland Network have written to the Scottish Government multiple times to raise our concerns about delayed decision-making across funding streams.
- SCVO, with over 30 other organisations, worked together to secure charities access to the Energy Bills Relief Scheme set up by the UK Government.
- We continue to call on the Scottish Government to explore and re-open bulk purchasing options for electricity and gas that can be accessed by the sector.
Opinions and news from SCVO
SCVO response to 2023/24 Programme for Government where we welcome commitments to Fairer Funding and review of charity law, but hoped for more urgency and action.
SCVO welcomes Scottish Government’s latest commitment to progress Fairer Funding - read the latest statement from our CEO, Anna Fowlie.
'Perfect storm' could see voluntary groups shut - SCVO's Paul Bradley highlights the data from our Third Sector tracker and the worrying picture it paints for Scotland's voluntary sector in the coming months.
Repair your umbrella or build a boat? How to respond to a perfect storm - SCVO's Kirsten Hogg says the crisis is a fight on all fronts
Practical cost saving from SCVO
Keeping costs down has never felt more important. Our members have access to exclusive services and support including:
- Free legal advice
- Free tax and VAT advice
- Framework agreements – a collective way of purchasing and tendering open to SCVO members and voluntary organisations
- Our SCVO partners provide discounted services and goods to SCVO members, covering areas like utilities, finance and IT
- Investment advice
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Webinars & training
We're developing a series of webinars covering all the topics we think might help you through this difficult time, with help from experts. We'll announce them once they're confirmed. You can keep an eye on our events and training here:
We wanted to share our past webinars that might be useful - some of them were created in response to the covid crisis and remain relevant to what we face now.
SCVO and NCVO webinar: How to manage rising energy costs: what next for charities?
We ran this sold out session on 9th February. If you missed it, you can watch the recording.
Work and news from the sector
Read about other members of the sector, and hear how they’re responding to the cost of living crisis.
- Matthew Linning from Volunteer Scotland discusses new evidence showing the impact of the cost of living crisis on volunteering.
- Charities Aid Foundation have a hub of information, tools and inspiration to help you through the cost of living crisis
- The Chartered Institute of Fundraising has collected guidance and information about generating income, good fundraising practice and research.
- Scottish Government cost of living crisis campaign gives information for individuals on help available with money, food and energy.
- Supporting employees through the crisis when pay-rises aren't an option - from Atkinson HR Consulting
- Young Scot have created a resource for young people on Coping with the cost crisis with information, tips and support for young people
- The Citizens Advice dashboard shows how the crisis is impacting on people across the UK.
- The NPC resource hub has been developed to advise funders how the needs of charities and the communities they work with are changing, and call for greater investment
Please get in touch with us to tell us your story, or share other resources that you have found valuable.
