Small charities are the backbone of Scotland’s voluntary sector. Rooted in their communities, they provide trusted support, create opportunities, bring people together and respond to local needs every day. As we celebrate [Small Charity Week](https://www.smallcharityweek.org.uk/), it is the perfect opportunity to recognise the remarkable contribution of Scotland’s smallest voluntary organisations and the people who run them. 

The latest findings from the [Scottish Third Sector Tracker](https://scvo.scot/research/scottish-third-sector-tracker) show that organisations with an annual income of £100,000 or less continue to face significant challenges. Fundraising remains a concern for 43% of small organisations, while 39% report volunteer shortages and a third cite rising costs as a major challenge. Recruiting volunteers is a particular pressure, with 58% of small organisations experiencing difficulties. 

Despite this, Scotland’s small charities continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience. Over the past six months, more than one in five (22%) delivered more services than they had planned. A further third (33%) delivered everything they set out to achieve, while 39% delivered most of what they had planned. These figures reflect the commitment and adaptability that small organisations bring to their communities. 

The tracker also points to a positive outlook. More than a third (36%) of small organisations expect to expand their services in the future, compared with 32% across the sector as a whole. Only 6% anticipate reducing services. At a time when many organisations are balancing increasing demand with limited resources, this speaks volumes about the dedication of small organisations to communities across Scotland.  

Small organisations are often the first to identify emerging needs and the closest to the people they support. Their impact extends far beyond their size, helping to build stronger, fairer and more connected communities across the country. 

At SCVO, we're proud to support small charities and community groups throughout the year. Organisations with an annual income of up to £100,000 can get free SCVO [membership](https://scvo.scot/membership), giving them access to information, practical support, training opportunities, funding information and a network of peers across the sector. 

This Small Charity Week, we celebrate the volunteers, trustees and staff who make small charities such a vital part of Scotland’s communities. Their work matters, their impact is significant, and they deserve recognition not just this week, but all year round.

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## About SCVO

SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) is the national membership organisation for Scotland's voluntary sector.

Our role is to champion the role of voluntary organisations in Scotland and to support them to do work that has a positive impact.

SCVO supports members and the wider voluntary sector with all aspects of setting up and running a voluntary organisation. SCVO represents the needs and concerns of the voluntary sector to the Scottish government in Holyrood and UK government and Westminster. Through our learning and events programme SCVO offers training and development opportunities to the sector.

Members access an extensive membership benefits package including specialist, in-depth, 1-to-1 guidance from our Information Services team and from professional service partners.

Access to exclusive membership networks (including comms, employers, governance and policy) supports members to grow their connections, stay up to date, exchange ideas and views with peers, and learn through tailored, learning opportunities.

SCVO members enjoy free access to Funding Scotland Premium to stay on top of funding opportunities to support their organisation’s financial resilience.

Discounts and savings savings on SCVO products and services (including our HR service, managed IT support, payroll service and events and training) and partner offers provide members with support to allow them to focus on delivering their organisation’s goals. Further SCVO products and services include [extensive digital support](https://scvo.scot/support/digital), a climate action resource [Growing Climate Confidence](https://climateconfident.scot), a voluntary sector publication [Third Force News](https://tfn.scot) and a voluntary sector jobs and recruitment service [Goodmoves](https://goodmoves.org).

For more information on SCVO membership, visit [SCVO membership](https://scvo.scot/membership)