Our Research

How we think about and define issues, concepts and debates around the third sector ultimately affects policy and defines action…

TSRC is developing a qualitative sample of organisations which will be researched on a case study basis throughout the life of the Centre. This will provide an opportunity to study the nature of change in third sector activity over time, and how organisations adapt, progress and survive…

What contribution can social enterprise make within the third sector? This research cuts across all other programmes, examining the role of policies aimed at promoting and supporting enterprise, and the contribution social enterprise can make to service provision and social inclusion…

Assessing the impact of third sector organisations is a key research priority for TSRC. It is linked to our mapping and measuring of the sector, and has a particular focus on the role that third sector organisations play in delivering public services and contributing to general community wellbeing...

This theme cuts across all our work. We conduct research that looks specifically at minority or disadvantaged groups, how the third sector benefits these groups, and the role of these organisations within the sector as a whole.

TSRC is conducting a large-scale programme of quantitative research, using data from the charity commission and other sources. This is designed to help develop our understanding of the third sector – including its distribution, contribution, and the impact of external factors such as the economy…

Third sector organisations deliver services to a wide range of potential users and beneficiaries, and have a growing role in the delivery of public sector services. Working with key policy makers and practitioners, an early priority is to identify emerging areas of policy and practice…

‘Below the radar’ describes organisations that do not necessarily exist on formal registers, and are often unknown to policy-makers, funders or anyone beyond their direct beneficiaries…

Whilst often associated with volunteering, the third sector employs at least 700,000 workers and this number has grown significantly over time. This work stream looks at the people, the relationships and the characteristics that define third sector employment...

Whilst environmental protests have had a big voice in recent years, we know relatively little about how the sector more broadly is responding to environmental challenges...