Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The National Survey of Third Sector Organisations, 2008 (NSTSO) measured the views of third sector organisations (TSOs) across 149 top tier local authority areas. The survey had two aims: to measure a baseline and progress against a key national indicator in the local government performance framework (NI7: An Environment for a Thriving Third Sector), and to understand the issues which comprise third sector organisations’ view of their area as a place to work. For the second survey in the series, conducted in 2010, the series title was changed to the National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises (NSCSE). The NSCSE 2010 is held at the UK Data Archive under SN 7347. While the name of the series has changed, the waves of the survey are equivalent in all other respects.

Further information and detailed analysis conducted by Ipsos MORI is available from the NSCSE web site.


Main Topics:

The data file contains responses to each of the questions included in the NSTSO survey, and also additional information on each third sector organisation taken from published sources and provided by GuideStar UK. The survey comprised identifier questions, an 'indicator' question to measure a baseline for NI7, and a range of further questions on issues of concern to TSOs. The indicator question asked: 'Taking everything into account, overall, how do the statutory bodies in your local area influence your organisation's success?' The NI7 score for an area is comprised by the percentage of respondents selecting 'Very positive influence' or 'positive influence' from a five point scale. Other questions explored a range of issues around local and national funding, local support and partnership working.