Research

Our aim is to develop knowledge about the voluntary and community sector for the benefit of researchers, policy makers and organisations interested in the sector through a range of research projects.

We provide basic research training developed to meet the needs of individuals within the sector on how to conduct reliable research.

Research Themes

The work of the research team can be broken down into four main themes; resources, people, performance and influence.

Our Primary Research

State of the Sector (SOS)

State of the Sector is the definitive resource on the size, scope and finances of the Northern Ireland Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector. Explore State of the Sector now

Viewfinder

Viewfinder is a snapshot survey of the sector so we can get an overview of what it thinks about certain issues and the problems it is facing. We send the survey out to all of our members every few months.

Salary Survey

This study looks at changing salary and employment benefit trends in the voluntary and community sector. We develop and circulate the questionnaire, analyse the results and write the final report.

Charitable Giving Survey

The Charitable Giving Survey researches how much money people in Northern Ireland donate. It looks at what charities individuals donate to, how they donated and why.

Consultancy

We welcome external research contracts. Our clients to date have included Supporting People (NIHE), Northern Ireland Audit Office, Department for Regional Development, Copius Consulting , CIVICUS, The Wheel, SEUPB, Voluntary and Community Unit at DSD, and the Volunteer Development Agency now known as Volunteer Now.

Research on the Road

This is a series of training aimed at groups outside of Belfast to help them design their own research projects. The session offers advice and expertise on how to conduct reliable research. It provides a ‘rough guide’ to research methods and highlights the importance of research reports and other methods of dissemination. These events are specifically tailored for the voluntary and community sector.

Research and Reports

The Financial Benefits of the Supporting People Programme in Northern Ireland

21 January, 2015

[email protected]

This report estimates the costs that would be incurred if the Supporting People programme were to cease.
Universal Childcare in Northern Ireland

1 December, 2014

[email protected]

This report estimates the economic implications of providing universal childcare in Northern Ireland using cost-benefit analysis.
Individual Giving in Northern Ireland 2014

4 September, 2014

[email protected]

NICVA’s latest research into charitable giving in Northern Ireland examines change in the percentage of individuals that donate, donation by age, the causes donated to, fundraising techniques, methods of donation and legacy giving.
Viewfinder 16

24 April, 2014

[email protected]

This viewfinder survey focuses on prompt payment for grant claims, charity registration, open data and the role of media in influencing public opinion
Salary Survey 2012

3 February, 2014

[email protected]

NICVA’S Salary Survey 2012 is the fourth such study carried out in Northern Ireland. The research focuses on the issues of recruitment, retention, training and pensions as well as salaries and benefits.
Viewfinder 15

21 November, 2013

[email protected]

This viewfinder survey examines issues such as bureaucracy, charity registration and auto enrolment of pensions.
Charitable Giving in Northern Ireland 2013

20 November, 2013

[email protected]

NICVA’s latest research into charitable giving in Northern Ireland examines who donates to charity, how much they donate and where they donate from.
Viewfinder 14

17 May, 2013

[email protected]

This viewfinder survey focuses on current economic conditions, funding cuts, organisational income, funding and social enterprise activity.
Viewfinder 13

26 November, 2012

[email protected]

This viewfinder survey focuses on the current economic environment, funding, the new charity regulations and governance.
A Review of PEACE III and Considerations for PEACE IV

12 October, 2012

[email protected]

Key stakeholders including voluntary and community groups, programme delivery bodies and the Special EU Programmes Body have their say on how the Peace III programme is working to date and what they would like to see in the upcoming PEACE IV programme.
Viewfinder 12

14 June, 2012

[email protected]

This viewfinder survey focuses on the current economic environment and competition, the impact of public sector cuts, sources of income in the sector, training provision, social enterprises, staffing and volunteers.
State of the Sector VI

1 April, 2012

[email protected]

State of the Sector VI provides a comprehensive picture of the scale and scope of the economic activities of the Northern Ireland voluntary and community sector.
Viewfinder 11

14 March, 2012

[email protected]

This viewfinder survey focuses on collaborative working and competition, the impact of public sector cuts and sources of income, as well as staffing and volunteers.
Viewfinder 10

20 October, 2011

[email protected]

This viewfinder survey focuses specifically on two key themes; collaborative working and the impact of public sector cuts on the voluntary and community sector.
Salary Survey 2010

1 December, 2010

[email protected]

NICVA’S Salary Survey 2010 is the third such study carried out in Northern Ireland. It focuses on the workforce composition of the voluntary and community sector and considers the issues of recruitment and retention as well as salaries and benefits.
Viewfinder 9

22 November, 2010

[email protected]

This Viewfinder survey looks at awareness of the new Charity Commission and preparedness for the new regulations; the Code of Good Governance; collaborative working and mergers; the impact of the economic recession and volunteering.
Northern Ireland Giving Survey 2010

1 October, 2010

[email protected]

NICVA’s latest research into charitable giving in Northern Ireland suggests that the number of individuals giving to charity, and the amounts donors are giving, have remained steady despite the recession.
Impact of the Recession - Case Studies from the Sector (2010)

20 April, 2010

[email protected]

This research investigates how the impact of the recession is affecting organisations within the voluntary and community sector, and how these organisations are dealing with these effects.
Managing to Deliver: Public Service Delivery in Northern Ireland

1 April, 2010

[email protected]

This research examines the impact of public service delivery in Northern Ireland and involved analysing the impact of contracted public services and developing a detailed assessment of the economic scale of public service delivery.
The Impact of Recession on the Sector (2009)

10 November, 2009

[email protected]

This research provides a snapshot of the emerging impacts of the recession on the voluntary and community sector.

Updates

Cost of Doing Business Research

7 May, 2025

[email protected]

NICVA and business bodies attended a roundtable hosted by Minister John O’Dowd on 6 May on the wider budgetary context, the Department’s Strategic Review of Rates as well as the Cost of Doing Business research.
NICVA Launches 2024 Voluntary and Community Sector Workforce Report

30 September, 2024

[email protected]

A new report by NICVA highlights the challenges faced by Northern Ireland’s voluntary and community sector workforce, examines the implications of these challenges, and reflects on potential solutions to mitigate these difficulties.
NICVA takes the pulse of the sector – what we found out

26 April, 2024

Anonymous

As part of NICVA's State of the Sector research portfolio, each year several surveys are undertaken to provide a snapshot of current issues that may potentially impact our member organisations and those they represent.
NICVA's latest survey reveals challenges and priorities for Northern Ireland's voluntary and community sector

22 March, 2023

[email protected]

NICVA's latest survey sheds light on critical issues for the voluntary and community sector such as the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive, workforce challenges and digital capacity.
Northern Ireland has highest levels of trust in charities, across the UK and Ireland

25 March, 2021

[email protected]

Public trust and confidence in charities is higher in Northern Ireland than in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, research released by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland has revealed.
Giving to charities drops amid Covid pandemic

25 March, 2021

[email protected]

People in Northern Ireland gave significantly less to charity during the last 12 months compared to the same period in 2019. That’s according to new research from NICVA into charitable giving in Northern Ireland.
Support and funding needed to help Voluntary and Community Sector organisations overcome fallout from Covid-19

28 September, 2020

[email protected]

The urgent need for training and investment in the voluntary and community sector has been highlighted by a recent survey carried out by the NICVA.
Significant loss of income felt across the voluntary and community sector amid Covid-19 pandemic

11 September, 2020

[email protected]

Over two thirds of voluntary and community sector organisations have reported a loss of income despite an increased demand for their services according to a recent study carried out by NICVA.
Voluntary and Community Sector in Northern Ireland significantly impacted by Covid-19

4 September, 2020

[email protected]

Following a difficult six months for the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland, the next year could see a further reduction in vital services, underlining the crucial need for ongoing and future support for the sector.
NI sector organisations employ over 53,000 and 1 in 7 involve EU mainland nationals

27 June, 2019

Anonymous

NICVA’s latest Workforce Survey has revealed that an estimated 53,620 individuals are employed within the VCSE sector in NI.
Research partnerships with the VCSE sector – NICVA and QUB hold their first joint Community Based Research Engagement Event

12 June, 2019

Anonymous

In February, NICVA and the Research and Enterprise Directorate at QUB hosted their first ever joint event on facilitating community based research as part of the Engaged Research Action Plan 2019-2021.
As charitable giving in Northern Ireland falls, charities are going digital to fund their vital work

24 May, 2019

Anonymous

NICVA’s latest survey of Charitable Giving in Northern Ireland shows that donations have fallen since 2017 but that digital giving through electronic means appears to be becoming ever more popular.
Fewer people giving to charity compared to one year ago

31 January, 2018

[email protected]

People in Northern Ireland are less likely to give money to charity and in smaller amounts compared to last year, according to NICVA research.
90% of adults in Northern Ireland have used a charitable or voluntary service in the last year, NICVA research reveals

6 December, 2017

Neil Wilson

1,326,722 people in Northern Ireland – 90% of the adult population – have made use of a charitable or voluntary service in the past 12 months.
Detail Data Partnership with the ADRC-NI

20 September, 2017

[email protected]

For some time, Detail Data and the ADRC NI have worked in partnership to bring different source of research and data to the voluntary and community sector to help inform their decision making, service delivery and strategic planning.
NICVA launches open data and data sharing viewfinder

19 September, 2017

[email protected]

NICVA has launched a Viewfinder survey to assess members experience of open data and data sharing. The results will help us when engaging with government on open data and to get a clear picture of data sharing arrangements in the sector.
NICVA Launches Data Viewfinder

24 July, 2017

[email protected]

NICVA has launched a Viewfinder survey to members in order to assess their data governance and security. The results will be used to help us ensure members are fully supported with these issues when preparing for GDPR.
NICVA Thanks Faith Survey Respondents

26 April, 2017

[email protected]

NICVA is delighted to announce the winners of the NI Faith Survey prize draw.
NICVA Releases Findings from Northern Ireland Faith Survey

26 April, 2017

[email protected]

NICVA recently completed research on the faith based sector in Northern Ireland, which established the community work conducted by these organisations, outside of regular worship, and identified their training/support needs.
Results of NICVA's Funding Watch Survey

22 March, 2017

[email protected]

NICVA recently ran a Funding Watch survey which assessed voluntary and community organisations current statutory funding situation and the likely impact of uncertainty and/or funding cuts. This article presents the survey findings.