National Council for Voluntary Organisations

Third Sector Foresight

Future Focus
What will campaigning
be like in 5 years’ time?

7
Published by NCVO
The Future Focus series was
originally published by the
Whatever plans w e make, changes in our external
Performance Hub, a partnership
between The National Council for
environment influ ence voluntary and community
Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
and Charities Evaluation Services
(CES). Future Focus was written
organisations (VC Os). These might be reducing or
and edited by NCVO’s Third
Sector Foresight and Strategy
and Impact Teams.
shrinking sources of funding, changing government
Written by NCVO Third Sector
Foresight: Natalie Williams
policies and regul atory priorities, shifting social
Design by SteersMcGillan Design Ltd
Printed by Emtone Print
attitudes, new tec hnologies, and so on.
ISBN: 978-0-7199-1795-0
© NCVO 2009
NCVO, Regent’s Wharf, 8 All
Saints Street, London N1 9RL
Registered charity no: 225922.
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted, in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying or otherwise, without All organisations can become more executive and senior managers, but community organisations (VCO).
the prior permission of NCVO. successful by spending some time they still put it off: “I’ll do it after this Each guide focuses on a different
Every effort has been made improving their understanding of next funding application”; “…after this topic. For those keen to learn how
to ensure the accuracy of the the likely future of these external next board meeting”; “…once the new to do it themselves, we have also
information contained within
this publication. However, NCVO
pressures and using this to make trustees are recruited”. published Looking Out, an accessible
cannot be held responsible for any a stronger organisational strategy. This is understandable; a good analysis introduction to help VCOs develop
action an individual or organisation Some view this as a luxury: “It’s only of the future does take time, and can these skills.2
takes, or fails to take, as a result of for rich charities”, or as impossible: involve learning new skills. For people This is the seventh guide in the series
this information.
“It’s stargazing! You can’t predict the with little time on their hands, NCVO (see page 46 for details of the full series).
future!” Others think that it is just an Third Sector Foresight1 have produced This guide explores how campaigning
intellectual exercise that won’t change the Future Focus series to provide will change in the future. It suggests
what their organisation does. Others ready-made analyses of the future ways for you and your colleagues to
appreciate that it is one of the critical changes that are most likely to affect use this information to help make
tasks of the chair, the board, the chief small and medium-sized voluntary and strategic choices and plan ahead.
 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 
How to use
Future Focus 7
In the following pages,
we outline the most
important drivers that
we believe will affect
campaigning in the
coming years. What are drivers?

These trends and issues may already be

influencing your organisation or some Drivers are major forces or
parts of it at the moment. But these are
the drivers which we think will grow in
importance for small and medium-
trends that could positively or
sized VCOs in the coming years.
This guide will help you explore how
negatively shape the future of
key changes affecting campaigning
will impact on the voluntary and
your organisation.
community sector in the future
and how your organisation might
take advantage of opportunities
and minimise any risks.

 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 

Inside
Future Focus 7

Setting the scene 8 So what? Now what? 34

An overview of the role and importance of campaigning
and how this might change in the future
Six drivers
Driver 1: Growth of consumer activism 10
Driver 2: More fluid activism 14
Driver 3::Growth of new technologies 18
Driver 4: ‘Professionalisation’ of campaigning 22
Driver 5: Increase in competition and coalitions 26
Driver 6: Marginalisation of dissent 30
A worksheet to help you pull together your thoughts
about the drivers and to start considering responses
and next steps. You might find it useful to work through
this section with colleagues or with your trustee board
Taking action: A case study 40
How considering these issues
can result in practical actions
Further information and support 44
Helpful links for finding out more

Each driver includes:

A short description of what is
happening, what is likely to happen
in the future and why, plus an outline
of some of the risks and opportunities
this might present for your
organisation.
Strategic questions designed to help
you think about how the drivers may
affect your organisation in the future,
and whether/how you might need to
respond.
How will your organisation respond?
Jot down your thoughts as you read
in the blank spaces provided.

 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 

Setting the scene

Campaigning and social action have always been an

integral part of a healthy and vibrant civil society.
But their role and importance for voluntary and
community organisations (VCOs) has risen in
the past decade. The climate change agenda,
in particular, has brought campaigning into the
mainstream and legitimised it in the political world.
Alongside this, the Labour government traditionally been as vocal in their feeds [them]’. The Charities Act in the next five years; highlighting
has formally recognised the role of backing of campaigning as the Labour 2006 has also clarified that charities the opportunities and risks these
campaigning by the voluntary and Party, but as Shadow Minister for the can campaign yet still retain their will present for the VCS.
community sector (VCS) through Third Sector Nick Hurd has affirmed, charitable status, as long as political Next steps
the creation of the Office of the they support the right of charities to change does not become the main This guide explores six drivers that
Third Sector and ‘The Third Sector campaign. Their social justice agenda, focus of their organisation’s work. are likely to affect campaigning
Review’, a 10-year vision for co- which emphasises the importance of However, the recession and increased in the future, and suggests a few
operation with the sector.3 individual responsibility in addressing demand for services from the sector questions to get you thinking about
However, regardless of the outcome social problems, is likely to largely may mean that in future, public service how each driver might impact on
of the general election, the next determine the types of campaigns delivery becomes a bigger priority your organisation. Alternatively,
parliament is likely to be very different, they will support. than campaigning for all funders. you could read the example on
with many MPs due to step down 40% of medium-sized and 18% The general election and key voter page 40 now to give you an idea of
and a higher number of Conservative of small VCOs receive government concerns, like the improvement of how this guide could help your
MPs. As campaigning has changed funding.4 This is often perceived public services, may also contribute organisation to plan ahead.
considerably since they were last as stifling campaigning, reducing to this. Alternatively, there may be an
in power, it is as yet unclear how the independence and resulting in increase in campaigning as the public
Conservatives will engage with it. organisations becoming less radical fights against cuts on public services.
Young campaigners in particular by self-policing themselves. However, This guide explores the main trends
will need to review their strategies, the message from Labour has been affecting small and medium-sized
having only dealt with a Labour clear, with Phil Hope former Minister organisations that campaign and
majority parliament. Some argue for the Third Sector, encouraging considers how these might develop
that the Conservatives have not organisations to ‘bite the hand that
 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 
Driver 1
Growth of consumer activism

Consumerism as a way of life has

become embedded in British society.
People increasingly think about individual
consumer actions as a way of effecting
change or expressing their values (e.g. ethical
consumerism). This is leading to a blurring
between lifestyle choices and what is
perceived as traditional ‘campaigning’.
This aspect of individualism is leading to a
rise in ‘me’ actions (such as boycotting and
‘buycotting’), which is seen by some as being
at the expense of more traditional ‘we’
actions like demonstrating.

10 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 11

Driver 1
Growth of consumer activism
Consumer actions (e.g. buying a wrist
band for a cause) are often less time-
consuming as they fit into people’s
hectic lives and require less sustained
affiliation with a cause (see driver 2).
But they often raise awareness of an
issue, which can aid the next stage
of a campaign.
Alongside this, there has been an
increase in policies and campaigns
which focus on the responsibility of
individuals to change their behaviour,
both in terms of consumer and
individual actions (e.g. Every Action
Counts). This focus on individual
and consumer action can be both
empowering and disempowering.
Though the public are very informed,
their power to effect any change is
arguably limited due to the power of
governments, corporations and global
institutions.
The growth in ethical consumerism has
been partly driven by our increasingly
affluent society. But if ethical goods
cost more, people may move away
from ethical consumerism during the
recession, and instead look to collective
behaviour to effect change. The public
may also increasingly turn to the
government to achieve change
as their power to take individual
consumer actions diminishes.
12 Future Focus 7
Moving forward:
There is potential for
the VCS to help translate How important will this driver be to your
individual actions into organisation in the next five years?
collective actions, particularly
in a recession. How can your LOW MEDIUM HIGH
organisation sustain longer-
term involvement from
individuals who show an
interest in your cause at
the check-out?
Change is rarely achieved
exclusively through consumer
action. Does your organisation
present a range of options
(individual and collective)
for supporters to engage?
How will consumerism
impact on your organisation’s
campaigns?
In five years’ time will the
recession have reduced the
popularity of consumer
activism?
Use the box to jot
down your thoughts.
Future Focus 7 13
Driver 2
More fluid activism

Although engagement with broad political

movements may be d eclining, the public
is certainly not apathe tic.
There has been an increase in campaigning
around single issues as people express their
values and political identities in new ways,
often through VCOs.
Driven by individualism and more complex
identities, people wish to engage with a range
of issues in a fluid way, moving regularly from
one cause and organisation to another.

14 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 15

Driver 2
More fluid activism
This is related to the popularity of
consumer action as a way of expressing
individual identity in a time-poor society
(see driver 1) and the ease with which
people can engage and create social
movements online (see driver 3).
Consumer action and the growth of
politics that emphasise individual choice
over ideology have helped de-politicise
campaigning and resulted in people,
particularly younger people, building
their own ‘portfolio’ of political
engagement without being part
of any organisation. A person may
be part of a campaign but not
a member of the organisation
organising the campaign.
More fluid, individualised approaches
to campaigning are less likely to lead
to sustained affiliation with a cause or
traditional political ideology, making
recruiting long-term, committed
supporters or campaigners problematic.
This has major implications for
membership-based campaigning
organisations that rely on an active
supporter base and membership fees
for their existence and success. However,
the growth in single issues also has the
potential to mobilise a greater number
and diversity of people which presents
huge opportunities for engagement.
16 Future Focus 7
Moving forward:
Supporters increasingly want
to engage in different ways and How important will this driver be to your
lengths of time. How can your organisation in the next five years?
organisation provide a spectrum
of engagement to all supporters LOW MEDIUM HIGH
including those who may not be
interested in your wider mission?
Growing engagement in single
issues could be converted into
a range of support (both financial
and campaigning). How do
you promote your organisation
(and campaigns) to potential
new supporters? Can you convert
your current volunteers/
supporters into donors and
vice versa?
How will more fluid activism
impact on your organisation?
In five years’ time will today’s
membership model of long-
term supporters no longer
be viable?
Use the box to jot
down your thoughts.
Future Focus 7 17
Driver 3
Growth of new technologies

The growth of interact ive and social

networking websites is facilitating connections
between those with si milar interests.
This makes it far easier for people to organise
themselves and take action. Technology is also
being used to build off-line movements.
E-campaigns can reach more people than
traditional campaigns. Though the engagement
may be shorter, the potential pathways are more
numerous (e.g. people may become involved
through an online forum, then become a member
of a campaign). However, technology (e.g. mass text
message campaigns) can actually turn people off.
ation levels peaked in 2004-05 as a result of EU
migration and are likely to remain high, though
there are signs that the recession is starting to
reverse this trend.8
18 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 19
Driver 3
Growth of new technologies Moving forward:

Technology has also raised the New media tools offer

expectation of the numbers of opportunities for VCOs How important will this driver be to your
supporters that campaigns need to
get noticed (e.g. online petitions). For to get their voice heard. organisation in the next five years?
social media to successfully enhance What role could these tools
a campaign, it needs sustained play in helping you quickly LOW MEDIUM HIGH
engagement and investment; keeping develop a campaign and
up to date with the fast pace of
technology is a continued challenge. mobilise people?
E-campaigns can present great New technologies have
opportunities (e.g. for people in isolated
rural areas) but many groups do not
created an expectation
engage with technology due to a lack of two-way conversations.
of skills or will, often due to their age or Can this add a dialogue
social background. New social divides and legitimacy to your
are also being created online.
campaigns? Should your
The collaborative, open nature of social role be as a facilitator of
media (e.g. blogging and forums) that
permits citizens to publish content campaigns organised by
anywhere, at any time, with a minimum your supporters rather than
of technological knowledge, can be being the organising force?
incompatible with the hierarchical
structure of organisations. It can change How will the growth of new
the balance of power in a campaign technologies impact on your
by permitting dissenting voices to be
heard, leaving organisations to consider
organisation?
how or whether to control and In five years’ time will all
moderate these voices to retain their
reputation or brand. Organisations that campaigns need some
do not engage and permit open debate online element?
around key issues related to their
campaign are likely to be left behind. Use the box to jot
down your thoughts.
20 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 21
Driver 4
‘Professionalisation’ of campaigning

Campaigning is an area of VCS work that has

long resisted ‘professio nalisation’, but this has
changed and there are now National
Occupational Standar ds (NOS) and an
accredited course in c ampaigning.
This is part of a drive, from within the sector and
funders, to make campaigning a more effective
and transferable profession, based on skills
rather than issues. However, some single-issue
activists do not want transferable skills or see
themselves as part of the VCS.

22 Future Focus 7
Driver 4
‘Professionalisation’ of campaigning
Some activists, particularly
more radical ones, believe that
‘professionalisation’ detracts from
the dynamism of campaigning by
standardising it. The growth of non-
violent direct action (NVDA) reveals
a counter trend to ‘professionalisation’,
though this is also becoming increasingly
organised and professional (see driver 6).
The growth in ‘professionalisation’
is partly linked to a wider trend
around increased pressure on VCOs
to demonstrate greater impact and
value for money to government, the
public and funders. New Labour have
shown a high level of support for
a ‘professionalised’ approach to
campaigning, particularly through
extensive funding of programmes
that support others to campaign
more effectively (capacity building).
As a result there has been much
collaboration between the VCS and
the Labour government on specific
campaigns (see driver 6). Although
the level of support for infrastructure
may change if the Conservatives form
the next government (see Setting the
scene), support for ‘professional’
standards and the importance of
demonstrating value for money
and impact are likely to continue.
24 Future Focus 7
Moving forward:
Your organisation’s ability
to demonstrate value for How important will this driver be to your
money and conform to organisation in the next five years?
‘professional’ campaigning
standards may affect your LOW MEDIUM HIGH
funding for further campaigns.
How could you ensure you
do not miss out on these
opportunities but still
campaign using methods
suitable to your organisation?
Could your organisation
do more to develop and
recognise the skills needed
to campaign?
How will increased
‘professionalisation’ of
campaigning impact on
your organisation?
In five years’ time will your
staff be working towards a
campaigning qualification?
Use the box to jot
down your thoughts.
Future Focus 7 25
Driver 5
Increase in competition and coalitions

Although campaignin g organisations have

always operated in a crowded space, a
growth in single-issue campaigns and new
technologies has res ulted in more
players and coalitions.
There has been an increase in private companies
setting up campaigning-style marketing drives to
create attractive brands (e.g. Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’
campaign). These campaigns can blur public
understanding of campaigns and encourage
shorter-term engagement as they are more
focused on awareness raising and consumer
action than direct action.

26 Future Focus 7
Driver 5
Increase in competition and coalitions
There has also been a growth in
collaborations between private
companies and VCOs to market
products and raise awareness of
related ethical issues (e.g. the ‘Green
My Apple’ campaign with Apple and
Greenpeace). These are part of a
corporate responsibility drive in the
business community. However, the
recession means ethical credibility
is a diminishing priority.5 And these
campaigns can polarise the sector
as smaller charities and less popular
causes are less likely to benefit. Other
players on the campaigning scene
include the rise of celebrities leading
large campaigns (e.g. Jamie Oliver)
and tabloid campaigns.
Globalisation, technology (see driver
3), and an increased awareness of
global challenges (e.g. unfair trade)
have also led to an increase in global
coalitions and social movements. Some
argue that the only force that could
potentially challenge superpowers and
corporate globalisation in the future
will be a mass of people connected
across the world. Coalitions based
on single issues can be particularly
successful but measuring the effects
of these campaigns past the initial
awareness raising is challenging as they
do not continue to exist as one entity.
28 Future Focus 7
Moving forward:
Some institutions are
harder to influence than How important will this driver be to your
others, could working in organisation in the next five years?
collaboration with others
increase your effectiveness LOW MEDIUM HIGH
or raise the profile of your
campaign?
With a multitude of
individuals and different
sectors campaigning on
the same issues but with
different aims, does your
organisation need to
differentiate itself better to
ensure you achieve the change
you are campaigning for?
How will the increase in
competition and coalitions
impact on your organisation?
In five years’ time will the way
forward in a crowded space
be through single-issue
campaigns?
Use the box to jot down
your thoughts.
Future Focus 7 29
Driver 6
Marginalisation of dissent

In the past decade, la rge scale terrorist

attacks have led to th e legitimisation of
stricter security and s urveillance as well
as the spread of invas ive technology such
as phone tapping.
There has also been an increase in laws and
practices that make it more difficult to operate
campaigns e.g. the procedures involved in the
Serious Organised Crimes and Police Act 2005.

30 Future Focus 7
CCT V
Driver 6
Marginalisation of dissent
There has been a recent groundswell
against this marginalisation of protest,
notably from groups who have not
previously aired discontent over such
issues (e.g. the tabloids). This is partly
due to the power of new mobile
technologies to expose any suppression
of dissent and challenge authority.
There is a growing awareness that
coupling NVDA with good media
coverage can give organisations a seat
at the negotiating table but there has
been a public backlash against some
NVDA campaigns.
Recessions can stimulate more
engagement and participation in
campaigns, often in the form of direct
protests (e.g. the poll tax demonstrations)
and NVDA. Recent wildcat strikes indicate
that such behaviour may re-emerge.
However, Labour’s support for the
right of the VCS to campaign, and
influence policy, has led to more
collaborative ‘insider’ over ‘outsider’
campaigns. This presents opportunities
to gain power but can undermine and
diffuse campaigning by reducing
independence and legitimacy. A
change of government may reduce
this level of co-operation and force
‘insider’ campaigns to consider a
wider range of tactics.
32 Future Focus 7
Moving forward:
Access to government does
not always result in real change. How important will this driver be to your
How can you ensure that organisation in the next five years?
your engagement does not
stop at consultation, but LOW MEDIUM HIGH
exerts real influence and
leads to change?
If the campaigning
environment becomes
more hostile, would your
organisation consider using
tactics outside established
political institutions?
When would this become
appropriate and what factors
would drive your decision?
How will the marginalisation
of dissent impact on your
organisation?
In five years’ time will your
organisation be operating
‘insider’ or ‘outsider’ campaigns
or a combination of both?
Use the box to jot
down your thoughts.
Future Focus 7 33
So what? Now what?
Considering strategic implications
for your organisation
Hopefully you now have a better understanding
of some of the key drivers affecting how changes
to campaigning may impact on your organisation
over the coming years. The next step is to turn
this information into choices about future actions.
This process is covered in depth in
Looking Out: A practical guide to planning
for a changing environment but the
following questions will get you started.
Why not consider them with colleagues
or with your trustees?
34 Future Focus 7
Selecting the most First of all, how important did you
think each of the six drivers would
important drivers be for your organisation?
Driver 1: Growth of consumer activism
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
Driver 2: More fluid activism
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
Driver 3: Growth of new technologies
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
Driver 4: ‘Professionalisation’ of campaigning
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
Driver 5: Increase in competition and coalitions
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
Driver 6: Marginalisation of dissent
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
How much time do you have
to consider these further?
If you’re short of time, pick the one or
two which are the most important for
your organisation. If you have more
time, consider more.
Future Focus 7 35
So what?
Strategic opportunities Thinking about
and challenges your stakeholders

You may already have started to jot down ideas
about what these drivers will mean for your
organisation in the future. We suggest you develop
these ideas a little more, perhaps by drawing up
a table like the one below.
Stakeholders are those who have an interest in
what you do. Don’t forget to consider how these
drivers may impact on them, and how this may
then influence your relationships.

Opportunities and challenges should Consider:

be medium to long term and focused
on the changes to your organisation’s
strategy that you may need to make.
Driver Opportunities
Your workforce – both paid and voluntary
Your users and beneficiaries – both direct and indirect
Your funders – individuals, corporates, trusts and
Challenges
foundations, statutory agencies
Other players – your competitors, your collaborators,
those who complement you, other VCOs, private sector
providers, public sector providers
Other stakeholders – the media, general public,
policy makers.

36 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 37

Now what?
Strategic opportunities

Once you’ve understood what the future could Why not develop some ideas and
options for these different types of
look like, you can identify actions that you can take opportunities? You could draw up a
table like the one below.
which will maximise opportunities and minimise the
negative effect of risks and challenges. It can be
helpful to think about three kinds of opportunity:

Improve – what opportunity does your new Improve Innovate Improvise

knowledge give you to do what you do better?
Innovate – what opportunity does your
knowledge give you to do different things?
Improvise – what opportunity does your new
knowledge give you to manage risks and threats?

38 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 39

Taking action
A case study
This example sets out the actions an organisation
takes in response to these drivers to help put it
on a stronger footing in the years to come. This
organisation is fictional, but its story is based on
anecdotal experiences from real VCOs.
40 Future Focus 7
More 4 the Community (M4C) is a
community centre in Morecambe that
campaigns on local issues to enhance
the well-being of vulnerable groups
in the area. They have run a number
of campaigns which range from
lobbying the council to install better
street lighting in an area where older
residents live, to promoting better use
of contraception amongst teenagers.
Some of their campaigns are more
successful than others, often
depending on the cause.
M4C has two full-time and two part-
time members of staff who run and
administer the community centre,
but their campaigns are mainly driven
by a core group of volunteers. They
also have other volunteers that become
involved depending on the cause.
They receive a small amount of
funding from the local authority and
a grant-making foundation to support
their core staff but most of their
campaigns are run with no funding
and are volunteer-led. Their latest
campaign is for the installation of
CCTV cameras in an area where
groups of young people have been
fighting, some with knives.
Future Focus 7 41
Taking action
A case study
• Fluid activism: M4C is finding that
volunteers are getting involved for
shorter periods of time than in the
past, usually just for one campaign,
and even dipping in and out as the
campaign progresses. However,
more people are getting involved in
some way than 10 years ago,
especially online.
42 Future Focus 7
• New technologies: One of the
activists is keen on getting the
campaign online as a way of raising
its profile and getting more people
involved. M4C’s manager is resistant
at first because she is worried that
they may lose control of the campaign
and that people may make comments
that reflect badly on the organisation.
However, their blog and presence on
Facebook and other social networking
sites brings in a huge amount of
support as well as local press
coverage, and the activist maintaining
it is careful to counter or remove any
inflammatory comments. M4C also
set up an online petition which many
young people forward to their
peers. Although there are many
more signatures than campaign
volunteers, the petition allows them
to recruit some young people who
know the groups that are fighting.
• Professionalisation: Some of
M4C’s previous campaigns have
not been successful but they are not
sure why. So they seek advice from
their local CVS, which has recently
developed new campaigning tools
thanks to investment in capacity
building and new National
Occupational Standards (NOS)
for campaigning. Some of the
activists are resistant, seeing this
as bureaucracy and are hurt by what
they perceive as a suggestion that
they cannot be effective because
they are not paid campaigners.
However, some of the methods they
start using have immediate effect
and they become more positive
about the use of such resources.
• Coalitions: M4C contacts other
local organisations with an interest in
combating gang fighting to increase
credibility and gain support, and many
of them sign up. The national body
that campaigns on knife crime also
decides to support the campaign
which receives a lot of positive
coverage from local councillors
and media. Getting a local celebrity
to endorse the campaign raises the
profile significantly as it receives more
press coverage but the celebrity
starts to receive more credit for
progress of the campaign than
M4C and this changes the campaign’s
focus. This damages the morale of
the volunteers and the organisation
struggles to recruit more supporters.
Future Focus 7 43
Further information
and support
NCVO Third Sector Foresight
NCVO Third Sector Foresight
helps voluntary and community
organisations to plan effectively
for the future with strategic
insight and planning tools.
www.3s4.org.uk
HelpDesk: 0800 2 798 798
Textphone: 0800 01 88111
(minicom)
NCVO Strategy and Impact
The NCVO team supports voluntary
and community organisations with
strategic planning, impact reporting,
involving users and managing change.
www.strategy-impact.org.uk
HelpDesk: 0800 2 798 798
Textphone: 0800 01 88111 (minicom)
Want to know more?
Louder – A home for online campaigns communities can make the net work
www.louder.org.uk
If you would like to be kept informed about the Future Focus series, please
email your details to: futurefocus@ncvo-vol.org.uk
44 Future Focus 7
Appendix:
Notes and references
Campaigns Central 1
See further information and
(Sheila McKechnie Foundation) support page 44 for details.
www.campaigncentral.org.uk 2
L ooking Out: A practical guide
to planning for a changing
Power and Change – Developing a environment
strategic response (NCVO, 2010) www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/
lookingout
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/
influencing_social_change 3
Conducted by the Office of
the Third Sector (OTS) and
CC9 Guidance (Charity Commission) HM Treasury.
www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ 4
The State and the Voluntary
publications/cc9.asp
Sector (NCVO, 2009)
ICT Foresight 1: Consultation 5
BITC (Business in
and campaigning in the age the Community).
of participatory media
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/
products-services/publications/
ict-foresight-consultation-and-
campaigning
ICT Foresight 2: How online
for the VCS
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/
products-services/publications/
ict-foresight-make-the-net-work
Future Focus 7 45
The Future
Focus series

National Council for Voluntary Organisations National Council for Voluntary Organisations National Council for Voluntary Organisations National Council for Voluntary Organisations National Council for Voluntary Organisations National Council for Voluntary Organisations National Council for Voluntary Organisations

Third Sector Foresight Third Sector Foresight Third Sector Foresight Third Sector Foresight Third Sector Foresight Third Sector Foresight Third Sector Foresight

Future Focus Future Focus Future Focus Future Focus Future Focus Future Focus Future Focus
What will our What will our How will we use How is local How are social What will the UK What will campaigning
funding be like volunteers be like new technologies democracy attitudes changing? population be like be like in 5 years’ time?
in five years’ time? in five years’ time? in five years’ time? changing? in 5 years’ time?

1 2 3 4 5 6 Future Focus 6 
7

1 Funding £2.50 (£1.75 NCVO members) plus P&P

Bulk discounts are also available: ideal for your board!
2 Volunteers Collect the full set:
3 New technologies Buy the set of all 7 Future Focus guides for
£14 (£9.80 NCVO members) plus P&P
4 Local democracy Order your copies now:
Freephone 0800 2 798 798
5 Social attitudes Visit www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/futurefocus
6 The UK population
7 Campaigning
46 Future Focus 7 Future Focus 7 47
Future Focus 7
What will campaigning
be like in 5 years’ time?

This is the seventh in a series of guides

to help voluntary and community
organisations think about likely changes
in their external environment and how
these changes could affect them.
A good analysis of the future does take time, but it’s not
impossible and shouldn’t be seen as a luxury. All organisations
can become more successful by spending some time improving
their understanding of the likely future external pressures they
will face and using this information to help make strategic choices
and plan ahead. These guides aim to help you do that.
To order more copies or download the pdf,
visit: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/futurefocus7
or freephone 0800 2 798 798

National Council for

Voluntary Organisations
Regent’s Wharf
8 All Saints Street
London N1 9RL
T: 020 7713 6161
F: 020 7713 6300
E: ncvo@ncvo-vol.org.uk
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk £2.50
Charity Registration: 225922 (£1.75 NCVO members)
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