The National Survey of Third Sector Organisations (NSTSO) will gather the views of the leaders of Third Sector Organisations in England including voluntary and community organisations, charities, and social enterprises. These organisations go by many names, and many also consider themselves to be community groups, co-operatives or mutuals, a club or society, or a non-profit organisation, housing association, faith group or trust.

The survey is the largest ever of the third cector. It is funded by the Office of the Third Sector which sits at the centre of government, in the Cabinet Office, in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy. The survey has been commissioned so that, for the first time, all local authorities can be judged on their performance in creating an environment for a thriving third sector.

Thousands of third sector leaders will receive the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations in September. Results from the survey will be available early in the new year and will drive change locally and nationally, by revealing performance against a key local government performance target (National Indicator 7). Local decision makers will learn from – and be judged by – the detailed picture that emerges, and the survey will shape policy decisions at the local and national level. It will also provide valuable evidence on the performance of local partnerships, funding relationships, opportunities to campaign and influence, and other issues facing the sector at a local level.

• Click here to download a press release announcing the survey.