Working with civil society
Civil society is a diverse sector incorporating organisations which are value-driven and which reinvest their surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives. The sector includes voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, cooperatives and mutual organisations.
The sector is assuming an increasing role in relation to the delivery of services; strengthening community cohesion; providing a voice for under-represented groups; campaigning for change; and promoting enterprising solutions for economic, social and environmental challenges.
Social science can help to develop and inform the evidence base for this sector, contribute to its continuing growth as well as helping to demonstrate the impact that such organisations have both in the UK and Internationally.
The portfolio of ESRC activity includes collaboratively funded investments such as:
- The Third Sector Research Centre this centre exists to develop the evidence base on, for and with the third sector in the UK
- Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy this centre aims to develop knowledge and engage with donors, charities and practitioners
- Capacity Building Clusters - centres funded by ESRC to develop academic training and collaboration with the civil society sector through a variety of methods including studentships and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
There are a variety of funding opportunities available to academics, policymakers and practitioners working within organisations or on topics of relevance to civil society. These opportunities are intended to provide funding for a variety of activities relevant to the sector, including: new research, people exchange and knowledge exchange activities and can be found on the link below:
Examples of previous projects of relevance to the civil society sector include:
To find out more about collaborative opportunities with the civil society sector, please email us at knowledgeexchange@esrc.ac.uk