Charity Mergers and Closures

This section includes resources on mergers and why a merger may be beneficial for a smaller organisation struggling during the Cost of Living Crisis.”

Whitney leaning against a railing on a downtown street

According to the Charity Excellence Framework Website, in 2022 the total number of charity closures was 5542, an increase of closures 29.4% from 2021.

According to the NCVO website, there was a 33% reduction in new charities registered in 2022 compared to 2021.

With these alarming statistics following both the Coronavirus pandemic and most recently the Cost of Living Crisis, it would be worth highlighting merging and linking charities

If you are a smaller organisation struggling financially, the opportunity of a merger is a potential possibility.

Resources on Mergers
The first place to go for mergers information, is the charity commission directly.

Their website has a whole list of information that relates to mergers.
How to merge or link charities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

NCVO also has a webpage which is dedicated to mergers. Their page also includes a video relating to merging and collaboration and decision making during a crisis.
About mergers | NCVO

The Institute of Voluntary Action Research also has a webpage dedicated to mergers, alongside links and case studies to specific elements of charity mergers.
Merger - Pitfalls and Advantages of Charity Mergers - IVAR UK

Charity Digital have some case studies on their page regarding mergers
Charity Digital - Topics - How to carry out a successful merger