Irish charities cut back on projects, staff and administrative costs

Irish charities are cutting back on staff pay, benefits and administrative costs in an attempt to cope with funding cuts and a drop in public donations, according to a new survey (November 2009).

The new survey conducted by The Wheel amongst our members found that three quarters (74.9%) of organisations have experienced a drop in their incomes over the past six months. Of the 246 charities who responded to the survey (which was an excellent 32% response rate!), 62% have had their government funding cut in the past year, and 35% have experienced a drop in public donations.

One in ten have made staff redundant in the past six months, and 58% have cut either pay or benefits. Over 80% said that salaries and personnel costs are their single biggest expense.

The majority of organisations (52.9%) have also either delayed or suspended projects during the past six months, due to financial concerns.

Statutory funding remains the primary source of income for community and voluntary organisations and charities, and surprisingly, 35.7% reported that they do not fundraise from the public at all. A quarter of the organisations surveyed received more than €500,000 from the State in the past 12 months.

Download a summary of this survey of Irish charities here.