The Office of the Third Sector awarded its strategic partners almost £1m less in grants in 2008/09 than in the previous year.
Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, told Parliament this week that 42 strategic partners received £12.2m in 2008/09. The sum awarded the previous year to the same organisations was £13.1m.
The OTS established strategic partners to ensure voluntary organisations' views are heard by government. Partners' responsibilities include conveying the views of their members to government, contributing to policy work and acting as advocates for the sector.
Four organisations received more than £1m each. They were Volunteering England (£1.58m), volunteering charity CSV (£1.05m), the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (£1.05m) and the NCVO (£1.04m).
Smith told the Commons that the figures did not include £5m awarded to volunteering charity v, which received strategic funding "on a separate basis".
She said: "Strategic partners have been integral in developing policy in a number of areas, including supporting the sector through the downturn."
Strategic partners funded in 2008/09
Acevo – £210,125
Action with Communities in Rural England – £210,125
Association of Charitable Foundations – £126,100
Bassac – £155,006
Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust – £94,600
British Youth Council – £94,600
BTCV – £315,200
Charities Evaluation Services – £154,812
Charity Trustee Networks – £94,556
Church Urban Fund – £90,538
Citizenship Foundation – £210,100
Community Action Network – £123,711
Community Development Exchange – £252,602
Community Foundation Network – £210,000
Community Matters – £261,603
Consortium of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Voluntary and Community Organisations – £94,556
Co-operatives UK – £101,000
Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations – £262,656
CSV – £1,050,600
Development Trusts Association – £145,624
FaithAction – £262,656
Foyer Federation – £118,195
Institute of Fundraising – £262,700
Mentoring and Befriending Foundation – £1,050,600
National Youth Agency – £315,200
NCVO – £1,040,260
National Council for Voluntary Youth Services – £242,143
Navca – £424,753
Plunkett Foundation – £63,000
Prowess – £30,000
School for Social Entrepreneurs – £72,000
Social Enterprise Coalition – £488,000
Social Enterprise London – £85,000
Social Firms UK – £122,000
Third Sector European Network – £84,313
TimeBank UK – £525,300
Urban Forum – £96,132
Voice4Change England – £262,656
Volunteering England – £1,575,900
Women's Resource Centre – £196,993
Youth Action Network – £157,600
YouthNet – £472,800
Total – £12,206,315
