Executive summary

This is the executive summary of our research Small Charities and Social Change, which builds on existing research, drawing on the experience of 11 organisations, to explore the role and contribution of small charities in more depth.

Advocacy, lobbying, campaigning and influencing are essential tools in the effort to tackle inequality and injustice. Small charities have a distinctive role to play in promoting and informing social change, with an agility and a direct relationship with the people at the sharp end of poverty, violence and discrimination that can be harder to achieve in larger organisations.

In this study, we explored how and why small charities are challenging, shaping and changing policy, practice and attitudes. It discusses the challenges and opportunities they face in doing so.

The full report and companion case studies can be found here www.ivar.org.uk/social-change.