The first of five Third Sector Trends 2025 reports highlights a decrease in relationships and collaborative working across the voluntary and community sector in England and Wales.

The research shows that while many organisations continue to rely on informal relationships with peers, formal partnership working has fallen to its lowest recorded level. This suggests charities and community groups are becoming more selective about how and when they collaborate, often due to capacity pressures and funding constraints.

Relationships with the public sector also appear to be weakening. Although most organisations feel their work is valued, fewer report feeling informed or meaningfully involved in local decision-making. This disconnect is particularly concerning at a time when communities are facing rising need and increasingly complex challenges.

Support from businesses has partially recovered since the pandemic, particularly financial giving. However, other forms of support, including volunteering, in-kind contributions and pro-bono expertise, continue to decline, despite their importance to smaller, place-based organisations.

At Community Foundation, we continue to connect charities, funders, businesses and public sector partners, supporting collaboration to meet local need and achieve long-term impact.

Read the full Third Sector Trends 2025: Relationships, Influencing and Collaborative Working report here.