Posted on 20th October 2011
The Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) has launched a new resource for philanthropists who want to find or share research on the third sector.
The Third Sector Knowledge Portal is a one-stop shop for evidence on a range of subjects including funding, social impact and policy. TSRC’s knowledge broker, Naomi Landau says: “Funders may find useful detailed case studies, research papers or mapping studies that help them build a more detailed picture of the area of work they are funding.”
There are already over 800 documents and this number is expected to double in the first few months, according to Landau. The records can be searched online using key words such as funding, grant-making foundations, trading as well as key issue-based subjects such as housing, health and children’s services.
Landau adds: “The idea is to give people easy access to a range of research. At the moment, there is a lot of information in different places but sometimes it is hard for people to access it. This portal will be useful for philanthropists who may be deciding what to fund and want to find evidence about which interventions work for difficult issues.”
The portal has been built in partnership with the British Library and funded by a £200,000 Big Lottery Fund grant. It will feature academic research, reports produced by voluntary organisations, government publications and training materials. It will provide free downloads and links to further material available at the British Library.
TSRC wants people to deposit material with the portal to increase access to research. Landau says: “We want to encourage funders, to share reports and project evaluations on the organisation’s they fund – allowing them to learn from each others’ experiences.”
A report on the first three years’ research by the Centre Informing Civil Society: the work of the Third Sector Research Centre has also been launched.
To contribute material, email Knowledgeportal@tsrc.ac.uk
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