How to choose a local charity to support

Local charities can be many things to many people. They are friends and families for those who have none. They are classrooms for people who need them. They are places to meet, eat, play and relax. They are advocates, advisors and carers. Given these diverse roles, how do you spot a good one? Here New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) provides a short checklist for donors.

1. Is the charity owned and run by local people?

Ask if the charity is staffed and run by local people and volunteers. Local ownership means that the charity is a trusted part of the community and is therefore able to reach people that others would not be able to.

The Warren, for example, engages many of the hardest-to-reach young people in Hull. ‘The Thing’ is its project run by young people, for young people. Recently, local shopping centres announced they were going to ban groups of youths congregating on their premises. ‘The Thing’ sent representatives to talk with local government and shop-keepers. They got the ban overturned by helping them to see that it had the potential to escalate tension with local people.

2. Does the charity really make a difference?

Ask the charity what it achieves. Look for a combination of numbers and stories that indicate whether a charity is changing the lives of the people it works with.

St Mark’s Family Centre in south London has been providing support to Dawn, a single mum with six children who was referred to the centre a few years ago. At the time, she had lost her job, was about to be evicted from her flat and struggling to care for her children. St Marks worked with Dawn on a daily basis and helped her to deal with her problems one by one. Support workers accompanied her to the doctor to organise medication, arrangement appointments at Citizens Advice Bureau to sort out her finances, held discussions with the local housing association and the bailiffs and encouraged her to join a mental health support group. Dawn gradually got on top of her problems and was able to cope on her own again. She recently started part-time work.

As well as providing case studies like these, the St Marks can tell you how many people they support each year (600) and what activities it runs for them. The fact that its clients often go on to becoming volunteers is another excellent indicator of the impact the charity is making.

3. Does the charity tackle the causes as well as the symptoms of a problem?

While reacting to existing problems is an effective option for improving the lives of individuals and communities in the short-term, preventative work is important too as it can change lives in the long-term. So, find out if the charity is working to prevent problems upstream as well as providing the solutions downstream.

Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse (FARE) is a local charity operating in a sprawling housing estate in Glasgow. Gangs are a big problem in the area. Initially FARE ran activities to make life better in a community that was divided by gang conflict. Now it also works to stop young people joining gangs in the first place, by involving people from different gang areas in sport and social activities.

4. Does the charity respond to changing local context and needs?

On the whole, local charities have the potential to be much more quick-footed in responding to changing local needs than do larger organisations. Find out if the charity’s activities and services evolve over time and how it engages local people in setting its priorities.

After London was chosen to host the 2012 Olympics games, London Citizens started its campaign to ensure that local people in east London would benefit - including campaigning for companies involved in the Games to pay employees a living wage.

5. Does the charity work with other organisations?

Does the charity work with others in the area, such as government agencies and local religious groups? While the ‘localness’ of a charity can be one of its biggest selling points, this can limit the charity’s reach, and so it is important that the charity co-operates with other organisations and service providers.

Exeter Community Initiatives, for example, works with local council agencies to achieve change. It recently won a bid to run a local Children’s Centre, which brings together under one roof lots of organisations and services to help children.

• For more information on the charities mentioned, visit NPC's website. NPC’s charity recommendations provide an independent view on charities and highlight the priorities for donors. Also available is Local action changes lives, NPC’s report on community organisations.

Tris Lumley is a senior analyst at New Philanthropy Capital.