What’s in a name? Why are there so many different terms for the ‘voluntary sector’? It is also called the third, community, charity, or civic sector… with its actors often considered as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), not-for-profits, associations, foundations, co-operatives, or even voluntary and community, faith and social enterprises (VCFSEs). In my native Finnish language, I quite like the direct translation of hyväntekeväisyys (charity) into English as ‘do-good-ing-ness’! In more proper English, the voluntary sector engages in activity that is done outwith the public (state) and private (market) sectors, for social impact rather than profit. Regardless of what term you use or prefer, I consider that the purpose of the voluntary sector, at least in the West, is largely to address unmet societal and environmental needs and challenge the state to reduce inequality.
Collective effort. Why is what we call the sector important? I would argue it’s because unity and a shared vision for change is needed now more than ever. Individually, organisations can certainly alleviate some of the symptoms of social and environmental issues. But coming together with the spirit of commonality, shared values, and a better future is how this sector can fundamentally change the structure of the systems that surround us. Are we maximising what we can do together if we don’t have a cohesive understanding of who our neighbours are and what our ‘sector’ looks like?
It has to be us. It is the voluntary sector that often sees the unmet needs, systemic failings, and inequity in our society most acutely and is tirelessly working to combat these. And it is also the voluntary sector that must lead the way in driving change and innovation. People and organisations operating in the voluntary sector are much more likely to recognise and understand that we are all part of complex systemic structures, where doing A cannot simply be expected to result in B. Systemic issues cannot be solved with exactly the right logic model or delivering a single intervention at a particular moment in time. If we adopt a relational mindset, create conditions for collaboration rather than competition, embrace emergent co-production of outcomes, and use our collective voice to influence the system, we can create transformational change.
The power of an intermediary. There are over 25,000 registered charities in Scotland, 18% of which have ‘the advancement of health’ as a charitable purpose and many more whose work also contributes to the health of our society. These purpose, values, and resources of these organisations may vary, but they are all arguably operating under the same umbrella and have a shared vision of better health for people in Scotland. This is where the power of Voluntary Health Scotland as an intermediary comes in, creating a network around that shared vision. I was really inspired by the way Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell described her organisation, Girls Not Brides, in an interview with the Solutions Insights Lab as a “backbone organisation” that pushes, facilitates, and enables their members and partners by “facilitating, enabling, bringing resources, evidence, bringing thought leadership, bringing a platform for amplification of change and acting as a connector convening all these so that we learn together”. This is what I see as the vital role of Voluntary Health Scotland, as an orchestrator of systems change in the health of this nation.
An invitation to reflect. Dr Mwangi-Powell described the shift into relational systems change as “sitting in a circular place, and always moving the chairs back so that you’re creating more space for other people to join, thinking about: who else needs to be here?”. I think this is a fantastic metaphor for starting to think about systems change and relational working, so I invite you to reflect on the questions below and curiously examine what comes up for you:
– Who is sitting in this circle with me?
– How am I connected to the others sitting here?
– How are we working together for collective impact?
– Who else needs to be here? What do I hope to learn from them?
If you want to read more about systems change and a relational agenda for change, I highly recommend this article from the Chandler Foundation.
Emma Nieminen is a VHS board member.