Research on the voluntary sector: an overview

This article provides an overview of the growing body of research on the UK voluntary sector, organised around five general themes: the organisational composition of the sector; the resources it commands; explanations for the existence of the sector;accounts of differences between the voluntary, private and,public,sectors; and the nature and impact of inter-sectoral relationships. While substantial progress has been made over the past twenty years in describing and explaining aspects of the sector, concentration on the larger, more formal organisations has left gaps in our understanding of small, local voluntary activity.