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Charities have a key role in leading Britain out of recession in 2010, Unite, the largest union in the country, has said.

Unite, which has 60,000 members in the not for profit sector, welcomed the fact politicians of all political persuasions are promising to raise the status of the sector in the coming year...

What are your average email open rates? 10%? 30%? 50%? Whatever they are, and the average for most organisations is around 21%, there is still a large group of people who are not opening and reading your email campaigns.

Why is this? Are your email campaigns too focussed on your organisation than on content and information your subscriber actually wants?

The Office of the Third Sector awarded 42 charities less cash during 2008/09 than in the previous year.

The Office of the Third Sector awarded its strategic partners almost £1m less in grants in 2008/09 than in the previous year.

With the Bank of England forecasting a 4 per cent fall in GDP, recession has now arrived in earnest and charities are feeling its effects.

According to a poll by the Charities Aid Foundation, four out of ten charities are operating on less income than they budgeted for, and more than half of the organisations affected by the recession have dipped into their reserves.

 
More and more charities are seeking advice on mergers and collaborations as a result of the recession.

Age Concern England and Help the Aged are probably the most high profile organisations to have announced a merger but anecdotal evidence suggests the number of enquiries to some management consultancy firms from voluntary groups about working together have increased by 50 per cent in the past three months.

The worst effects of the recession are yet to come for charities, commentators have warned after a turbulent few weeks in the voluntary sector.  Stephen Bubb, leader of chief executives body ACEVO, will tell his organisation's annual conference on Thursday that the third sector is at a "crucial moment in its history".

The ACEVO/VONNE CEO forum will be hosting three evening receptions over the next few months. The forum provides a safe space for third sector CEOs in the North East to share challenges and discuss solutions, which will strengthen the sector regionally.  These receptions are free and all chief executives in the North East region are encouraged to attend. The first reception will be held on Thursday 10 November, and will focus on managing staff through the recession. The other receptions will focus on financial planning, and the CEO and chair relationship.