Learning together as a sector

The analysis in this report was conducted by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) on behalf of Imperial Health Charity.

The NHS is facing challenges on many fronts and needs innovative models, of the kind pioneered by charities, if it is to thrive. There are over 250 dedicated NHS charities across the UK, all ‘place-based’ in that they support a wide range of programmes which benefit patients and staff in a specific location. NHS charities need a body of evidence to fund the most effective work.

Ten NHS charities joined forces to develop a shared measurement led by Imperial Health Charity and the Royal Free Charity, supported by NPC and the Inspiring Impact programme. Shared measurement is working in a group of organisations to use the same evaluation methods to measure outcomes that lead to a broad social goal that they all share. The findings are then shared to help charities better understand the work they do. It can prevent duplication, foster learning between peers and help charities see where they stand in relation to others by benchmarking their results.

The aim of this report is to highlight the potential of shared measurement in the NHS charity sector and to other groups of funders and charities. In addition to lessons from the pilot, it shares the five key findings about the grant-giving approach of the sector and the feedback collected from patients and staff on the activities that are funded.