For over a year, the Z/Yen Not-for-profit sector team has been working with NSPCC and The Children’s Society on a collaborative venture named Charityshare. In a first for the sector, NSPCC and The Children’s Society will share all operating IT services including helpdesk, training and technical support. The charities have set up a company, Charityshare Limited, to manage the joint venture. The service has been piloted since late November and was officially launched in late January. The initiative has been welcomed by the Charity Commission.

Responding to the trend to outsource and offshore such services, NSPCC and The Children’s Society worked with Z/Yen to explore the benefits of these trends and came to the conclusion that co-sharing would be an appropriate way forward for the charities. The charities should save more money and improve services more effectively by sharing IT services than could be achieved by outsourcing, offshoring or by seeking improvements separately.

Although Ian Harris’s main concern, naturally, is now to secure a Z/Yen cricket team capable of taking on the increased might that Charityshare can provide, there are also serious benefits to the charities. There will be an estimated 25 per cent saving over three years equal to £800,000 across both charities. This will mean more money to spend on children & young people.

Z/Yen has been retained to provide an ongoing project management and venture governance role as the initiative continues. Charityshare anticipates becoming a collaborative venture for several charities, not just the two initial founders. If you want more information about Charityshare, collaborative ventures in the not-for-profit sector and/or Z/Yen’s role, please contact Ian Harris or Mary O’Callaghan.