In order for charities and voluntary sector organisations to be effective in an increasingly competitive environment they need: a clear vision and mission, be in touch with the needs of their service users, to recruit and retain able staff, to understand and respond to changes in government policy and funding regimes whilst recognizing, building and maintain partnerships with local stakeholders.

Traditional virtues of the voluntary and charitable organisations are passion and commitment to the clients. In the new millennium these need to be combined with more business-like practices, for example strategy development, business planning, value for money and a focus on demonstrating outcomes. Without these, organisations will find themselves increasingly incapable of developing a sustainable funding base.