Examples of charity analysis

Optimising resources to achieve well-managed growth: IntoUniversity

• Read NPC's analysis of IntoUniversity (approximately 20 pages of detailed analysis with a grading grid which rates different aspects of the charity)
• An update (developments in the charity since the long note was written)

In a nutshell
IntoUniversity helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop the academic, social and practical skills that will help them to progress to university, and in life generally. The charity provides academic support after school, concentrated week-long courses, and mentoring in London centres.

It is typical that ambitious charities will look to expand their work, developing new services and opening new centres to meet demand and reach more people. However, expansion which is poorly planned, or gives little thought to how resources can best be used, can lead to charities overstretching themselves.

IntoUniversity demonstrates excellent optimisation of resources, and has sensibly managed its development from a small after-school club in a church hall to a four-centre, well-recognised charitable model. Alongside the four existing centres, the charity is opening two more, with a further six centres by 2016—though the timetable for this has been lengthened, and the budget reduced, in response to the economic slowdown. Despite growth in income being stellar to this point—£1m in 2009—as private donors, grant-making trusts and corporates have been drawn to the simplicity and reach of the model, IntoUniversity continues to think carefully about how best to deploy its resources.

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