About us

VSSN is about promoting understanding of the voluntary sector and voluntary action in the UK and around the world through research, and providing a voice and a meeting place for voluntary sector researchers and practitioners.

VSSN functions to promote the advancement of knowledge about, and understanding of, organisations between the market and the state. It provides a virtual and actual meeting point for scholars and researchers both outside and within the voluntary/charity/third/non-profit sectors, with a shared interest in this set of institutions. We are also interested in informal, and community-centred voluntary action, and why people act altruistically towards others. Our network is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, seeking to engage economists, historians, political scientists, sociologists, policy analysts and others. We aspire to a global focus, but pay particular attention to the UK.

We are a membership organisation delivering a wide range of benefits to members and others. Our Trustee Board members can be viewed here.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are important to us, and central values we try to embed in all of our work. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy can be found here.