Denmark: the growth of the third sector

According to Farah Saleem, a researcher at the London South Bank University, the Danish non-profit sector is contradictory. An investigation carried out by Acevo (an organisation that connects more than 2000 leaders of the third sector) shows that the sector is growing and that there is a high demand for training, but that it is still not very structured or institutionalized. Despite it?s long history (the 70?s saw the birth of the first NGOs), the Danish non-profit sector does not incorporate any kind of welfare mix, specific training courses nor laws that provide incentives to donate funds. There are signs that the sector is growing – explains the researcher – such as a great demand for training programmes and a steady increase in the availability of paid positions, but the third sector is silent when it comes to dealing with big social problems ? integration of migrant populations, social assistance and the digital divide.

How many Danish non-profit organisations are there? What are their characteristics?
There are about 100thousand non-profit organisations in Denmark; they are mostly charities that are active at a local level and are not very structured.

Is this why most do not register themselves?
Yes. Starting an NGO is very simple in Denmark: all you need are 2 or 3 people and an ID card. Usually registration occurs when government funds are sought, although this implies that they must also pay taxes and unify their structure. Unfortunately few NGOs are in a position to do this, according to my research there are 79thosand fewer registered NGOs in Denmark than in the U.K.

There are some signs of changes, however ?
At an institutional level the sector is growing and there is increasing awareness about the importance of the role it could play in the national economy. There is a certain buzz in the Danish non-profit sector today which is reflected in a renewed demand for training. Non-profit leaders hope that this will lead to the improvement of skills and capacities to the new members of staff and to management practices.

Is there a tailored training course for those who wish to work in the third sector?
Not exactly. Some degree courses touch on these issues (for example in the humanities and social sciences) and there are also evening courses that deal with the more practical side of NGO management and fundraising.

But are there no online courses? Why do the third sector leaders not invest in e-learning seeing as Denmark is the most ?connected? country in Europe?
One of the factors that may explain the rather traditional approach to training is the average age of managers: 66% are over 50. They prefer formal courses, learned about through word of mouth. On the other hand, there are also capacities that are hard to gain through an online course ? such as the management of human resources and fundraising.

What are non-profit leaders most urgent training needs?
They especially need courses in strategic planning. However, fundraising, networking, and public relations are also in great demand. This is a significant fact because it shows that the Danish third sector looks to the future and attempts to create a structure rather than simply raise funds. Leaders are thinking about how to organise their work in the next 10 years which is very positive.

But there are still many unsolved social problems, like the integration of foreigners. What is the third sector doing?
In Denmark there are many problems when it comes to integrating people from abroad. The laws on mixed marriages are very restrictive and gaining Danish citizenship is extremely difficult. It is also hard to find work if you have a foreign passport. The third sector? A few international NGOs have raised the issue (like Amnesty and Greenpeace) but it doesn?t seem to me that there have been many initiatives.