Developing strategies for sustainability: implications for governance and accountability

This paper seeks to contribute to the debate on organisational sustainability in the voluntary sector and draws on a three phase programme of research. The paper will illustrate how resources can steer organisations and have a strong influence on what an organisation is and what it can be. In short, the author will propose that clearsightedness about the organisation itself – its own agenda and identity – alongside an appreciation of the way in which different decisions about organisational identity and role in society lead to different strategic priorities in fundraising, is the cornerstone for developing effective strategies for sustainability. A second theme within the paper gives consideration as to how the nature of the staff-board relationship can serve to influence the development of organisational strategy.