ABSTRACT
Since youth work surfaced towards the end of the eighteenth century it has been strapped for cash. While uniformed and small local groups have frequently survived through voluntary effort, larger clubs, settlements and centres have habitually struggled to raise sufficient money and recruit enough volunteers to prosper. In this chapter we explore some key issues arising out of this need to secure funding. Our enquiry is based upon a review of the literature and interviews undertaken with managers and workers. We start by examining some of the tensions arising between philanthropic, state and commercial funding before looking at questions relating to funding sources, canvassing and fund-raising.
