The Guardian reported yesterday that UK charities face a £2.3bn black hole as the economy slides into recession quicker than an oyster making its slippery way down a Shadow Chancellor's epiglottis.

This is, of course, a worry. Many charities do brilliant and worthwhile work, and indeed those charities potentially worst-hit by the cancellation of direct debits and reduction in one-off gifts are the ones most needed in a time of financial hardship - those providing support and advice on housing and homelessness are an obvious group.

In the commercial sector, private companies will seek any means necessary to avoid going out of business, including merging, forming partnerships, and seeking internal efficiencies. In fact, there is a view that a quick, sharp recession is good for a capitalist economy. Much like the brush fires of California or South Eastern Australia, it can clear away the dead wood, making way for new shoots of entrepreneurial ideas, and leaving behind a strong backbone of established companies that are the wizened and worldly Sequoias of the British economy.

I have a hope that this recession will do the same to the third sector in this country. Our charities have enjoyed a decade-long growth in revenues, which has provided them with a unique opportunity to do fantastic life-changing work in the UK and abroad. However, it has also meant that many of them have not had to worry too much about how efficient their operation is, or how much they interact and collaborate with each other, sharing for example learning from research, understanding about donors and plans for the future.

There are many ways that charities can save money and reallocate precious volunteer resources into more profitable or more valuable areas. For example, I get at least one plastic 'give us your bric-a-brac' bag through my letterbox every day. Every day! If I had any bric-a-brac to give away, the chances are it's going in on Monday, maybe Tuesday, possibly Wednesday. But I can guarantee you that whoever puts their bag through the door on a Thursday or a Friday stand no chance. I would be confident in assuming that most people will pick the bag that arrives first, or the one they can find first, not the one from the charity they most care about.

A bit of joined up thinking, a collaborative approach, and a shared view of one target market would help all of these charities be more efficient and effective, really understand what they're trying to achieve and how they can use their collective expertise to really make a difference at a time when they are most needed.