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Deciding to close

Important things to consider before deciding to close your voluntary organisation

  • Closing down

Reasons to close

Every voluntary organisation should regularly ask whether it’s still well placed to achieve its goals

Alternatives to closure

If your organisation is still financially viable, you may want to consider alternative options to closure

Factors to consider before closing

Whatever your reasons for considering closure, you’re likely to have legal responsibilities to follow

Planning for closure

Steps you need to take before closing your organisation

  • Closing down

Create a closure plan

Depending on your route to closure and your legal structure, you may have different legal duties and wider responsibilities

Plan your closure communications

Once the decision has been made to close, you’ll need to decide who to inform and how to inform them

Organise your finances for closure

Key financial steps your need to take when closing your organisation

Leading people through closure

Guidance on how to help people through the emotional and practical process of closure

  • Closing down

Supporting your staff and volunteers through closure

Your duty of care to staff, volunteers and beneficiaries should be at the top of any closure plans

Volunteering round-up: November 2022

  • Involving volunteers

Call for continuing energy bill support for voluntary organisations

Charities hit hardest by spiralling energy costs are facing a cliff edge of support unless the government continues subsidising bills past March 2023

  • Government and politics

The inside track: November 2022

Our latest update on what’s happening in Westminster that might impact charities. This month sees a new government, with plenty for charities to think about.

  • Government and politics

Five ways to support your staff during the cost of living crisis

Five ways you can support staff through the cost of living crisis when resources are limited

  • Responding to crises

Government policy and funding round-up: December 2022

This round-up will help you to stay informed about our influencing work, and any government policy and funding announcements. For news related to what’s happening in parliament, see our regular inside track round-up.

  • Government and politics
  • Funding and income

Governance round-up: December 2022

NCVO's senior consultancy and training manager Dan Francis reflects on how the events of 2022 have shaped charity governance

  • Governance

Volunteers responding to crises

What we learned during the National Volunteering Forum, along with examples of actions you can take in response to the volunteering challenges facing the sector

  • Responding to crises

New Year message from NCVO's chief executive

As we enter the new year, read our advice for how to prepare for the challenges the sector is facing.

  • Government and politics
  • Responding to crises

Call for a long-term solution to the energy crisis

We’ve called for an urgent review into who's included in the government’s new energy discount scheme. We’re also calling for work to begin on a long-term support plan for the voluntary sector

  • Responding to crises

Governance round-up: January 2023

As we begin a new year, governance consultant Sally Stephens looks ahead to the big stories for 2023

  • Governance

About mergers

Information on the types of charity mergers and the different reasons for merging

  • Collaboration

Deciding to merge

This page highlights key questions to think about before making the decision to merge

  • Collaboration

Due diligence

Actions to ensure a planned merger is in the best interests of your organisations and beneficiaries

  • Collaboration

Pre-merger: Areas of focus

Things to consider in the run-up to a formal merger

  • Collaboration

Merger process

Planning the process with stakeholders and making sure you are clear about the role of your organisation’s regulator is key

  • Collaboration

Actions post-merger

What to consider once your merger has completed

  • Collaboration

Working with local Compacts

A guide to implementing local Compact agreements between voluntary organisations and local authorities, health services, and government departments

  • Collaboration

Coproduction and service user involvement

How to involve people who use services in the design and delivery of services

  • Collaboration

Joint working agreements explained

What to consider when setting up a joint working agreement

  • Collaboration

Joint working agreement checklist

A checklist to help you develop a joint working agreement

Trust fundraising in a challenging climate: Over to you

We know that increased competition for funding, shifting priorities among funders, and economic uncertainty are making trust fundraising more challenging for charities. It’s more important than ever to understand the evolving funding landscape and adapt your approach. This free event is an opportunity to network with other NCVO members in facilitated discussions. Share experiences and challenges, work through solutions together, develop new relationships and learn from your peers.

Theory of change for strategic planning and evaluation (1 day)

Learn how to create your own theory of change and narrative. This course will challenge you to think critically about what you're doing and why

Charity finance skills (1 day)

This course will help people with little or no financial background to feel confident in managing day-to-day charity finance

Supporting good governance (4 x 0.5 days)

This course will help you implement structures and processes to support trustees, and ensure systems are aligned with your organisation’s purpose and objectives

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in charity governance (2 x 0.5 days)

This course has been created by The Social Justice Collective to help you understand, address and embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into your governance practice

Charity trustee induction and refresher (2 x 0.5 days)

This course will give trustees an overview and understanding of charity governance, regulation and best practice

NCVO member welcome and refresher session: July 2025

Being an NCVO member means being part of a community. Whether you've just joined us, or you're renewing your membership and need a refresher, join this session to meet and network with other members online

All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Charities and Volunteering

A chance to hear from regulators about their plans for the voluntary sector.

Managing conflict and ending volunteering well (0.5 day)

This course will help you to manage conflict and problem solve with your volunteers, and navigate the process of ending volunteering well.

Outcomes and impact measurement (1 day)

Learn how to create an evaluation plan to better understand and demonstrate the difference your work makes