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Help and guidance

Our help and guidance content includes step-by-step guides, downloadable templates and interactive tools to help you run your voluntary organisation

Setting up

Learn about the practical steps you need to take to set up your own organisation

  • Setting up

Deciding to set up a new charitable organisation

Access our guidance to help you decide if you should set up a new charity, voluntary organisation or community group

  • Setting up

Choosing your legal structure

What you need to consider when choosing your legal structure and the main characteristics of different legal structures

  • Setting up

Understanding charity status and registration

Find out what charity status is and if you need to register as a charity

  • Setting up

Understanding social enterprise

Find out about social enterprises and their associated legal structures

  • Setting up

A charity's governing document: What it should include

Find out what information should be included in your charity's governing document

  • Setting up

Running a charity

Guidance and tools to help you run your charity or voluntary organisation

  • Employing and managing staff
  • Setting up
  • Closing down

Employing and managing staff

Practical guidance to help you recruit, manage and develop paid members of staff, including a useful introduction to employment law

  • Employing and managing staff

Employing staff essentials

Familiarise yourself with the essential aspects of employing paid members of staff

  • Employing and managing staff

Government policy and funding round-up: January 2023

This round-up will help you to stay informed about our influencing work, and any government policy and funding announcements

  • Funding and income
  • Government and politics

The challenges of charity banking

Banking is often one of the greatest day-to-day challenges faced by charities. Policy and insight manager Sam Mercadante explores the issue in more detail, and shares details of a new NCVO project

  • Financial management

Practical support bulletin: January 2023

Amy Walton, small charity support manager, shares resources, free events, support and information on the big issues affecting small charities.

  • Funding and income
  • Financial management
  • Responding to crises

The Road Ahead 2023: The ongoing impact of cost of living

In the first of our Road Ahead series, we consider what the cost of living crisis could mean for us all in the months ahead

  • Responding to crises

The Road Ahead 2023: Supporting staff, trustees and volunteers

As part of our Road Ahead series, we explore the issues affecting the people at the heart of our organisations

  • Employing and managing staff
  • Governance
  • Involving volunteers

The Road Ahead 2023: Keeping up the pace on equity, diversity and inclusion

In this Road Ahead article, we reflect on our shared commitment to better reflect and engage with the communities we serve

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

The Road Ahead 2023: Adapting to political change

As part of our Road Ahead series, we consider how the voluntary sector responds to continuing political turbulence

  • Government and politics

The Road Ahead 2023: Responding to new laws and regulations

In the last of our Road Ahead series, we shine a spotlight on new laws and regulations that may affect you

  • Law and regulation

The Big Help Out: Why it matters and how to get involved

What you need to know about the Big Help Out: a campaign to get more people volunteering

  • Involving volunteers

Impact round-up: Winter 2023

Evaluation consultant Carol Jennions looks at wellbeing evaluation and shares useful resources alongside some exciting new training opportunities

  • Impact and evaluation

Charity Essentials (English version)

An English version of the Charity Essentials tool, which can help you do a basic health check on how your organisation is performing

Charity Essentials (Welsh version)

A Welsh version of the Charity Essentials tool, which can help you do a basic health check on how your organisation is performing

Get started with equity, diversity and inclusion

This page helps you get started in improving your organisations’ approach to equity, diversity and inclusion.

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

The Equality Act: Your legal duties

Using the Equality Act to understand your legal duties

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

Respond to discrimination

This page is about how to respond to discrimination occurring in your organisation.

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

Insurance

Risk management is a vital (and legal) responsibility for charity trustees. This page covers an introduction to the risk management process and the role insurance plays in protecting your organisation.

  • Law and regulation

Charity ethical principles

Principles that support charities to recognise and resolve ethical issues and conflicts, and make charities safer

  • Governance

Explaining governance

Learn about what governance is and how it applies to charities

  • Governance

What is a board?

Learn about what a board is and how it works

  • Governance

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

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/Zurich webinar: Developing and embedding effective risk assessments for volunteers

Join us for an essential webinar on creating and embedding effective risk assessments to protect your volunteers and those they support

Strategic leadership (1 day)

This practical one-day course for aspiring and existing charity leaders will elevate your strategic leadership skills, so you can create lasting impact for your organisations and the communities you serve.

Financial governance for trustees (0.5 day)

This course will revisit the core financial duties of a charity trustee and explore what it means to practice good financial governance

Tools and methods for measuring outcomes (1 day)

Get an introduction to data collection methods and practical guidance for evaluating your work

Safeguarding essentials in charities (1 day)

All voluntary organisations have a duty to keep the people they work with safe from harm. This course introduces the basics of safeguarding within a charity context in England and highlights effective safeguarding practice

Better impact reporting (0.5 day)

This practical session will build your awareness of different types of reporting and support you to tell a compelling story through your reporting

Recruiting volunteers (0.5 day)

This course will develop your skills and help you use a marketing approach to recruit volunteers

Leading change and transformation (2 days)

This practical two-day course for aspiring and existing charity leaders will teach you how to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Learn how to successfully deliver meaningful change to improve your team or organisation