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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

Time to flex: Embracing flexible working

  • Employing and managing staff
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

The Road Ahead 2022

  • Coronavirus
  • Responding to crises
  • Government and politics

UK Civil Society Almanac 2021

  • Government and politics
  • Involving volunteers

Levelling up: The role of charities and volunteering

  • Government and politics
  • Involving volunteers

Charities Bill: Lords Second Reading

  • Government and politics

Where power lies: How lived experience is engaged in voluntary sector governance and decision-making

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Governance

Rebalancing the Relationship: Final report

  • Employing and managing staff
  • Collaboration

Rebalancing the relationship: emerging findings and draft recommendations

  • Employing and managing staff
  • Collaboration

The Road Ahead 2021

  • Funding and income
  • Coronavirus
  • Responding to crises

Time Well Spent: Diversity and volunteering

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Involving volunteers

Cost and income structure

Writing the cost and income structure section of your business plan

  • Business planning and strategy

Financial forecasts

Writing the financial forecasts section of your business plan

  • Business planning and strategy

Risk map

Writing the risk map section of your business plan

  • Business planning and strategy

Business plan template

Use this tool to help your organisation write your business plan

What is safeguarding?

Find out what safeguarding means for your organisation

  • Safeguarding

Six steps to successful safeguarding

What the Charity Commission expects you to do, and the main areas of activity to focus on

  • Safeguarding

Law, rules and duties

Find out more about your legal and regulatory responsibilities in safeguarding

  • Safeguarding

Working overseas

Get advice on the safeguarding challenges of working outside the UK

  • Safeguarding

What to do if you have immediate concerns

If you’re worried about someone right now, follow these steps to help

  • Safeguarding

About these safeguarding pages

Find out more about the project supported by the National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport

  • Safeguarding

Authentic leadership (1 day)

This practical one-day course for aspiring and existing charity leaders will strengthen your understanding of authentic leadership, so you can lead with integrity and impact

Tools and methods for measuring outcomes (1 day)

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

Introduction to EDI in charities (2 x 0.5 days)

This course introduces the key principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and how to apply them to your organisation

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

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.

Charity finance strategy (1 day)

This course will give you an overview of how to build a simple finance strategy. We’ll introduce tools to help you build the financial resilience of your charity

Leading change and transformation (2 days)

This practical two-day course for aspiring and existing charity leaders will build your confidence and skills to deliver impact for yourself and your organisation. Learn who your key stakeholders are and how to use communication tools to build engagement and partnerships

Leading a thriving organisational culture (1 Day)

This training provides you with the insights, tools, and confidence to evaluate and strengthen your organisation’s culture providing a strong foundation for success.

Safeguarding essentials for trustees (0.5 day)

This introductory course explains the key trustee responsibilities for safeguarding, following guidance from the Charity Commission

eLearning: Roles and duties of trustees

Trustees play an important role in making sure charities are well-managed and can achieve their aims. This accessible, interactive trustee eLearning course lets you study in your own time and at your own pace so you can fit around your schedule and priorities.