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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

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

Help and support with requesting DBS checks

How to request and process DBS checks

  • Safeguarding

Checks for people working overseas

Guidance on what checks you need to complete for people working overseas

  • Safeguarding

Checks for trustees

Guidance on additional information you need to consider when carrying out DBS checks for trustees

  • Safeguarding

Keeping information safe

Steps you need to take to keep data safe once DBS checks have been carried out

  • Safeguarding

When someone has a criminal record

Guidance on what to do if a staff member or volunteer has a criminal record

  • Safeguarding

What you need to know about whistleblowing

Find out about whistleblowing, and the policies your organisation should have in place.

  • Safeguarding

Deciding to whistleblow

Questions you might ask yourself if you're thinking of raising a concern.

  • Safeguarding

Challenges and issues in whistleblowing

Find out about different types of concerns and ways they can be reported.

  • Safeguarding

Why does language matter?

Find out why it's useful to stay up to date with safeguarding terminology

  • Safeguarding

Common terminology

Find definitions of some of the most common safeguarding terminology

  • Safeguarding

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

Managing people in the charity sector (2 days)

This course will equip managers in the voluntary sector with the skills and techniques they need to effectively manage paid members of staff

Strategic planning: tools for decision making (1 day)

This course will introduce processes and tools to help ensure that decision-making is responsive to your environment and focused on the most important issues affecting your organisation

NCVO/Zurich webinar: navigating financial risk with confidence (1 day)

Learn how to navigate today’s toughest financial challenges facing small voluntary organisations. Discover the tools, insights, and real-world examples you need to build resilience, manage risk and lead with financial confidence.

Tools and methods for measuring outcomes (1 day)

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

Volunteering network meeting

A network open to all NCVO members working within the volunteering ecosystem. Join us to discuss your volunteering challenges and work with the group to find solutions

Leading external engagement (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

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