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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

Governance round-up: July 2023

Recent governance news, resources, research, events and more

  • Governance

Applications open for £76m Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund

Find out if your organisation is eligible for new funding up to £75,000

  • Funding and income
  • Responding to crises

Consumer Duty: What is it and how will charities benefit?

Learn how new banking rules will affect your charity or voluntary organisation

  • Financial management

Volunteering round-up: August 2023

The latest news, events and opportunities for people managing or supporting volunteers

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: August 2023

A round-up of the latest guidance from the Charity Commission, recent governance news and upcoming training and events

  • Governance

Impact round-up: Summer 2023

Senior consultant, Sandy Chidley, runs through some recent work on ethical evaluation and shares useful evaluation events and training opportunities

  • Impact and evaluation

The inside track: September 2023

A round-up of what’s happening in Westminster that might impact charities. This month sees a Labour reshuffle, an update on new APPG rules, and a look ahead to party conferences

  • Government and politics

Volunteering round-up: September 2023

The latest volunteering news, resources and dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

Practical support bulletin: September 2023

Resources, free events, support and guidance on the big issues affecting small charities

  • Financial management
  • Funding and income
  • Responding to crises

Government policy and funding round-up: September 2023

An update on our influencing work, government policy and funding announcements

  • Government and politics
  • Funding and income

Corporation and income tax

Charities are usually exempt from paying corporation or income tax, but there are some situations where you might become liable

  • Financial management

VAT and charities

When do charities need to consider VAT and what are the exemptions?

  • Financial management

Trading and charities

How to trade as a charity, and what the risks are

  • Financial management

How to set up a trading subsidiary

Charities are allowed to trade under certain circumstances, but if you've decided to develop a trading activity which is not allowed, you'll need to establish a trading subsidiary. Here's how.

  • Financial management

Gift Aid

Gift Aid is a scheme which allows charities to claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated

  • Financial management

Gift aid small donations scheme (GASDS)

GASDS is a top up on small cash donations without using Gift Aid

  • Financial management

Making tax digital

Guidance on complying with with HMRC Making Tax Digital reporting requirements

  • Financial management

Banking guidance for charities

Guidance around when a charity or voluntary organisation needs a bank account, and how to choose one and set it up.

  • Financial management

Financial difficulty and insolvency

Find out about some of the areas to consider when managing financial difficulties and insolvency

  • Financial management

Working through financial challenges

Learn about how to work though helping your organisation manage financial uncertainty

  • Financial management

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

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

Outcomes and impact measurement (1 day)

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

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

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

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

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

Special volunteering network meeting: Keep volunteering voluntary

A network open to all NCVO members working within the volunteering ecosystem. Have your say on the government's consultation on making volunteering a tool in its immigration proposals.

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

Good practice in volunteer management (1 day)

This course provides an introduction to the key principles of good volunteer management and how to apply them in your organisation