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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

England riots: Statement from NCVO's chief executive

  • Responding to crises

How charities can tackle misinformation

  • Digital and technology

England riots: Letter to civil society from DCMS Secretary of State

The Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP shares support for the voluntary sector in the wake of riots and unrest across England

  • Responding to crises

New report highlights digital barriers for disabled volunteers

We share key findings from a new report that highlights the digital barriers stopping many disabled adults from fully participating in volunteering

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

NCVO at the Labour Party Conference: Key takeaways

A round-up of the key conversations and takeaways from the Labour Party Conference

  • Campaigning
  • Government and politics

Trustee confidence: Key research findings and actions for your board

NCVO's governance consultant Mo Wiltshire shares highlights from the Charity Commission’s recent research into trustee confidence

  • Governance

NCVO welcomes new president and trustees at 2024 AGM

Baroness Delyth Morgan was confirmed as NCVO's new president. Two new trustees, Ruth Marvel and Louise Posocco, were also appointed

  • Inside NCVO
  • Governance

UK Civil Society Almanac 2024

Published annually by NCVO, the Almanac is the definitive publication on the state of the voluntary sector. Widely cited by the media, it is used extensively by sector leaders, policy makers, journalists and academics.

  • Government and politics
  • Involving volunteers

Understanding Trustee Recruitment and Retention Challenges

A survey of the voluntary sector

  • Involving volunteers
  • Governance

Budget 2024: Key implications for charities

Our round-up of the new Labour government’s spending plans and what they mean for charities and communities

  • Government and politics
  • Funding and income

Analysing qualitative data for evaluation

Learn about what qualitative data is and how to analyse it

  • Impact and evaluation

Writing an evaluation report

Guite to writing an evaluation report helps you share key findings and recommendations with internal and external stakeholders.

  • Impact and evaluation

Using and learning from evaluation findings

How to use and learn from your evaluation findings

  • Impact and evaluation
  • Business planning and strategy

What is strategy?

Use this page to learn about what strategy is and how it can help your organisation

  • Business planning and strategy

Involving people in developing your strategy

Use this page to learn who to involve in developing your strategy and how best to engage them

  • Business planning and strategy

Creating the right strategy process for your organisation

Learn about how to create the right strategy process for your organisation.

  • Business planning and strategy

Theory of Change

Learn about Theory of Change as a process and a tool

  • Business planning and strategy

Setting the direction of your organisation

Find out what's involved in setting the direction of your charity

  • Business planning and strategy

Gathering knowledge to assess your situation

Use this section to select the right tools to help you understand your landscape and conditions.

  • Business planning and strategy

SWOT

A guide to help your organisation with your SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis

Outcomes and impact measurement (1 day)

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

Mentoring and coaching skills (0.5 days)

This course provides an introduction to the key differences between mentoring and coaching. You’ll learn how to use both skills effectively to develop and support staff, volunteers and clients

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

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

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

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

Member forum: The Civil Society Covenant

Learn more about the Civil Society Covenant, and the steps to implement it, in this free event.

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.

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