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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

'Every day counts' as charities still wait for government support

  • Coronavirus

Government support for charities – NCVO reaction

At a time of crisis, charities want and need to be able to give their all to supporting people who need it most. They cannot do that if they have to suspend their work or close altogether.

  • Coronavirus

Voluntary sector will shrink following coronavirus

Volunteering rates have remained stable over the last few years. In 2018/19, 22% of people regularly volunteered with a group, club or organisation. While the pandemic is unlikely to influence the overall numbers of people volunteering in the UK, we will

  • Involving volunteers
  • Coronavirus

Dr Priya Singh set to be new chair of NCVO

  • Inside NCVO

NCVO consults staff on restructure proposals

  • Business planning and strategy

New research supports organisations to improve volunteer experience for minority groups

  • Involving volunteers

NCVO announces detailed plans for future offer to members, charities and volunteering

  • Involving volunteers

Statement from Priya Singh, chair, on behalf of the Board of Trustees

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

Safeguarding in grant applications

How grant makers can contribute to better safeguarding practice

  • Safeguarding

Safeguarding with grantholders

Safeguarding considerations for grantmakers and grantholders

  • Safeguarding

Leading by example

How local infrastructure organisations can set an example to smaller charities and voluntary organisations with safeguarding

  • Safeguarding

Making safeguarding a priority

How local infrastructure organisations can make safeguarding a priority

  • Safeguarding

Making sure your own safeguarding is robust

How to embed robust safeguarding processes as an infrastructure organisation

  • Safeguarding

Managing information and confidentiality

How to manage information and confidentiality as an infrastructure organisation

  • Safeguarding

Recognising the risks your members present

How infrastructure organisations can promote safeguarding among their members and other organisations they support

  • Safeguarding

Supporting groups to become safer organisations

Guidance for safeguarding for small organisations and groups without their own safeguarding resources

  • Safeguarding

Your key responsibilities

Things you must do to embed safeguarding practices as an infrastructure organisation

  • Safeguarding

Working with area boards and networks

How to stay connected with your local area safeguarding boards

  • Safeguarding

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

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.

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

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