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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

Our equity, diversity and inclusion work: Proceeding at the pace of trust

  • Inside NCVO
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

Volunteering round-up: February 2023

NCVO’s senior policy and influencing advisor Catherine Goodall shares recent updates and upcoming dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: February 2023

Our round-up for trustees and governance professionals, with useful sector updates, training courses and guidance

  • Governance

Five tips for managing costs with the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme

Advice on what the Energy Bills Discount Scheme means for charities and tips on how to cope with rising costs

  • Responding to crises

Exploring approaches to age friendly inclusive volunteering

Susannah Hodge, training and regional support manager at the Third Age Trust, shares learning and reflections from NCVO's age inclusive volunteering project

  • Involving volunteers

The inside track: February 2023

Our latest update on what’s happening in Westminster. This month sees the creation of new government departments and a big change at the top of Scottish politics

  • Government and politics

Governance round-up: March 2023

With many of us approaching the end of our financial year, senior governance consultant Sally Stephens shares guidance for completing your annual return

  • Governance

Is this what a voluntary sector CEO looks like?

To mark International Women’s Day 2023, our chief executive Sarah Vibert reflects on what changes are needed to encourage more women into leadership positions in the voluntary sector

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

Charities urge chancellor to provide cost of living support

Organisations have united ahead of next week’s spring budget to call on the chancellor to provide urgent support

  • Responding to crises

Government policy and funding round-up: March 2023

The latest government policy and funding announcements and updates on our influencing work

  • Government and politics
  • Funding and income

Ending the volunteering relationship

Recognising safeguarding opportunities and risks when a volunteering relationship ends

  • Safeguarding

Managing safeguarding risks

How to manage safeguarding risks at an operational level

  • Safeguarding

Budget, insurance and security

Understanding your safeguarding responsibilities when managing budgets, security and staff safety

  • Safeguarding

Data protection and digital technology

How to make sure your organisation is managing data safely and securely

  • Safeguarding

Working with partners

Find out about starting and checking due diligence when working with others

  • Safeguarding

Further help and guidance

Find more safeguarding resources that may be useful in your role

  • Safeguarding

Safeguarding responsibilities for HR managers

How human resources can play a leading role in safeguarding

  • Safeguarding

Safeguarding from interview to exit

Ensuring good safeguarding practice from interview to exit

  • Safeguarding

Introduction to safer recruitment practices

How to conduct recruitment practices safely

  • Safeguarding

Role risk assessment

How to conduct a safeguarding risk assessment when recruiting to a new role

  • Safeguarding

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

Safeguarding essentials for trustees (0.5 day)

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

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

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

Project management in the voluntary sector (2 days)

This practical course is specifically tailored to the voluntary sector. It’s designed to give you all the principles and practical tools you need to plan, deliver and evaluate your project successfully

Data protection essentials (2 x 0.5 days)

This course will take you through the essentials of lawful data processing for charities and help improve your compliance with the law

Designated safeguarding leads in charities (1 day)

This one-day training course provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of safeguarding leads in charities in England

APPG on Charities and Volunteering: local partnership working

Join us for a discussion on the future of partnership working between local government and civil society.

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