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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

The Road Ahead 2024

The Road Ahead 2024 is our annual report on the changing landscape for voluntary sector organisations

  • Government and politics

Volunteering round-up: January 2024

The latest volunteering news, resources and dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: January 2024

A round-up of the latest governance news, resources and dates for your diary

  • Governance

The inside track: January 2024

Our latest update on what’s happening in Westminster and how it might impact charities

  • Government and politics

Listen, act and change this Race Equality Week

Our people partner Charmaine Goddard reflects on the work NCVO and the wider sector are doing to challenge racism and inequity

  • Inside NCVO
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

Rethinking charity internships

Charity Interns founder Maya Bhose shares how this innovative new programme is bringing new talent into the voluntary sector

  • Employing and managing staff

Volunteering round-up: February 2024

Senior volunteering consultant Helen Tourle shares the latest volunteering news, resources and dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

Re-invigorating volunteering with Active Kindness

Senior volunteering consultant Helen Tourle shares lessons from a unique volunteering programme

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: February 2024

A round-up of the latest governance news, resources and dates for your diary

  • Governance

The Road Ahead 2024: Opportunities and challenges for the voluntary sector

Our latest Road Ahead report analyses major trends and issues for 2024 to help chart a path through the year

Shortlisting

Safeguarding considerations when shortlisting for roles

  • Safeguarding

Interviews

How to conduct interviews

  • Safeguarding

Pre-employment checks

How to carry out pre-employment checks

  • Safeguarding

Onboarding, training and support

Safeguarding for onboarding, training and support

  • Safeguarding

Exit interviews

How to conduct exit interviews safely

  • Safeguarding

Sample safeguarding questions

Safeguarding questions to use during interviews

  • Safeguarding

Supporting safeguarding for your organisation

How you can support safeguarding for your organisation, internally and externally

  • Safeguarding

Specific safeguarding risks in communications and marketing

How to communicate about your organisation's work safely

  • Safeguarding

People who need safeguarding while fundraising

How to make safeguarding a central part of your fundraising

  • Safeguarding

Fundraising checklist and more resources

Making sure you’ve covered important aspects of safeguarding when fundraising

  • Safeguarding

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

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

Safeguarding essentials for trustees (0.5 day)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.