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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

Open letter to the chancellor on the impact of increased employer National Insurance Contributions for charities

We’ve written to the chancellor calling for urgent action on the planned increase to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for the voluntary sector

  • Employing and managing staff
  • Funding and income

Trustees’ Week 2024: Celebrating trustees’ dedication and impact

This Trustees' Week we celebrated the role of trustees across the UK and explored the challenges and opportunities in trustee recruitment and retention

  • Involving volunteers
  • Governance

Can we Bank on the Banks? New Report Highlights Ongoing Challenges

  • Collaboration
  • Financial management

Why Investing in Volunteering is Money Well Spent

  • Funding and income
  • Involving volunteers

NCVO Strengthens Board with New Appointments

  • Leadership
  • Governance

Overcoming sticking points in strategy development: A conversation with Sini and Sam

  • Business planning and strategy
  • Impact and evaluation
  • Consultancy

Small Charity Week 2025: New match funding campaign to boost small charities

  • Funding and income
  • Campaigning

New members join Small Charities Advisory Panel to strengthen the voice of small charities

  • Campaigning
  • Governance

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh announced as NCVO’s new Royal Patron

  • Inside NCVO

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

Types of fundraising and associated risks

What are the safeguarding risks associated with different types of fundraising?

  • Safeguarding

Community fundraising

Guidance on involving volunteers in fundraising

  • Safeguarding

Corporate fundraising

What to consider when corporate fundraising

  • Safeguarding

Major donor fundraising

Safeguarding guidance for major donor fundraising

  • Safeguarding

Events

The safeguarding issues to consider when organising fundraising events

  • Safeguarding

Public fundraising

What safeguarding risks are associated with public fundraising?

  • Safeguarding

Third party fundraising

What to consider when fundraising through a third party

  • Safeguarding

Developing a Fundraising Strategy (0.5 day)

Learn how to develop your first fundraising strategy. This course is aimed at small to medium-sized charities looking to grow their fundraising offer.

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

Successful funding applications (0.5 day)

Learn Practical tips to ensure you are successful in your funding bid applications.

Webinar: charity trading essentials

Explore charity trading and when to consider a trading subsidiary.

Tools and methods for measuring outcomes (1 day)

Get an introduction to data collection methods and practical guidance for evaluating your work

Leading external engagement ( 1 day)

This training will teach you how to raise your profile and the profile of your charity. You’ll learn how to improve your external engagement through network-building, collaboration, partnership development and effective communication.

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

Recruiting volunteers (0.5 day)

This course will develop your skills and help you use a marketing approach to recruit volunteers

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 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