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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

Climate campaign: Putting the environment at the centre of decision-making this Trustees' Week

We launched a new campaign in the summer of 2023 to help trustees and charity leaders consider the environmental impact of their charities’ investments

  • Campaigning

Practical support bulletin: November 2023

Resources, events, support and information on the big issues affecting small charities

  • Funding and income
  • Governance
  • Cost of living

Celebrating Trustees’ Week 2023

Our chief executive Sarah Vibert celebrates the start of Trustees' Week and shares our plans

  • Governance

King’s Speech 2023: Takeaways for the voluntary sector

Our policy and public affairs manager, Chris Walker, summarises the announcements from the King's Speech likely to impact our sector

  • Government and politics

The importance of diversity in your trustee board

Explore why diversity is a key area of reflection for your trustee board and what needs to happen to make a board truly diverse

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Governance

Open letter to the chancellor on vital funding for public services delivered by charities

Read our open letter calling on the chancellor to ensure charities can continue providing essential services for communities

  • Funding and income
  • Cost of living

What is the true cost of giving support to public services?

Why the government must act to cover the true cost of charities delivering public services

  • Cost of living
  • Funding and income

The inside track: November 2023

An update on what's happening in Westminster. Find out what the King’s Speech and government reshuffle means for charities

  • Government and politics

Volunteering round-up: November 2023

The latest volunteering news, resources and dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: November 2023

Lessons from Trustees’ Week 2023 and upcoming dates for your diary

  • Governance

Understanding digital accessibility

Find out if you're doing everything you should be to make sure your websites and digital services are accessible

  • Digital and technology

Backing up your data

Protecting your charity from malware

Keeping your smartphones (and tablets) safe

  • Digital and technology

Using passwords to protect your data

Avoid phishing attacks

Beyond the basics in cybersecurity

A more detailed approach to cyber risk management for your charity, organisation or community group

GDPR, data protection law, Brexit and how to keep on top of your responsibilities

How to keep on top of your data protection responsibilities

  • Digital and technology

Understanding data protection

  • Digital and technology

Boost your personal influence and impact (0.5 day)

Learn practical tools and techniques to increase your capability, confidence and impact when seeking to influence others – both within and outside your organisation

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in charity governance (2 x 0.5 days)

This course has been created by The Social Justice Collective to help you understand, address and embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into your governance practice

Financial governance for trustees (0.5 day)

This course will revisit the core financial duties of a charity trustee and explore what it means to practice good financial governance

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

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