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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

Governance round-up: February 2022

  • Governance
  • Law and regulation

Government policy and funding round-up: February 2022

  • Government and politics
  • Funding and income
  • Governance

What can charities learn from the Charity Commission's Kids Company report?

  • Governance
  • Law and regulation

How we delivered a programme evaluation with partners Rocket Science

  • Impact and evaluation
  • Collaboration

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund: What needs to happen next

  • Government and politics
  • Funding and income

Charities must do more than survive, they must change too

  • Business planning and strategy

Levelling up White Paper: What it means for charities and volunteering

  • Government and politics
  • Funding and income
  • Involving volunteers

Volunteering round-up: January 2022

  • Involving volunteers
  • Funding and income
  • Safeguarding

Governance round-up: January 2022

  • Governance

The Road Ahead 2022: Finding a new practicality through uncertain times

  • Law and regulation
  • Government and politics
  • Coronavirus

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

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 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

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