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Helping your board meet their responsibilities

Learn more about the key areas boards and trustees are responsible for

  • Governance

Introduction to trustee responsibilities

All trustees must take responsibility for decisions that benefit their charity

  • Governance

Equity, diversity and inclusion at board level

All trustees are responsible for shaping the culture of their board and charity

  • Governance

Finance

Trustees must make sure their charity’s money is safe and used properly

  • Governance

Funding and fundraising

Trustees should think carefully about how to secure income for their charity

  • Governance

How to manage risk

Seven steps to help trustees manage risk in their charity

  • Governance
  • Risk

Managing people

Trustees need to make sure their charity follows employment law and has clear volunteer management processes

  • Governance

Reporting

Guidance on Charity Commission, Companies House and serious incident reporting

  • Governance

Strategy

Trustees should help oversee and develop their charity’s strategy

  • Governance

Recruiting and inducting trustees

Guidance on how to find and welcome new charity trustees

  • Governance

Employment Rights Bill: what charities need to know

The Employment Rights Bill introduces the biggest changes to UK employment law in decades. Find out when these changes will happen and what you should be doing to get ready.

Updates to NCVO’s executive team

Membership body announces changes to its executive team following the arrival of new CEO, Kate Lee.

What the Autumn 2025 Budget means for your charity

Limited measures announced, but not enough to ease financial strain on charities.

  • Funding and income
  • Government and politics

Charities facing mission-limiting hostility, fear and intimidation

A new report from NCVO explores impact of rise in extremism and social division on the voluntary sector.

  • Responding to crises
  • Government and politics

Why the government’s asylum proposals are bad for volunteering

  • Involving volunteers
  • Government and politics

Local Covenant Partnerships Fund announced

The government has announced a new initiative designed to support stronger, fairer and more collaborative relationships between charities and local government.

  • Funding and income
  • Government and politics

Deciding to close

Important things to consider before deciding to close your voluntary organisation

  • Closing down

Reasons to close

Every voluntary organisation should regularly ask whether it’s still well placed to achieve its goals

Alternatives to closure

If your organisation is still financially viable, you may want to consider alternative options to closure

Factors to consider before closing

Whatever your reasons for considering closure, you’re likely to have legal responsibilities to follow

Planning for closure

Steps you need to take before closing your organisation

  • Closing down

Create a closure plan

Depending on your route to closure and your legal structure, you may have different legal duties and wider responsibilities

Plan your closure communications

Once the decision has been made to close, you’ll need to decide who to inform and how to inform them

Organise your finances for closure

Key financial steps your need to take when closing your organisation

Supporting your staff and volunteers through closure

Your duty of care to staff, volunteers and beneficiaries should be at the top of any closure plans

Supporting your leadership team and trustees through closure

Closing an organisation will require courage and commitment from an organisation’s leadership

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

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

Developing a volunteer strategy (1 day)

Get an overview of the key tasks and considerations when creating a volunteer strategy. Learn how to develop a strategy that compliments your business plan and create a framework for building success

Mentoring and coaching skills (0.5 days)

This course provides an introduction to the key differences between mentoring and coaching. You’ll learn how to use both skills effectively to develop and support staff, volunteers and clients

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

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