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Tools and guidance

Tools and good-practice guidance to help you review, run and improve your board, compiled by NCVO's governance experts

  • Governance

Charity Governance Code

Read the new Code, which sets out principles of good governance for charities.

Governance wheel

The governance wheel is a simple tool that helps boards of voluntary organisations quickly get a sense of how well they’re functioning and fulfilling their roles.

Strategic planning

Information and tools on strategic planning.

Trustee recruitment pack for small organisations

Six steps to follow when recruiting trustees and nine editable documents to aid your recruitment

Trustee skills audit

A skills audit is a useful way of identifying what trustees bring, and the gaps in skills and knowledge on your board. It can be useful when you’re looking to recruit new trustees.

Individual trustee self reflection

Self reflection is an important part of your professional development and will help you to do your role effectively.

Individual trustee performance reviews

Guidance on conducting individual trustee performance reviews

  • Governance

Financial procedures manual

Templates and guidance for creating a financial procedures manual that will provide a framework for managing your organisation's finances.

  • Governance

Before you start

How to use NCVO's financial procedures manual template

  • Governance

Time to flex: Embracing flexible working

  • Employing and managing staff
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

The Road Ahead 2022

  • Coronavirus
  • Responding to crises
  • Government and politics

UK Civil Society Almanac 2021

  • Government and politics
  • Involving volunteers

Levelling up: The role of charities and volunteering

  • Government and politics
  • Involving volunteers

Charities Bill: Lords Second Reading

  • Government and politics

Where power lies: How lived experience is engaged in voluntary sector governance and decision-making

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Governance

Rebalancing the Relationship: Final report

  • Employing and managing staff
  • Collaboration

Rebalancing the relationship: emerging findings and draft recommendations

  • Employing and managing staff
  • Collaboration

The Road Ahead 2021

  • Funding and income
  • Coronavirus
  • Responding to crises

Time Well Spent: Diversity and volunteering

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Involving volunteers

Redundancy

A sample redundancy policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Retirement

A sample retirement policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Shared parental leave

A sample shared parental leave policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Sickness absence

A guide to help you develop a sickness absence policy and procedure for your organisation

Stress

A sample stress policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Whistleblowing

A sample whistleblowing policy and procedure, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Carer's leave

Recruiting and inducting staff

Guidance on the steps you should take when recruiting and inducting paid members of staff

  • Employing and managing staff

Designing the role

Guidance on designing a new role within your organisation

  • Employing and managing staff

Advertising the role

Guidance to help you decide how and where to advertise a role

  • Employing and managing staff

Volunteers and the law (0.5 day)

This course will help you create a positive and inclusive experience for volunteers. The course will explore best practice in relation to safeguarding, data protection, health and safety, and equality

Building a sustainable and resilient fundraising strategy (1 day)

Through a blend of theoretical frameworks and practical application, you'll learn how to strengthen your current fundraising strategy so that is not only effective today but sustainable and resilient for years to come.

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

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

Strategic leadership (1 day)

This practical one-day course for aspiring and existing charity leaders will elevate your strategic leadership skills, so you can create lasting impact for your organisations and the communities you serve.

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

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

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

Advanced data protection (2 x 0.5 days)

This advanced course is specifically for data protection leads or officers in charitable organisations.

Safeguarding essentials for trustees (0.5 day)

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