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What is volunteering?

Find out what volunteering is and how to get started

  • Involving volunteers

Why involve volunteers?

How volunteers can benefit your organisation and play an important role in your work

  • Involving volunteers

Writing a volunteering strategy

A volunteer strategy helps secure the support to help your volunteering do more

  • Involving volunteers

Equity, diversity and inclusion in volunteering

Understand how equity, diversity and inclusion affects volunteers and those they support

  • Involving volunteers

Planning for volunteers

How to set your organisation up to involve volunteers

  • Involving volunteers

Writing volunteer role descriptions

How to write volunteer role descriptions that show your volunteers' roles and responsibilities

  • Involving volunteers

Paying volunteer expenses

It’s good practice to pay back volunteers for expenses they incur while volunteering

  • Involving volunteers

Coordinating volunteers

Understand volunteer coordinator roles and decide how to support your volunteers

  • Involving volunteers

Safeguarding and volunteers

Help volunteers understand their role in safeguarding and their own right to be safe

  • Involving volunteers

Writing a volunteer policy

How a volunteer policy can benefit your organisation and what it should include

  • Involving volunteers

Statement from NCVO chair, Priya Singh, on the outcomes of investigations into complaints

The board of trustees is committed to NCVO’s equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and culture change programme.

The civil society group launches to increase collaboration, improve efficiency, effectiveness and streamline engagement

Today sees the launch of The Civil Society Group – an informal collaboration of organisations representing members and groups from across the charity sector and wider civil society.

  • Collaboration

Record membership growth for NCVO and better-than-expected financial performance highlighted in 2021 annual report

Ahead of its Annual General Meeting on 22 November, NCVO today publishes its annual report and financial accounts for the year ending 31 March 2021.

  • Membership

New research examines volunteering policy response in England during the pandemic

A new research briefing published today and authored by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) examines the government’s policy response to volunteering in England, and its impact, during the covid-19 pandemic.

  • Coronavirus

New research shows increased charity demand for services and support from sector infrastructure organisations during the pandemic

The pandemic has increased demand within the voluntary sector for services and support from charity infrastructure organisations, according to new research released today.

  • Coronavirus

NAVCA to take over volunteer centre quality accreditation from NCVO

NCVO and NAVCA reached an agreement which saw the Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation (VCQA) transfer to NAVCA from 1 January 2022. This

  • Inside NCVO

NCVO road ahead 2022 helps charities chart route to 'new practicality' amid constant uncertainty

The voluntary sector will have to accept a level of constant uncertainty in 2022, but should still be optimistic about its ability to provide dignity, purpose and hope for society, says NCVO’s Road Ahead 2022.

  • Coronavirus

NCVO statement on third sector article

Our statement in response to today’s (25 January 2022) Third Sector article relating to the investigations into complaints at NCVO, which completed in September 2021.

NCVO and ACEVO call for all charity roles to be advertised as flexible

The voluntary sector needs to lead the way on flexible working and advertise all roles as flexible, with employers encouraging open conversations about how it can work in their organisation.

  • Employing and managing staff

Writing your application

Learn about how to go about writing your grant application

Preparing your budget

Guidance on preparing your budget

  • Funding and income

After you apply

What happens after you apply for your grant

  • Funding and income

How to find grants

Basic guidance and top tips and tricks for finding grants

  • Funding and income

Local funding advice and support

Find out about the different organisations that can help you

  • Funding and income

Contactless fundraising

  • Funding and income

Corporate fundraising

Learn more about what corporate fundraising is and if you should try it

  • Funding and income

Crowdfunding

Learning about what crowdfunding is

  • Funding and income

Donation buttons

Learning about what donation buttons are

  • Funding and income

Fundraising events

Guidance about fundraising events for your organisation

  • Funding and income

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

Charity finance strategy (1 day)

This course will give you an overview of how to build a simple finance strategy. We’ll introduce tools to help you build the financial resilience of your charity

Data protection essentials (2 x 0.5 days)

This essentials course is suitable for anyone within an organisation that handles the personal data of staff, service users, beneficiaries, volunteers, customers, members or supporters, and needs to know the basics of data protection for voluntary organisations.

Safeguarding essentials for trustees (0.5 day)

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

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

Designated safeguarding leads in charities (1 day)

This one-day training course provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of safeguarding leads in charities in England

Small Charity Week 2025 Webinar: Top tips to create an effective fundraising strategy

This free webinar as part of Small Charity Week 2025, will give small charity leaders practical tips to develop and deliver a successful fundraising strategy to ensure the resilience and sustainability of their charity.

Trust fundraising in a challenging climate: Over to you

We know that increased competition for funding, shifting priorities among funders, and economic uncertainty are making trust fundraising more challenging for charities. It’s more important than ever to understand the evolving funding landscape and adapt your approach. This free event is an opportunity to network with other NCVO members in facilitated discussions. Share experiences and challenges, work through solutions together, develop new relationships and learn from your peers.

Theory of change for strategic planning and evaluation (1 day)

Learn how to create your own theory of change and narrative. This course will challenge you to think critically about what you're doing and why

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