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Strategy and business planning

  • Business planning and strategy

Getting started with strategy and business planning

Learn about what you need to know to get started with your organisation's strategy and business planning

  • Business planning and strategy

What is strategy?

Use this page to learn about what strategy is and how it can help your organisation

  • Business planning and strategy

Involving people in developing your strategy

Use this page to learn who to involve in developing your strategy and how best to engage them

  • Business planning and strategy

Creating the right strategy process for your organisation

Learn about how to create the right strategy process for your organisation.

  • Business planning and strategy

Theory of Change

Learn about Theory of Change as a process and a tool

  • Business planning and strategy

Setting the direction of your organisation

Find out what's involved in setting the direction of your charity

  • Business planning and strategy

Understanding your landscape and conditions

Learn about understanding your organisation's landscape and conditions and the tools that can help with this

  • Business planning and strategy

Gathering knowledge to assess your situation

Use this section to select the right tools to help you understand your landscape and conditions.

  • Business planning and strategy

SWOT

A guide to help your organisation with your SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis

Practical support bulletin: March 2023

Amy Walton, small charity support manager, shares resources, free events, support and information on the big issues affecting small charities.

  • Responding to crises
  • Funding and income
  • Financial management

Statement regarding the closure of The FSI

Our statement on the recent closure of The FSI

Spring budget 2023: funding and implications for charities

Our reflections on the budget and what it could mean for voluntary organisations

  • Government and politics

Small charities advisory panel launched

The panel will champion the voices and experiences of small charities, ensuring they can access tailored help, support and advocacy

  • Collaboration

Governance round-up: April 2023

Senior governance consultant Sally Stephens explains the upcoming changes in the Charities Act 2022

  • Governance

Volunteering round-up: April 2023

NCVO’s new volunteering consultant Helen Tourle shares volunteering news and dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

New roles to support Small Charity Week and update on The FSI legacy work

Our work with The Foundation for Social Improvement’s board and two short term roles to support Small Charity Week.

The inside track: April 2023

This month sees a potential tightening of the rules around APPGs, a new data protection bill, and a campaign to help charities engage with the House of Lords

  • Government and politics

NCVO recognised for its progress towards race equality

NCVO awarded Race Equality Matters’ Bronze Trailblazer status in recognition of our work towards becoming a more diverse, inclusive, and equal organisation

  • Inside NCVO

Key findings from Time Well Spent 2023

New data reveals how much volunteering has transformed over recent years

  • Impact and evaluation
  • Involving volunteers

Defining budgets and cashflow forecasts and writing a budget

Learn about what budgets and cashflow forecasts are and how to write a budget

  • Financial management

Budgeting: Who to involve, how to assess it and dealing with uncertainty

Learn about who to involve in writing your budget, how to assess it and dealing with uncertainty

  • Financial management

Building a cashflow forecast and understanding the cashflow process

Learn about how to build a cashflow forecast and how the cashflow process works

  • Financial management

Project budgeting and full cost recovery

Guidance on budgeting for projects and recovering costs

  • Financial management

Direct costs and support costs

Learn about direct costs and support costs for single and multiple projects

  • Financial management

Cost allocation and apportionment

Learn about what cost allocation and apportionment mean and how it works in practice

  • Financial management

Full cost recovery

Learn about what full cost recovery means and what the limitations are

  • Financial management

External reporting

How to prepare annual accounts and a Trustees’ Annual Report and make them available on request

  • Financial management

Management accounts

Creating financial information that helps managers and trustees

  • Financial management

Investment

What to consider when deciding on investments

  • Financial management

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.

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

Advanced data protection (2 x 0.5 days)

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

How to handle volunteer concerns and complaints

Learn how to respond effectively and constructively to concerns and complaints raised by volunteers in this free webinar.

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

Successful funding applications (0.5 day)

Learn Practical tips to ensure you are successful in your funding bid applications.

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

Developing a Fundraising Strategy (0.5 day)

Learn how to develop your first fundraising strategy. This course is aimed at small to medium-sized charities looking to grow their fundraising offer.

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

Leading change and transformation (2 days)

This practical two-day course for aspiring and existing charity leaders will build your confidence and skills to deliver impact for yourself and your organisation. Learn who your key stakeholders are and how to use communication tools to build engagement and partnerships