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About us

Find out about our services, the way we operate and how we champion voluntary action

Who we are

We’re the membership community for charities, voluntary organisations and community groups in England

Our services

Find out how we can support you, from support for small charities and training to consultancy and corporate relations

Training

We offer a range of training courses designed to help you do what you do best

eLearning: Roles and duties of trustees

This flexible, interactive course will help you understand your duties as a trustee and support you to run your charity effectively so you can make a bigger difference

Leading on purpose

A practical four-month programme for emerging charity leaders who are on their way to leading organisations

Our vision for charity leaders

Learn about the mindset, knowledge and connections that emerging leaders need to guide the sector into the 2030s

Support for small charities and voluntary organisations

We know small charities make a big impact with limited resource - that's why we're here to help

Small charity helpdesk

Ask our practical support team any question about the setting up or running of your charity or voluntary organisation.

Climate campaign: Putting the environment at the centre of decision-making this Trustees' Week

We launched a new campaign in the summer of 2023 to help trustees and charity leaders consider the environmental impact of their charities’ investments

  • Campaigning

Practical support bulletin: November 2023

Resources, events, support and information on the big issues affecting small charities

  • Funding and income
  • Governance
  • Cost of living

Celebrating Trustees’ Week 2023

Our chief executive Sarah Vibert celebrates the start of Trustees' Week and shares our plans

  • Governance

King’s Speech 2023: Takeaways for the voluntary sector

Our policy and public affairs manager, Chris Walker, summarises the announcements from the King's Speech likely to impact our sector

  • Government and politics

The importance of diversity in your trustee board

Explore why diversity is a key area of reflection for your trustee board and what needs to happen to make a board truly diverse

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Governance

Open letter to the chancellor on vital funding for public services delivered by charities

Read our open letter calling on the chancellor to ensure charities can continue providing essential services for communities

  • Funding and income
  • Cost of living

What is the true cost of giving support to public services?

Why the government must act to cover the true cost of charities delivering public services

  • Cost of living
  • Funding and income

The inside track: November 2023

An update on what's happening in Westminster. Find out what the King’s Speech and government reshuffle means for charities

  • Government and politics

Volunteering round-up: November 2023

The latest volunteering news, resources and dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: November 2023

Lessons from Trustees’ Week 2023 and upcoming dates for your diary

  • Governance

Political campaigning

Guidance to help you campaign with confidence during an election

  • Government and politics
  • Campaigning

What's different about charity finance

Find out what makes charity finance different and how to plan appropriately

  • Financial management

Internal controls

Internal controls are the things you do to help manage the risk of an error or a fraud

  • Financial management

Fraud

How to be aware of the risk factors relating to fraud and take steps to protect your organisation.

  • Financial management

Audit and independent examination

The difference between audits and independent examinations and how to prepare for both

  • Financial management

Record keeping and accounting

The basic principles of bookkeeping are the same for charities as for other organisations, you just need to be aware of the slightly different emphasis and the need to keep restricted funds separate.

  • Financial management

Writing a financial strategy

Guidance on creating a financial strategy and what you need to include

  • Financial management

Funding and income planner

A pre-built spreadsheet that calculates your income percentages when you input your current funding and future targets

Budgeting and cashflows

How to create budgets, cashflow forecasts and understanding the cashflow process

  • Financial management

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

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

Outcomes and impact measurement (1 day)

Learn how to create an evaluation plan to better understand and demonstrate the difference your work makes

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

NCVO/Zurich webinar: Developing and embedding effective risk assessments for volunteers

Join us for an essential webinar on creating and embedding effective risk assessments to protect your volunteers and those they support

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

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

Tools and methods for measuring outcomes (1 day)

Get an introduction to data collection methods and practical guidance for evaluating your work

Recruiting volunteers (0.5 day)

This course will develop your skills and help you use a marketing approach to recruit volunteers