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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.

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

Our financial position and the importance of timing

Learn more about your organisation's financial position and understanding the timings of financial challenges

  • Financial management

Insolvency and cashflow forecasts

Learn more about what insolvency means and how cashflow forecasting can help

  • Financial management

Taking control, adopting a people-centred approach and seeking professional advice

Guidance on taking control of your situation, adopting a people-centred approach and seeking professional advice

  • Financial management

Key stages of collaboration

Learn about the key stages of collaboration and what they mean for your organisation

  • Collaboration

What is collaborative working?

Collaborative working, also known as joint or partnership working, covers a variety of ways that two or more organisations can work together

  • Collaboration

Benefits and risks of collaborative working

Decide whether collaboration will help you achieve your aims by learning about the potential benefits and risks

  • Collaboration

Should you collaborate?

A checklist of questions to help you decide whether to work collaboratively on a given project.

  • Collaboration

Top tips for collaboration

Tips to help voluntary organisations collaborate effectively with the right partners

  • Collaboration

The collaboration spectrum

This page explains the different ways that voluntary organisations may collaborate in order to bid for and deliver a commissioned contract

  • Collaboration

Partnerships

Guidance to help you decide whether working in partnership is right for your organisation

  • Collaboration

Recruiting volunteers (0.5 day)

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

Advanced project management (1 day)

Are you confident in your general project management skills but looking to strengthen your expertise? This course moves beyond the basics of project management to better understand techniques, activities and principles within a charity context.

Leading change and transformation (2 days)

This practical two-day course for aspiring and existing charity leaders will teach you how to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Learn how to successfully deliver meaningful change to improve your team or organisation

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

Advanced data protection (2 x 0.5 days)

This advanced course is specifically for data protection leads in charitable organisations. It will prepare your organisation for new laws and obligations.

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

Governance Forum

Our Governance Forum is a space for charity governance professionals and those who support good governance to come together, learn and network

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.