You searched for
''

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.

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

Pre-start-up scoping and planning

Guidance on scoping and planning before you set up a voluntary-sector consortium

  • Collaboration

Formation of working group

How to form the initial working group that will help partners set up a consortium

  • Collaboration

Development funding

An outline of how much funding is required to establish a voluntary sector consortium, and some of the potential funding sources

  • Collaboration

Stakeholder engagement

Why you need to engage stakeholders such as commissioners and local organisations in your consortium development, and how to involve them

  • Collaboration

Operational development and consortium documents

An overview of the key policies and procedures that will support the operational running of a consortium

  • Collaboration

Incorporation and establishment of interim board

A guide to becoming an incorporated company

  • Collaboration

Membership recruitment and due diligence

How to formally launch your consortium and invite organisations to join

  • Collaboration

Set up central management hub

How to set up the central hub that will run the consortium business, scope for contracts, network with commissioners and bring in contracts

  • Collaboration

Bid for and win contracts

How consortium members can work together to bid for, and hopefully win, contracts

  • Collaboration

About mergers

Information on the types of charity mergers and the different reasons for merging

  • Collaboration

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

Webinar: Navigating the new Code of Fundraising Practice

Join our free online webinar with the Fundraising Regulator for an essential overview of the new Code of Fundraising Practice which sets the standard for legal, open, honest and respectful fundraising.

NCVO member welcome and refresher session: May 2025

Being an NCVO member means being part of a community. Whether you've just joined us, or you're renewing your membership and need a refresher, join this session to meet and network with other members online

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