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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.

The Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP reflects on Volunteers' Week 2023

As Volunteers' Week 2023 draws to a close, the Minister for Civil Society looks back on the week and shares his thoughts

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: June 2023

Reflections on the recent Charity Commission board appointments along with updates and upcoming events

  • Governance

Volunteering round-up: June 2023

Volunteering consultant Helen Tourle shares the latest volunteering news, updates, events and training

  • Involving volunteers

Time Well Spent 2023

We share findings from our latest national survey on the volunteer experience

  • Involving volunteers

The inside track: June 2023

Our latest update on what’s happening in Westminster and how it might impact charities

  • Government and politics

Election manifesto: Sheffield charities have their say

Charity representatives tell us their priorities ahead of next year’s general election

  • Government and politics

Fuelling positive change: NCVO launches campaign to encourage charities to consider divestment

NCVO launches campaign to encourage charities to consider divestment

  • Campaigning

Volunteering round-up: July 2023

Volunteering consultant Helen Tourle shares volunteering news and dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

Practical support bulletin: July 2023

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

  • Financial management
  • Funding and income
  • Responding to crises

Government policy and funding round up: July 2023

An update on our influencing work, government policy and funding announcements

  • Funding and income
  • Government and politics

Recruiting volunteers

How to run volunteer recruitment and where to find the volunteers you need

  • Involving volunteers

Develop your role

Important things to consider when creating a new volunteer role

  • Involving volunteers

Find volunteers

Advertise your role and attract the right volunteers

  • Involving volunteers

Manage applications and organise interviews

Make sure your application and interview processes are accessible and fair

  • Involving volunteers

Appoint volunteers

Carry out the appropriate checks and let volunteers know if they've been successful

  • Involving volunteers

Volunteers who claim benefits

How volunteering affects volunteers who claim benefits and how you can support them

  • Involving volunteers

Volunteers from overseas

The rules about volunteers from overseas, including who can and can’t volunteer and what the restrictions are

  • Involving volunteers

Writing a volunteer agreement

How to write a volunteer agreement without creating an employment contract

  • Involving volunteers

Running a volunteer induction

What to include in volunteer induction training to help new volunteers get started

  • Involving volunteers

Supporting volunteers

How to support, supervise and get feedback from volunteers to improve their experience

  • Involving volunteers

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

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

Advanced data protection (2 x 0.5 days)

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

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.

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