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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

Venue hire

Discover our range of rooms available for hire.

Food and drink order form

Complete our quick form to arrange catering for your event

National volunteering forum: Vision for Volunteering

  • Involving volunteers
  • Collaboration

Charities have a vital role in supporting those arriving from Ukraine

  • Responding to crises
  • Government and politics

The inside track: May 2022

  • Government and politics
  • Law and regulation

Join our powerful journey: Power & integrity launch

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Safeguarding
  • Governance

Impact round-up: May 2022

  • Impact and evaluation

Queen's speech: What it means for the voluntary sector

  • Government and politics

Why age friendly inclusive volunteering?

  • Involving volunteers

Volunteering round-up: April 2022

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: April 2022

  • Governance
  • Law and regulation

Government policy and funding round-up: April 2022

  • Funding and income
  • Government and politics
  • Governance

Setting the direction of your organisation

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

  • 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

PESTLE

A guide to help organisations consider how the world is changing

Other players

A guide for your organisation to look at the priorities and impact of other organisations in your area of work

Deciding what you will do and how

Find out about how to select the right tools to help you make good decisions

  • Business planning and strategy

Dual bottom line analysis

A guide to help your organisation explore it's activities to assess the extent to which each contributes to value and surplus

Forcefield analysis

Use this tool to help you identify the forces working for and against a particular option

Even over statements

Use this tool to help your organisation explore tradeoffs

What is business planning?

Learn about what business planning is in your organisation's context

  • Business planning and strategy

Charity finance strategy (1 day)

A practical, high impact course that focuses on building an effective finance strategy and equips you to strengthen your charity’s financial stability and long term confidence.

Small Charity Week Assembly

Join us for an afternoon of spotlight stories, discussion and connection, showcasing the importance of small charities.

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.

Volunteers and the law (0.5 day)

This course will help you create a positive and inclusive experience for volunteers. The course will explore best practice in relation to safeguarding, data protection, health and safety, and equality

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.

Charity finance skills (1 day)

We know numbers can be daunting. Whether you are a staff member managing daily operations or a trustee overseeing governance, understanding your charity financial health is key to sustainable impact.

Leading change and transformation (1 day)

The voluntary sector operates in a fast-moving and uncertain environment. This one-day training focuses on leading change in a way that brings staff teams with you.

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