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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

Creating inclusive growth: Local Enterprise Partnerships' engagement with the voluntary sector

  • Collaboration
  • Involving volunteers

Levelling up: The UK Shared Prosperity Fund

  • Government and politics

Volunteering: A family affair? Summary report

  • Involving volunteers

Volunteering: A family affair?

  • Involving volunteers

Beyond charities

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion

The impact of covid-19 on the voluntary sector

  • Coronavirus
  • Involving volunteers

The Road Ahead 2020

A review of the voluntary sector's operating environment.

  • Responding to crises
  • Coronavirus
  • Funding and income

Creating partnerships for success

  • Collaboration
  • Impact and evaluation

Time Well Spent: Volunteering in the public sector

  • Involving volunteers

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

Tools and methods for measuring outcomes (1 day)

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

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

Better impact reporting (0.5 day)

This practical session will build your awareness of different types of reporting and support you to tell a compelling story through your reporting

Recruiting volunteers (0.5 day)

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

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

Strategic planning: tools for decision making (1 day)

This course will introduce processes and tools to help ensure that decision-making is responsive to your environment and focused on the most important issues affecting your organisation

Tools and methods for measuring outcomes (1 day)

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

Advanced data protection (2 x 0.5 days)

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

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