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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

Governance round-up: July 2023

Recent governance news, resources, research, events and more

  • Governance

Applications open for £76m Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund

Find out if your organisation is eligible for new funding up to £75,000

  • Funding and income
  • Responding to crises

Consumer Duty: What is it and how will charities benefit?

Learn how new banking rules will affect your charity or voluntary organisation

  • Financial management

Volunteering round-up: August 2023

The latest news, events and opportunities for people managing or supporting volunteers

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: August 2023

A round-up of the latest guidance from the Charity Commission, recent governance news and upcoming training and events

  • Governance

Impact round-up: Summer 2023

Senior consultant, Sandy Chidley, runs through some recent work on ethical evaluation and shares useful evaluation events and training opportunities

  • Impact and evaluation

The inside track: September 2023

A round-up of what’s happening in Westminster that might impact charities. This month sees a Labour reshuffle, an update on new APPG rules, and a look ahead to party conferences

  • Government and politics

Volunteering round-up: September 2023

The latest volunteering news, resources and dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

Practical support bulletin: September 2023

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

  • Financial management
  • Funding and income
  • Responding to crises

Government policy and funding round-up: September 2023

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

  • Government and politics
  • Funding and income

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

Webinar: UK Civil Society Almanac 2025 launch

The Almanac is our ground-breaking data resource on the size, scope and finances of the UK’s voluntary sector.

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

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 course will take you through the essentials of lawful data processing for charities and help improve your compliance with the law

Successful funding applications (0.5 day)

Learn Practical tips to ensure you are successful in your funding bid applications.

Authentic leadership (1 day)

This practical one-day course for aspiring and existing charity leaders will strengthen your understanding of authentic leadership, so you can lead with integrity and impact

Recruiting volunteers (0.5 day)

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

Tools and methods for measuring outcomes (1 day)

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

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in charity governance (2 x 0.5 days)

This course has been created by The Social Justice Collective to help you understand, address and embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into your governance practice

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