Haven't been able to find what you were looking for on the Small Charity Support website?
Small Charity Support believes that the sector is stronger and more effective when charities collaborate with each other - sharing their strengths and deferring to others when they have more relevant experience and expertise. So here are some other resources which might also be able to help.
The entries are listed alphabetically by name, NOT by “recommendation”.
The first paragraph, in italics, under each resource is what the organisation says about itself, and is taken verbatim from the organisation’s website.
Note: They all have good reputations, but Small Charity Support hasn’t itself tested and verified everything which they have on offer. Similarly, the absence of an organisation from the list DOESN’T mean that it should be avoided – simply that with a large number of organisations offering support & services at a variety of levels it is not practical for us to check and list them all.
Small Charity Support receives no commission or any other form of benefit by listing other organisations on this webpage.
Please remember to read our Legal Notice
Association of Chairs https://www.associationofchairs.org.uk/
"We champion all charity Chairs. No matter how big or small your non-profit is, no matter where you are on your chairing journey. Be part of our collabortive journey today."
Comment: A good source of information and support specifically for charity Chairs.
Association of Charity Independent Examiners https://acie.org.uk/
"The Association of Charity Independent Examiners is focused on raising the standards of Independent Examination. ACIE supports Independent Examiners and small charities by offering webinars, workshops and other training events ensuring that Independent Examiners are up to date and conversant with Best Practice."
Comment: It is not always realised that the standard accountancy professional qualifications DO NOT include charity accountancy rules and requirements as a mandatory module. That means that not all professional accountants are as knowlegeable and experienced in charity accounts as they, apparently, like to think and claim that they are. For further information, see the Small Charity Support Guidance leaflet, "Choosing an Independent Examiner or Financial Advisor" .
All Ways Network https://www.awn.org.uk
"Empowering non-profit grassroots working with Muslims in the UK"
Comment: AWN and Small Charity Support recognise the complexity of challenges which are faced by many grassroots organisations. AWN and Small Charity Support are committed to working together to develop capacity and capability of small charities within the charity sector - regardless of their religious affiliation, or none - through effective engagement, planning and delivery.
Charities Buying Group http://www.charitiesbuyinggroup.com/
“Any charitable organisation, regardless of size or scope will incur inevitable running costs. The Charities Buying Group main purpose is to help charities reduce their expenditure, thereby enabling them to invest more in their missions/objectives. Since 2004, we have been securing the most competitive rates in the marketplace for essential services like utilities, telecom, IT or insurance and passing the savings onto our members.”
Charity Commission https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission
Comment: Be careful when using internet search engines to look for guidance and other information from the Charity Commission. The internet is a quagmire of old/outdated material which has been superceded but not removed. To make sure that you get the latest versions of guidance material, go to the Charity Commission's own website and search within that. Two of the more useful places on the Commission's website are noted below.
List of Charity Commission 'CC' guidance publications
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/list-of-charity-commission-cc-guidance-publications
"A collection of the Charity Commission's 'CC' detailed guidance publications, from CC3 to CC49."
All the Commission’s own “CC” guidance leaflets in one place. Very useful for finding things quickly if you know roughly what you want. It also helps to alert you to guidance that you didn’t know existed AND helps to avoid out-of-date internet search engines taking you to out-of-date versions of publication.
5-minute guides for charity trustees
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/5-minute-guides-for-charity-trustees
"Refresh your knowledge with the Charity Commission's 5-minutes guides."
The topics covered are: ♦ Delivering purpose; ♦ Managing finances; ♦ Conflicts of interest; ♦ Making decisions; ♦ Reporting information; ♦ Safeguarding people; ♦ Political campaigning.
Charity Connect https://www.charityconnect.co.uk/
"Be part of the charity network that helps you shine. Join over 17,635 charity professionals to get insights, share experiences and have your questions answered."
Charity Finance Group https://cfg.org.uk/home
“Charity Finance Group (CFG) is the charity that inspires a financially confident, dynamic and trustworthy charity sector. We do this by championing best practice, nurturing leadership and influencing policy makers.”
Comment: Information and guidance for charities on a variety of financial matters. Most are only accessible to members.
Charity IT Association https://www.cita.org.uk/
"The Charity IT Association helps create a world in which charities harness the full potential of technology to increase their impact. CITA provides charities with access to affordable, trustworthy, and independent technology professionals to enable their strategic mission through technology."
Cranfield Trust https://www.cranfieldtrust.org/pages/pro-bono-charity-support
"Pro bono services and free resources for charities. Free charity management support to help build successful charities. Whether you need short-term practical advice, or longer-term support, we've got a pro bono service that's just right for you."
Fraud Advisory Panel https://www.fraudadvisorypanel.org/
"The Fraud Advisory Panel is the independent voice of the counter-fraud community. We champion best practice in the prevention, detection, and deterrence of fraud, through the promotion of education, collaboration and research. Our members are united by a common concern about fraud and our vision. A society that collaboratively prevents, detects and deters fraud and financial crime. We work to achieve this through the promotion of: ♦ Enhancing awareness; ♦ Education; ♦ Collaboration; ♦ Research."
Preventing Charity Fraud https://preventcharityfraud.org.uk/about/
"Our one-stop-shop has information on how to prevent, detect and respond to fraud committed against charities and not-for-profits."
Comment: A website created by the Fraud Advisory Panel to provide resource and events on preventing the fraud.
LawWorks https://www.lawworks.org.uk/legal-advice-not-profits
"The Not-for-Profits Programme brokers legal advice to small not-for-profit organisations on a wide range of legal issues, to support the continuation and expansion of their services to people in need. The advice is given for free (pro bono). We help charities, voluntary organisations, social enterprises, and other not-for-profits in England and Wales in the following ways: (1) providing free videos, memos and FAQs on common legal issues and (2) providing free legal assistance to eligible organisations."
National Cyber Security Centre https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance
“The NCSC was set up to help protect our critical services from cyber attacks, manage major incidents, and improve the underlying security of the UK Internet through technological improvement and advice to citizens and organisations.”
Comment: FREE downloadable information & guidance on IT security, including for “small” charities.
NCVO {National Council for Voluntary Organisations} https://www.ncvo.org.uk/
“We know small charities make a big impact with limited resource. That's why we're here to help. Across the UK, communities are supported by over 166,000 voluntary organisations, the majority of them small. 92% of our members are charities with an income under £1 million, and most have an income of under £30,000. Supporting small charities and voluntary organisations to make a bigger difference is a vital part of our work.”
NCVO Trusted Suppliers https://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/trusted-suppliers/
“Our trusted suppliers are experts who can save your organisation time and money. They all have lots of experience working with charities and voluntary organisations. Many also offer exclusive deals for NCVO members.”
Comment: The NCVO, is an umbrella organisation for charities of all sizes. To access its resources for small charities click on the "Support for small charities" link on its Home page.
Pro Bono Economic https://www.probonoeconomics.com/
"At PBE, we use economic analysis and the unique insight provided by our connection to the social sector to help charities, funders, firms and policymakers to collectively tackle the causes and consequences of low personal wellbeing in the UK. We do this in order to end low personal wellbeing in the United Kingdom.
One of the ways in which we strive to achieve our mission is by helping the charities, community groups and other purposeful organisations that work every day to improve the lives of people with low wellbeing. When these organisations are stronger, they make a bigger difference to the people in greatest need."
Resource Centre https://www.resourcecentre.org.uk/
"Whatever your group is doing, from producing a newsletter to putting on a funday, from organising an AGM to running a sports club, the Resource Centre has a service designed to make things easier for you"
Comment: Based in Brighton, many of its services are available only to charity & community groups in Sussex. But its website also has lots of materials which may be more widely useful.
Statisticians for Society https://rss.org.uk/membership/volunteering-and-promoting/statisticians-for-society-initiative/
"Statisticians for Society is a pro bono scheme that connects professional statisticians and charitable organisations. Originally launched as a pilot project in 2017, the scheme has become an effective way for organisations to receive support from statistical experts at no cost."
WCVA {Welsh Council for Voluntary Action} https://wcva.cymru/
"As the national memership body for voluntary organisations in Wales, WCVA exists to enable voluntary organisations to make a bigger difference together."
Comment: A great website with loads of resources - and easy to navigate, too. And the website doesn't seem to mind Small Charity Support downloading some of its resources, even though we're not based in Wales.
WYCAS https://www.wycas.org.uk/
"Welcome to West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service (WYCAS) CIO. We support community groups and organisations based in West Yorkshire through a range of services. If you have any accounts questions or issues you would like to discuss, please contact us and we will do our best to help. "
Comment: WYCAS services are mostly focused on supporting charities and NfP organisations in its local W.Yorkshire area. But its website has an excellent range of downloadable resources. Some of its simple spreadsheets for managing small charity finances might be a useful alternative to the more complex Accounts Spreadsheet on the "Managing the Money" page of the Small Charity Support website.