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Find support for your group

Try the online guides we've recommended below or contact someone for one-to-one advice. Got a quick question? Contact us.

New welcome pack for charity trustees

New welcome park for new charity trustees - This pack can also be used by existing trustees to refresh knowledge and skills.

It provides essential information to help you understand governance basics, financial filing requirements and how the Charity Commission can offer support.

Sample forms and templates for running your organisation

• Business plan - The Prince's Trust has clear business plan templates, toolkits and financial tables to help you get started.
• Confidentiality agreement
• Volunteer application form
• Equality Impact Assessment (PDF 274Kb) Opening in a new window – helps organisations ensure that no one is disadvantaged or discriminated against. The Equality Act (PDF 417Kb)  Opening in a new window  outlines what staff need to do to make their workplace a fair environment and comply with the law.

Budgeting:

• Cash flow
• Monthly financials
• Break even

Personal data and GDPR 

• Guide to the GDPR explains the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation to help organisations comply with its requirements. It is for those who have day to day responsibility for data protection, and includes a practical checklist.
• EU GDPR - The EU GDPR replaces the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC and is designed to harmonise data privacy laws across Europe, to protect and empower all EU citizen's data privacy and to reshape the way organisations across the region approach data privacy. Provides key articles of the GDPR, as well as information on its business impact.
• Capacity's GDPR Health Check tool is designed to help organisations check that they are ready for the new regulations. The tool also includes guidance on how to prepare for GDPR compliance.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) 

DBS helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

• The Hertfordshire CVS network offers a DBS Service with local face to face appointments.
• Hertfordshire County Council – Safe Staffing Team is a registered body of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and provides a quick and easy online service for enhanced checks which can be used by all charities across Hertfordshire.

Digital

• Charity digital toolkit
• Charity social media toolkit

Equality Impact Assessment (PDF 274Kb)  Opening in a new window – helps organisations ensure that no one is disadvantaged or discriminated against. The Equality Act (PDF 417Kb) Opening in a new window outlines what staff need to do to make their workplace a fair environment and comply with the law.

Online guides

Trustees

• The FSI has an excellent updated (2018) range of free resources: Governance, Leadership, Impact, Risk, Partnership, GDPR, Marketing, Finance and more. 
• The role of trustees explained by GOV.UK.
• How to recruit trustees - one of many how-to guides from Know How Non Profit.
• Free e-learning courses for trustees from TrustElearning. Hosted by Community Action Suffolk, but anyone can register for free. Approved by the Charity Commission.
• Building effective boards - this resource gives you the latest on policy, guidance and time saving templates. It guides you through the process and makes simple, practical suggestions on how to tackle the work.

Setting up

• Setting up and running a charity - Guidance from GOV.UK.
• Know How Non Profit's self assessment tool examines your organisation's performance in key areas.
• How to build a successful charity from scratch - Jo Owen writes in the Guardian that running a charity is harder than business. Here’s her advice, from avoiding fraud to managing finance and hiring on a budget

Leadership and managing your workforce

The Leadership Qualities Framework from Skillsforcare describes seven elements of good leadership. They also have a range of guides to improve the skills of social care staff and others in the community.

Acas provide advice and training for employers and employees, as well as help with workplace disputes, including:

• A Model Workplace tool to assess your organisation's people management.
• Over 40 free booklets on subjects like recruitment, contracts, restructuring and day-to-day management.
• Online training courses.
• A helpline for free, impartial advice.

Building a digital workforce - This free toolkit can help you improve your staff's digital skills.

Responding to change - The Charity Finance Group has produced a briefing on  the potential impact of Brexit on UK charities (PDF 367kb) Opening new window.

Social enterprises

• Government advice on setting up a social enterprise.
• Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE) has advice on starting up, funding, marketing, business advice and a whole range of resources.

One to one support

Find your nearest local support for developing groups

Help across Hertfordshire:

• Pro Action - training to work with children and young people.
• Community Development Action Herts can help you with community and rural projects.
• Herts Sports Partnership offer courses and workshops on sports coaching and mentoring.
• Hertfordshire Community Foundation offer funding and grants.
• HCF Training and Development offer training programmes and an advice service for voluntary organisations.

Get expert help from these national organisations:

• Small Charities Coalition provide support to charities online, over the phone or face-to-face through their mentoring service.
• National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) use their experience in the voluntary sector to provide a consultancy service.
• Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) also offer a consultancy service to help charities and social enterprises grow.

Find volunteers

• Volunteer Centres Hertfordshire can help you recruit and manage local volunteers.
• #TeamHerts Volunteering offer a database for Hertfordshire charities to advertise volunteering opportunities.
• Do-it - a national database of volunteering opportunities.
• Reach - Promote opportunities or find individuals with specific skills like accountancy, marketing and IT mentoring.
• Volunteering Matters - a national service that arranges volunteering placements for young, older or disabled people.
• Herts.community - a partnership group that supports and strengthens voluntary organisations in Hertfordshire.