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2a. Organisation
Setting up your group
Why?
• Are you clear about what the proposed organisation is going to do?
• Have you checked whether there is somebody already doing this? Are they doing it so differently to how you would want? Would it be better to get involved to a) see if there are good reasons behind this or b) try to persuade them to change their ways?
• Or is there an organisation which could perhaps develop or add to its work? Setting up and running any organisation takes time and effort that might be better put into the frontline activity.
How?
• There are many ways of constituting an organisation (establishing a body with formal rules). See our Registration page on charities and limited companies. Consider the various questions posed.
• Think ahead. It is quite technically and legally complex to change status later on. In the early stages it may make sense to stay as informal as possible, but if things start taking off look into registration issues sooner rather than later, to redue the problems.
• Take legal advice if you can. This may be available via your local Council of Voluntary Service (CVS), an appropriate umbrella/support body or a law centre. If you can afford to pay, you can try a charity law specialist (see the Legal Services page). However, we have been closely involved with a charity which was was previously very badly advised on constitutional matters by such - they may overcomplicate things.
• You may technically be required to register as a charity, e.g. if your activities are of a charitable nature and your annual turnover is above £1000 (England & Wales only). However, many don't and there aren't significant penalties at present. Funders may also require charity registration. (NB the draft Charities Bill, at Sept 04, would make changes to these statements).
When?
• How soon are you likely to hit the need for an annual audit of the accounts? (Check Charity Commission site re charities.)
• When might you start employing staff, or will the organisation always be volunteer run? When might it end up paying rent on or owning premises? Both of these indicate a need to get limited liability.
• Take a look at other pages on the Management, Admin and Finance index to get a flavour of what issues might need to be thought through in the early stages, and what to come back to later. We have tried to give practical advice relevant to the smaller organisation, and indicate what only concerns larger ones, but there is still a lot here. The start-up period can get bogged down - try to strike a balance so that initial enthusiasm for your cause doesnt evaporate. A pragmatic, staged, approach is probably best.
What?
• What expertise do you amongst those already involved, and what do you need to 'buy in' somehow? For example, accountancy, management, admin, the particular activity you are undertaking. There may be legal requirements here, depending on your type of activity and type of constitution chosen.
• What resources are you going to need? Money, premises, equipment, materials.
• What ways can you get your new organisation noticed where it matters, whether to gain recognition and resources or to influence?
Think
• For yourselves, but also bounce ideas off others who aren't so involved. They may see things that you are too close or absorbed to spot. Considered criticism, even when it seems unconstructive, can help separate potential reality from fantasy but can be hard to come by.
• Don't get confused by the jargon used, especially as different parts of the sector can have different spins on the same word. See our Glossary.
Manchester Community Central offers a range of tools and factsheets, including this one addressing the primary considerations when deciding to set up a voluntary or community group. http://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/sites/manchester2-dev.circle-interactive.co.uk/files/Factsheet%201%20Setting%20up%20a%20new%20group.pdf
Governance
Establishing clear and effective governance mechanisms is one of the first priorities of a new organisation, and there are a number of resources out there that provide a legislative framework, guidelines and examples of good practice. Manchester Community Central offers a range of factsheets, while the Charitybuilder website provides sample documents that you can apply to your organisation. ChildrenEngland has a beginners guide to governance specifically aimed at children and young people’s organisations.
http://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/governance_management http://www.charitybuilderuk.com/page/governance/14/
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/governanceandleadership
http://www.childrenengland.org.uk/upload/Gov%20for%20children_06_updated_low.pdf
Developing your management committee / board of trustees
The principal governance structure will be your management committee or Board of Trustees, depending upon how you are constituted. The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland produces a really useful guide to all aspects of developing your committee: http://www.diycommitteeguide.org/
While NCVO and others have useful tips addressing various constituent parts:
• Selecting Trustees
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/advice-support/trustee-governance/trustees/selecting-trustees
• Becoming a Trustee
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/uploadedFiles/NCVO/What_we_do/Governance_and_Leadership/Governance_hub_resources_brochure_08.pdf
http://www.navca.org.uk/localvs/governance/induction.htm
• Trustees Standards
http://www.skills-thirdsector.org.uk/national_occupational_standards/trusteenos/
• Development of Trustees
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/advice-support/trustee-governance/trustees/development-training
Policies and Procedures
There are a number of things you will need to consider and decisions that you will need to make when managing your organisation. These will make up your policies, both written down and unwritten. Your procedures are they ways in which specific policies are put into practice. Some policies will be required by law, some will be in response to the aims of the organisation and some will be to ensure best practice in your dealings with people.
KnowHow NonProfit is a website for nonprofit organisations (or those thinking of setting them up) to learn and share what they have learnt with others. Whether you work in a large charity, are setting up your own social enterprise or are helping out your local community group, this site is for you. Whatever your organisation or role within it, if you want information, to update your skills or to talk to others in similar situations, you've come to the right place.
The attached link gives clear instructions around what policies you will need to set up an organisation but the website itself contains a whole host of information around starting a group and case studies from professionals in the voluntary sector. http://www.knowhownonprofit.org/organisation/operations/legal/copy_of_policies
Included here are a number of links for specific policy guidance that you may need in your organisations:
• Business Continuity
http://www.macc.org.uk/macc/samplepolicies.php - Business Continuity Plan
• Health & Safety
http://www.macc.org.uk/macc/samplepolicies.php - Health & Safety
• Risk Assessment / Management
http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/fivesteps.htm
http://www.diycommitteeguide.org/category/principle/2-legal-obligations/managing-risk
http://www.diycommitteeguide.org/resource/example-risk-management-templates
Constitutions
There’s quite a bit of advice on this out there, but some of the best stuff is in Manchester, so take a look at the Manchester Community Central Website for a range of factsheets:
http://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/sites/manchester2-dev.circle-interactive.co.uk/files/Factsheet%202%20Constitutions.pdf
http://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/sites/manchester2-dev.circle-interactive.co.uk/files/Ten%20Steps%20to%20Writing%20a%20Constitution.pdf
Toolkit Index
1. Introduction
2. Developing your Organisation
a. Organisation
b. Employees
c. Moving Forward
3. How to? Guides
4. Safeguarding
5. Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
6. Personal and Professional Development
a. Training within the Voluntary Sector
b. Training within the Local Authority
c. Links to Local Education Establishments
7. Job Profiles
8. Glossary
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