NCVO
NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) is a UK charitable membership body founded in 1919, serving 17,000+ charities, social enterprises and community groups in England through training, events, consultancy, venue hire, a Small Charity Helpdesk, four quality standards and a Service Directory of vetted suppliers. It is 98% self-funded with around 85 staff.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NCVO does
NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee that serves as the membership body for voluntary organisations, charities, social enterprises and community groups across England. Founded in 1919 and headquartered at the Society Building, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL, it represents over 17,000 member organisations — 92% of which are small charities — and provides free membership to more than 11,000 small community groups.
The organisation runs a web-based service platform spanning ncvo.org.uk (content and policy), booking.ncvo.org.uk (training and events), charitysetup.org.uk (a guided charity formation tool), tools.ncvo.org.uk (Digital Maturity Matrix, Trusted Charity Essentials, Investing in Volunteers Essentials) and a Service Directory that connects members with vetted suppliers across finance, HR, IT, legal, insurance and volunteer management. Core product lines include Training and Events (online, face-to-face, eLearning and webinars), Venue Hire (19 fully accessible conference and meeting rooms near Kings Cross, administered through the wholly owned trading subsidiary NCVO Trading Limited), Consultancy in governance, strategy, volunteering and impact evaluation, the Small Charity Helpdesk, four proprietary Quality Standards (Investing in Volunteers, Trusted Standard, Charity Essentials, Approved Provider Standard), trustee support resources, and a Policy and Research function that produces the UK Civil Society Almanac and Time Well Spent national survey.
NCVO is 98% self-funded, employing approximately 85 staff (101–250 headcount bracket), and monetises through paid subscriptions (Service Directory listings at £995/year plus VAT, Public Sector membership at £850/year, International membership at £300/year), per-delegate training fees, consultancy engagements, venue hire and corporate sponsorship, advertising and legacy donations. Distribution combines direct-to-member digital channels, a small charity roadshow GTM, sector events (Small Charity Week, Volunteers' Week, The Big Help Out) and a multi-supplier Service Directory network.
NCVO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NCVO
- Legal name
- The National Council for Voluntary Organisations
- Website
- https://ncvo.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) is a UK charitable membership body founded in 1919, serving 17,000+ charities, social enterprises and community groups in England through training, events, consultancy, venue hire, a Small Charity Helpdesk, four quality standards and a Service Directory of vetted suppliers. It is 98% self-funded with around 85 staff.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where NCVO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
NCVO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Venue Hire: NCVO Trading Limited operates venue hire services with 19 conference and meeting rooms available for hire near Kings Cross station, accommodating events from 2-person meetings to 120-person conferences
- Training and Events: Range of training courses (online, face-to-face, eLearning, webinars) and events for the voluntary sector, with fees per delegate
- Consultancy Services: Short or long-term consultancy support in governance, strategy, volunteering and impact and evaluation
- Membership Fees: NCVO membership is free for small charities with over 17,000 member organisations. Paid memberships include Service Directory listing (£995/year), Public Sector membership (£850/year), and International membership (£300/year)
- Service Directory: Service providers pay for directory listings that reach NCVO's 17,000+ members and 80,000+ newsletter contacts
- Corporate Relations: Sponsorship, advertising, and legacy donations from corporate partners
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Service Directory Listing - Annual listing for service providers |
| Subscription | Annual | Public Sector Membership - For local government, higher education, health, emergency services, national parks |
| Subscription | Annual | International Membership - For organisations outside UK |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Training Courses - Per delegate fees |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Venue Hire - Room and event space rental |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
NCVO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NCVO is a membership body that represents and supports charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises in England, selling paid training courses and events, conference venue hire, paid consultancy, sector accreditation schemes (Trusted Standard, Trusted Charity mark, Approved Provider Standard, Investing in Volunteers), a paid Service Directory listing service for suppliers, and tiered memberships. It complements these with the free Small Charity Helpdesk, free Help and Guidance content, policy research, member Coalitions, and free digital tools such as the Charity Set Up Tool and Digital Maturity Matrix.
Product overview
NCVO is a membership organisation offering a portfolio of services to support charities and voluntary organisations in England. The offering consists of training and events (delivered via booking.ncvo.org.uk), venue hire with 19 conference rooms near Kings Cross, consultancy services spanning governance, strategy, volunteering and impact evaluation, a Small Charity Helpdesk providing practical support, a Service Directory connecting members with vetted service providers, quality standards accreditation (Investing in Volunteers, Trusted Standard, Charity Essentials, Approved Provider Standard), trustee support resources, and policy research. NCVO also provides digital tools including the Charity Set Up Tool, Trusted Charity Essentials, Digital Maturity Matrix, and Investing in Volunteers Essentials. Membership is free for small charities and available to over 17,000 organisations including charities, social enterprises, and community groups.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Small Charity Helpdesk: Practical support team for small charities providing guidance on setting up and running charities
- Service Directory
- Trusted Suppliers
- Quality Standards
- Small Charity Week
- UK Civil Society Almanac
- The Road Ahead
- Time Well Spent
- Volunteers' Week
- The Big Help Out
Products and services
- Training courses and events Paid training courses, conferences, webinars and in-person events for staff and trustees of charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises, covering topics such as governance, leadership, fundraising, digital skills and operational management.
- Venue hire (NCVO conference and meeting facilities) Paid hire of NCVO's central-London meeting and conference facilities for board meetings, training, events and sector convenings.
- Consultancy services Paid strategic, operational and governance consultancy engagements delivered by NCVO's in-house team to voluntary sector organisations on a project basis.
- Small Charity Helpdesk Free helpdesk service providing practical guidance, answer and support to trustees, paid staff and volunteers of small charities on running their organisation.
- Quality Standards and accreditation schemes (Trusted Standard, Trusted Charity mark, Approved Provider Standard, Investing in Volunteers) Portfolio of paid accreditation schemes — Trusted Standard, Trusted Charity mark, Approved Provider Standard, and Investing in Volunteers — that recognise and certify quality practice in voluntary sector organisations and training providers.
- Trusted Charity Essentials and Investing in Volunteers Essentials (digital learning / e-learning courses) Digital / e-learning courses extending the Trusted Charity and Investing in Volunteers accreditation brands, enabling smaller organisations to access quality standards in a self-paced format.
- NCVO Membership (free and paid tiers for charities, social enterprises and corporate partners) Subscription-based membership of NCVO available in free entry-level and paid enhanced tiers for individual charities, social enterprises and corporate partner organisations, unlocking member-only training, guidance and discounts.
- Service Directory (curated listing of trusted suppliers and advisors) Curated online directory of vetted third-party suppliers, consultants and advisors serving the voluntary sector, with paid listing slots available to providers seeking exposure to NCVO's 17,000+ member organisations.
- Charity Set Up Tool Free self-service online tool that guides users through the steps and considerations for setting up a registered charity in England and Wales.
- Digital Maturity Matrix Free self-assessment tool that helps voluntary organisations evaluate and benchmark their digital capability, identifying areas for development.
- Policy research, sector intelligence and member Coalitions Policy research, sector forecasts (e.g. the UK Civil Society Almanac) and member-led Coalitions representing the voluntary sector to government, funders and the media, bundled with free Help and Guidance content.
- London Marathon Charitable Trust small-charity support packages Targeted support and capacity-building packages delivered to small charities under NCVO's partnership with the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% of NCVO members are small charities
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use NCVO
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NCVO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
NCVO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The FSI (Small Charities Coalition)coreNCVO took over key small charity assets from The FSI upon its closure, including the Small Charities Coalition Helpdesk, continuing support for small charities.
- Centre for Ageing BettercorePartnership to increase age-friendly inclusive volunteering in England, working together on research and practice development.
- ACEVOcoreJoint initiatives including supporting charities on flexible working, developing a manifesto for the voluntary sector, and shared policy positions.
- NAVCAminorNAVCA took over volunteer centre quality accreditation from NCVO, transferring operational responsibility while maintaining sector standards.
- The Growth CompanyminorTransfer of Trusted Charity standard delivery to The Growth Company for broader reach and delivery capacity.
- Rocket ScienceminorPartnership for delivering programme evaluations, combining sector expertise with evaluation methodology.
- Zurich InsuranceminorProvides insurance for charities, social enterprises and community groups of all shapes and sizes with NCVO member benefits.
- CharityJobminorUK's largest online job board for charity and voluntary sector roles, listed in Service Directory.
- The Big Help OutcoreNational campaign designed to inspire volunteering, with NCVO as a key partner for the voluntary sector mobilisation.
- Volunteers' WeekcoreAnnual celebration of volunteering (40th anniversary in 2024), coordinated across the sector with NCVO support.
- Small Charity WeekcoreAnnual celebration and support campaign for small charities, including match funding campaigns (257 charities in 2026).
- SAFEcicminorSafeguarding practice specialist working with over 8,000 charities, offering 25% online training discount for NCVO members.
- Foot AnsteyminorLegal support across charity law, governance, employment and property matters for voluntary sector clients.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NCVO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO): Scotland's national membership body for charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations. Direct functional equivalent of NCVO but scoped to Scotland rather than England, offering membership, training, policy research and quality standards.
- Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA): Wales's national umbrella body for the voluntary sector, providing membership, training, representation and support services. Direct functional counterpart to NCVO operating in a different UK nation.
- Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA): Northern Ireland's representative body for the voluntary and community sector, delivering membership services, policy work and sector support analogous to NCVO's England remit.
Emerging players
- Reach Volunteering: UK charity specialising in connecting senior corporate professionals with trustee and volunteering roles in the voluntary sector. Overlaps with NCVO's trustee support and volunteering practice work, but focused on a narrower use case.
- Pro Bono Economics: UK charity providing economists and analysts to other charities on a pro bono basis for impact evaluation and strategy. Overlaps with NCVO's impact and evaluation consultancy and small-charity support services.
- Pilotlight: UK charity pairing business leaders with small charities for strategic coaching and capacity building. Comparable to NCVO's consultancy and small-charity support work, with a more focused model.
Others
- Charity Commission for England and Wales: The statutory regulator of charities in England and Wales. Functions as an adjacent ecosystem participant to NCVO rather than a direct competitor, given NCVO's sector-support remit versus the Commission's regulator role, but both shape charity governance and compliance.
Direct peers
- ACEVO: UK membership association for charity, social enterprise and voluntary-sector chief executives. Closely comparable to NCVO as a UK voluntary-sector membership body, with joint policy initiatives and overlapping event/training offerings for senior leaders.
- Charities Aid Foundation (CAF): UK charity providing banking, grant-making and fundraising services to charities and donors. Comparable to NCVO as a long-established UK voluntary-sector support body, particularly overlapping on training, research and donor-facing services.
- NAVCA: National membership body for local voluntary and community sector infrastructure organisations in England. Directly comparable to NCVO as a sector membership and infrastructure body, and has absorbed NCVO's volunteer-centre quality accreditation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NCVO social profiles
Digital presenceNCVO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
NCVO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NCVO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
NCVO subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
NCVO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NCVO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NCVO
What does NCVO do?
NCVO is a membership body that represents and supports charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises in England, selling paid training courses and events, conference venue hire, paid consultancy, sector accreditation schemes (Trusted Standard, Trusted Charity mark, Approved Provider Standard, Investing in Volunteers), a paid Service Directory listing service for suppliers, and tiered memberships. It complements these with the free Small Charity Helpdesk, free Help and Guidance content, policy research, member Coalitions, and free digital tools such as the Charity Set Up Tool and Digital Maturity Matrix.
Is NCVO a public or private company?
NCVO is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NCVO founded?
NCVO was founded in 1919. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is NCVO based?
NCVO is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does NCVO make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Venue Hire is the primary driver. The others are training and Events, consultancy Services, membership Fees, service Directory and corporate Relations.
Who are NCVO's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA). Emerging players are Reach Volunteering, Pro Bono Economics and Pilotlight. Charity Commission for England and Wales is listed as an others. Direct peers are ACEVO, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and NAVCA.
Does NCVO have an API?
No public API is recorded for NCVO.