NCVO

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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
2. Training and Events: Range of training courses (online, face-to-face, eLearning, webinars) and events for the voluntary sector, with fees per delegate
3. Consultancy Services: Short or long-term consultancy support in governance, strategy, volunteering and impact and evaluation
4. 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)
5. Service Directory: Service providers pay for directory listings that reach NCVO's 17,000+ members and 80,000+ newsletter contacts
6. Corporate Relations: Sponsorship, advertising, and legacy donations from corporate partners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The FSI (Small Charities Coalition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCVO 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 BettercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to increase age-friendly inclusive volunteering in England, working together on research and practice development.
• ACEVOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiatives including supporting charities on flexible working, developing a manifesto for the voluntary sector, and shared policy positions.
• NAVCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAVCA took over volunteer centre quality accreditation from NCVO, transferring operational responsibility while maintaining sector standards.
• The Growth CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer of Trusted Charity standard delivery to The Growth Company for broader reach and delivery capacity.
• Rocket ScienceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership for delivering programme evaluations, combining sector expertise with evaluation methodology.
• Zurich InsuranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides insurance for charities, social enterprises and community groups of all shapes and sizes with NCVO member benefits.
• CharityJobminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK's largest online job board for charity and voluntary sector roles, listed in Service Directory.
• The Big Help OutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational campaign designed to inspire volunteering, with NCVO as a key partner for the voluntary sector mobilisation.
• Volunteers' WeekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual celebration of volunteering (40th anniversary in 2024), coordinated across the sector with NCVO support.
• Small Charity WeekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual celebration and support campaign for small charities, including match funding campaigns (257 charities in 2026).
• SAFEcicminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSafeguarding practice specialist working with over 8,000 charities, offering 25% online training discount for NCVO members.
• Foot AnsteyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLegal support across charity law, governance, employment and property matters for voluntary sector clients.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional 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

• Xx.com/NCVO
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NCVOonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncvo
• Instagraminstagram.com/NCVO_England

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NCVO