Thinking about setting up a community group, charity, social enterprise or other not-for-profit organisation?
OCVA offers free advice to people and groups across Oxfordshire who are thinking of starting something new.
Read on for some useful starting points. If you need more individual support or guidance, we’re here to help.
Before setting up a new organisation, take some time to understand the need you want to address.
Think about who you want to support, what you want to achieve and whether another organisation is already doing something similar.
If there are existing groups working in this area, there may be opportunities to work together rather than starting from scratch.
Once you have established a need, set out clearly what you want to do, who you want to work with and how you plan to achieve it.
For a small community group, this may only need to be a simple plan. A registered charity, social enterprise or larger organisation may need a more detailed business or development plan.
You do not automatically need to become a registered charity.
Depending on what you want to do, you might consider becoming a community group, social enterprise or another type of not-for-profit organisation.
The right structure depends on what you want to do, how you want the organisation to be governed, how you expect to raise money and whether you plan to employ staff, enter into contracts or own property.
NCVO and the Resource Centre both provide useful guidance on organisational structures and charity set-up.
If you are considering a social enterprise, Oxfordshire Social Enterprise Partnership, (OSEP), can also provide support.
Cranfield Trust may also be able to provide organisational development support.
If you have read the guidance and are still unsure which structure is right for you, book a support session with us.
Good governance starts with being clear about who is responsible for the organisation and how decisions will be made.
Depending on your structure, this may involve a management committee, board of trustees or board of directors.
You will also usually need a governing document. Depending on your legal structure this might be a constitution, articles of association or trust deed. It should set out your organisation’s purpose, how decisions are made, how meetings are run and what happens to money and assets if the organisation closes.
There are model documents and templates available to make this easier:
Not every community or not-for-profit organisation needs to register.
Whether you need to register will depend on your structure, activities and income.
You may need to register with the Charity Commission, Companies House, the Community Interest Company Regulator or HM Revenue and Customs.
If you are unsure what applies to you, use the relevant regulator guidance first. OCVA can help if you need support working through the process.
Even a small organisation needs clear arrangements for managing money.
You should think about opening a bank account in the organisation’s name, keeping proper records, setting a budget and agreeing who can authorise spending. It is also important that more than one person has oversight of the organisation’s finances.
If you need help putting financial systems in place, there may be support available.
ACES: Accounting for Community Engaging Students: Second and final year Oxford Brookes Accounting students often volunteer with local charities, co-operatives, Community Interest Companies, social enterprises and voluntary associations.
This can be a useful source of practical support if you need help setting up financial systems.
Funding is often one of the first things new groups think about, but funders will usually expect some basic organisational arrangements to be in place first.
They may want to see your governing document, bank account, committee or board details, project plan and budget.
Use our Funding Checklist to see whether your organisation is ready to apply for funding and identify anything you may still need to put in place. You can also visit our Funding pages for more advice and current opportunities.
Most organisations need a group of people who take responsibility for how they are run.
Depending on your structure, this might be a management committee, board of trustees or board of directors.
Try to bring together people who understand what you want to achieve and who offer a useful mix of skills, experience and perspectives.
We have advice for finding and recruiting trustees.
Many non-profit organisations rely on volunteers, so it is worth thinking early about the roles you need and how volunteers will be recruited and supported.
OCVA can help you develop volunteering opportunities.