Essential resources

Here you’ll find a  series of useful information sheets written especially for voluntary organisations. These sheets are regularly updated.

1. Getting Started

• 1.1 First steps – from idea to action 
• 1.2 Involving the community 
• 1.3 Involving service users 
• 1.4 Planning your work 
• 1.5 Choosing legal structures 
• 1.6 Charitable status 
• 1.7 Where to go for help 
• 1.8 Model Constitution for setting up a small charity 
• 1.9 Charitable Incorporated Organisations

2. Running your organisation

• 2.1 Developing a strategic plan 
• 2.2 The Business Plan 
• 2.3 Effective meetings 
• 2.4 Effective Annual General Meetings 
• 2.5 Quality 
• 2.6 Monitoring and evaluation 
• 2.7 Risk management 
• 2.8 Health & safety 
• 2.9 Equal opportunities 
• 2.10 Welsh language – legal context 
• 2.11 Insurance 
• 2.12 Data protection & GDPR
• 2.13 Community Action to tackle Climate Change 
• 2.13.1 Where to go for help on action on climate change 
• 2.14 Using freelance trainers and consultants 
• 2.15 Environmental policy 
• 2.16 Environmental Sustainability management systems 
• 2.17 Impact and impact measurement 
• 2.18 Social Value Policy

3. Working with others

• 3.1 Consensus building 
• 3.2 Community participation and engagement methods 
• 3.3 Partnership 
• 3.4 Compacts 
• 3.5 Customer care 
• 3.6 Networks 
• 3.7 Commissioning 
• 3.8 Contracts 
• 3.9 Wales’ International Development Network 
• 3.10 Public law remedies-challenging decisions made by public bodies

4. Volunteers

• 4.1 Thinking about volunteering 
• 4.2 Developing a volunteer strategy 
• 4.3 Creating a volunteering policy 
• 4.4 Recruiting, selecting and inducting volunteers 
• 4.5 Attracting Welsh speaking volunteers 
• 4.6 Equality and Diversity in volunteering 
• 4.6.1 Equality and diversity monitoring for volunteers 
• 4.7 How to ensure volunteer satisfaction 
• 4.8 Keeping volunteers safe 
• 4.8.1 Risk assessment – volunteers based at home 
• 4.9 Safeguarding and good management practices 
• 4.10 Disclosure and Barring Services 
• 4.11 Volunteers and the law 
• 4.12 Volunteers and welfare benefits 
• 4.13 Volunteer expenses 
• 4.14 Investing in Volunteers 
• 4.15 Supporting harder to place volunteers 
• 4.16 Involving young people as volunteers 
• 4.17 Understanding mental health and volunteering 
• 4.18 Volunteer Drivers 
• 4.19 The economic value of volunteers 
• 4.20 Employer Supported Volunteering 
• 4.21 What do Volunteer Centres do in Wales? 
• 4.22 Managing volunteer exits 
• 4.23 Volunteers and insurance 
• 4.24 Involving volunteers from overseas 
• 4.25 The language of volunteering – terms explained 
• 4.26 Managing concerns relating to volunteers 
• 4.27 Promoting Welsh Language through volunteering 
• 4.28 Welcoming volunteers who are asylum seekers or refugees 
• 4.29 Carers and volunteering 
• 4.30 Supporting Volunteers who have
  Additional Learning Needs

5. Trustees and governance

• 5.1 Principles of governance
• 5.2 Trustee duties and responsibilities
• 5.3 Governing Body Structures and Honorary Officers
• 5.4 Recruitment, selection and induction
• 5.5 Training and Development for Trustees
• 5.6 Working with the Chief Officer
• 5.7 Liability of trustees and governing body members
• 5.8 Trustee indemnity insurance
• 5.9 Winding up – the steps involved and alternative options
• 5.10 Register of People with Significant Control 
• 5.11 Safeguarding

6. Employing and managing people

• 6.1 Working in the voluntary sector 
• 6.2 Employing staff for the first time 
• 6.3 Drawing up a Job Specification 
• 6.4 Advertising your vacancy 
• 6.5 Selecting your candidate 
• 6.6 Producing a written statement 
• 6.7 Induction, training and development 
• 6.8 Supervision and appraisal 
• 6.9 Grievance 
• 6.10 Harassment 
• 6.11 Redundancy policy 
• 6.12 Health and safety policy 
• 6.13 Sickness policy 
• 6.14 Family friendly policies 
• 6.14.1 Maternity policy 
• 6.14.2 Paternity policy 
• 6.14.3 Adoption policy 
• 6.14.4 Right to request flexible working 
• 6.15 Equal opportunities policy 
• 6.16 Whistleblowing policy 
• 6.17 Retirement policy 
• 6.18 Disciplinary policy 

7. Finding and Getting Money

• 7.1 Developing a fundraising strategy 
• 7.2 Grants – fit for funding 
• 7.3 Applying to funders 
• 7.3.1 Accounting for volunteers’ time in funding applications 
• 7.5 Loans 
• 7.6.1 Fundraising events 
• 7.6.2 Fundraising legacies 
• 7.6.3 Fundraising donations 
• 7.7 Introduction to procurement 
• 7.7.1 Introduction to tendering 
• 7.7.2 Developing a successful tender 
• 7.7.3 Costing your tender 
• 7.8 Trading 
• 7.8.1 Charity Shops 
• 7.9 Giving (sources of funding) 
• 7.10 Tax effective giving 
• 7.10.1 Introduction to payroll giving 
• 7.10.2 Payroll fundraising 
• 7.10.3 Payroll giving consortia 
• 7.10.4 Introduction to Gift Aid 
• 7.10.5 Gift Aid Promotion 
• 7.10.6 Gift Aid Record Keeping 
• 7.10.7 Gift Aid FAQ 
• 7.11 Corporate funding 
• 7.12 Specialist European Teams 
• 7.13 Working together to raise income 
• 7.14 Community Investment 

8. Managing Money

• 8.1 Setting up a financial system 
• 8.2 Setting a budget 
• 8.3 Full cost recovery 
• 8.4 Monitoring expenditure and budget 
• 8.5 Financial controls 
• 8.6 Annual accounts and audit 
• 8.7 VAT 
• 8.8 Payroll 
• 8.9 Reserves 
• 8.10 Pensions 
• 8.11 Avoiding fraud 
• 8.12 Ensuring you have a good reserve policy 
• 8.13 How reserves should be invested 
• 8.14 How to write a good investment policy 

9. Assets

• 9.1 Buildings 
• 9.2 Running buildings 
• 9.3 Land 
• 9.4 Information Technology 
• 9.5 Vehicles 
• 9.6 Intellectual property 

10. Promotion and Marketing

• 10.1 Communications and marketing plan 
• 10.2 Creating effective marketing and publicity materials 
• 10.3 Preparing newsletters 
• 10.4 Working with the media 
• 10.5 Effective press releases 
• 10.6 The annual report 
• 10.7 Website development and maintenance 
• 10.8 Accessible formats and languages 
• 10.9 New and Social Media in the Voluntary Sector 

11. Campaigning and influencing

• 11.1 Who represents me? 
• 11.2 Introduction to Welsh devolution and the Government of Wales Act 2006 
• 11.3 National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government 
• 11.4 Assembly business and committees 
• 11.6 Making Legislation 
• 11.7 The National Assembly for Wales Commission 
• 11.8 Petitioning the National Assembly for Wales 
• 11.9 The National Assembly for Wales – Basic facts and Glossary 
• 11.10 Local government information 
• 11.11 Planning a Campaign 
• 11.12 Campaigning and lobbying techniques 
• 11.13 Local Authority Plans and Strategies 
• 11.14 Local Government Scrutiny 
• 11.15 Town and Community Councils 
• 11.16 The role of TSSW in third sector
  influencing and engagement

12. Climate Change

• 12.1 Introducing climate change 
• 12.2 Why climate change issues are important for the third sector 
• 12.3 Climate change as part of sustainable development 
• 12.4 Climate change social justice – impacts on vulnerable groups 
• 12.5 Climate change and environmental justice 
• 12.6 Climate change and energy 
• 12.7 Climate change and housing 
• 12.8 Climate change and livelihoods 
• 12.9 Climate change and health 
• 12.10 Climate change and transport 
• 12.11 Reduce your organisation or group’s carbon footprint 
• 12.12 Take local community level action on climate change 

13. Events

• 13.1  Catering Advice for Providing Food at Events 
• 13.2  Guide to Organising Events