Charity bodies step in to run Small Charities Coalition helpdesk

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) will take over the running of support services offered by the Small Charities Coalition (SCC), which closes at the end of March.

The move follows the announcement in December 2021 that the Coalition will close after failing to secure funding to continue supporting small charities.

FSI and NCVO will now run the Coalition’s helpdesk and other support services to ensure small charities can continue accessing support.

Their bid to run the services was chosen by Coalition trustees and charity representatives after receiving six proposals.

SCC chair Joyce Fraser said: “Critical in this handover is not just the continuation of a distinct small charities service, but continuation of its personalised approach and tone, cutting the jargon and demystifying the difficult."

Other services to transfer under the arrangement are hosting and maintenance of the Charity Set Up Tool, the small charities resource hub and data from the helpdesk to “influence policy and funding opportunities for small charities”, said the NCVO.

“I know from running a small charity just how valuable the support provided by the Small Charities Coalition has been for smaller voluntary organisations, which make up the majority of our sector,” said NCVO chief executive Sarah Vibert.

FSI chief executive Stuart Thomason added: “The Small Charities Coalition has played a critical role advocating for the needs of small charities and, as a small charity ourselves, the FSI will work tirelessly to protect their legacy.

Meanwhile, the NCVO and FSI have commissioned a report into the impact and legacy of the Small Charities Coalition.

    Share Story:

Recent Stories


Charity Times video Q&A: In conversation with Hilda Hayo, CEO of Dementia UK
Charity Times editor, Lauren Weymouth, is joined by Dementia UK CEO, Hilda Hayo to discuss why the charity receives such high workplace satisfaction results, what a positive working culture looks like and the importance of lived experience among staff. The pair talk about challenges facing the charity, the impact felt by the pandemic and how it's striving to overcome obstacles and continue to be a highly impactful organisation for anybody affected by dementia.
Charity Times Awards 2023

Mitigating risk and reducing claims
The cost-of-living crisis is impacting charities in a number of ways, including the risks they take. Endsleigh Insurance’s* senior risk management consultant Scott Crichton joins Charity Times to discuss the ramifications of prioritising certain types of risk over others, the financial implications risk can have if not managed properly, and tips for charities to help manage those risks.

* Coming soon… Howden, the new name for Endsleigh.