Links to National Organisations Supporting The Third Sector

Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) - www.acas.org.uk

ACAS aims to improve organisations and working life through better employment relations. ACAS helps with employment relations by supplying up-to-date information, independent advice and high quality training, and working with employers and employees to solve problems and improve performance. 

Association for Research in the Voluntary and Community Sector (ARVAC) - www.arvac.org.uk

ARVAC was established in 1978. It acts as a resource for people interested in research in or on community organisations.  

Big Lottery – www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Every year BIG gives out millions of pounds from the National Lottery to community groups and to projects that improve health, education and the environment.  

Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)- www.cafonline.org

CAF is a registered charity that works to create greater value for charities and social enterprise. CAF do this by transforming the way donations are made and the way charitable funds are managed.  

Community Development Foundation - www.cdf.org.uk

The Community Development Foundation is a leading source of intelligence, guidance and delivery on community development in England and across the UK. CDF is a non-departmental public body and a registered charity supported by Communities and Local Government (CLG). 

Directory of Social Change (DSC) – www.dsc.org.uk

DSC is an independent charity with a vision of an independent voluntary sector at the heart of social change. DSC achieves this by providing essential information and training to the voluntary sector to enable charities to achieve their mission. 

KnowHow NonProfit - www.knowhownonprofit.org 

KnowHow NonProfit is a website to help you with any aspect of your work. Completely free and easy to use, it is packed with practical information and resources covering topics as diverse as managing volunteers, commissioning and procurement and setting up a charity shop. Got a particular problem - use the discussion forums to ask questions or share your experience in response to someone else's question. The site is intended to be a friendly and useful space for a community of nonprofit people and organisations sharing what they have learnt to help others.

National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) – www.navca.org.uk

NAVCA is the national voice of local third sector infrastructure in England. Its members work with 164,000 local third sector groups and organisations that provide community services, regenerate neighbourhoods, promote volunteering and tackle discrimination in partnership with local public bodies. 

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) – www.ncvo-vol.org.uk

NCVO's vision is of a society in which people are inspired to make a positive difference to their communities. A vibrant voluntary and community sector deserves a strong voice and the best support and NCVO aims to be that support and voice.

National Volunteering Database - www.do-it.org.uk

do-it.org.uk was launched in 2001 with the first, and still the only, national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK.

Third Sector- www.thirdsector.co.uk

Third Sector is the UK’s leading publication for everyone who needs to know what’s going on in the voluntary and not-for-profit sector. Third Sector offers unrivalled coverage of the whole range of voluntary sector concerns through the printed magazine, the website, and a range of conferences and events.

Urban Forum- www.urbanforum.org.uk

Urban Forum is an umbrella body for community and voluntary groups with interests in urban and regional policy, especially regeneration. 

Voluntary Action Media Unit (VAMU) - http://www.vamu.org.uk

This was launched in September 2007 by the Voluntary Action Media Unit (VAMU). VAMU was a Big Lottery funded project set up by TimeBank to investigate the relationship between charities and the media. TimeBank's partners in the project were Media Trust and Institute for Volunteering Research.

Volunteering England- www.volunteering.org.uk

Volunteering England works to support and increase the quality, quantity, impact and accessibility of volunteering throughout England.