Setting up
Setting up can be daunting and confusing. Whether you have an idea and don’t know where to start, or if you’ve a clear goal for a new organisation, talk to us!
We can chat to you about what a not-for-profit is; we’ll be honest about the work it will involve and we’ll listen to your ideas to help you to understand whether setting up is the right thing to do. We’ll tell you if we think you’d be better off linking with a not-for-profit that’s already up and running.
We’ll help you to plan your organisation and decide how it will operate. We can help you get any paperwork in place, support with registration processes (eg. registering as a charity, company, CIC) and give training on your new legal responsibilities.
Contact us for support: smallgroups@dudleycvs.org.uk
Planning
Planning is the cornerstone of any successful organisation. Good planning will help you unify your team, communicate with your community, understand and measure success and unlock funding, partnership and other opportunities.
Our local knowledge, experience of not-for-profit planning, and our established links with Dudley borough’s nonprofit sector and statutory partners means we’ll be able to help you to understand where your organisation fits and connect you with others to work together.
Whether it’s planning for a new organisation, reviewing your established organisation or planning for a new project, we can help you plan what you want to achieve and put steps in place to succeed.
Find out more about our place-based networks in Brierley Hill, Central Dudley, Halesowen, North Dudley and Stourbridge
Contact us for support: smallgroups@dudleycvs.org.uk
Finance and income generation
We welcome all fundraising ideas and our role is to match potential funders with these ideas so that suitable avenues of grant funding can be identified. Once funders are matched to an idea we will then support the applicant in approaching the funder by working with them to ensure the application is one which will be considered by the funder and, hopefully, be successful so the organisation can deliver their project/activities.
Trading is a very good example of generating unrestricted income for an organisation so they can reinvest the money raised in social good. Opening a trading arm of the charity is something we can assist with as well as providing advice on financial management by working with trustees/treasurers helping the organisation to be financially sound and strong.
Contact us for support: smallgroups@dudleycvs.org.uk
Finding and developing a venue
Asset transfer and hiring a venue for activities
We work closely with Dudley Council on asset transfer. Asset transfer is the process of moving Council-owned buildings and facilities into community management. We can help you liaise with the local authority, think about the ins and outs of managing a venue and support the proposal you will have to develop for Dudley Council.
We can help you to think about how you will finance the venue so that you can operate it sustainably. This might include options such as crowdfunding, alternative finance, generating hirers and engaging the wider community.
If you’re simply looking for a venue to run your activities, we operate two venues, DY1 and Brierley Hill Civic. We can also use our extensive local knowledge and networks to link you with a venue that has some appropriate space. You can also search for venues on the Community Information Directory.
Join our place-based networks in Brierley Hill, Central Dudley, Halesowen, North Dudley and Stourbridge.
Contact us for support: smallgroups@dudleycvs.org.uk
Involving volunteers
We love to support groups who involve volunteers across the borough. Whether you are in the voluntary, community, faith, public or private sector, we want to hear from you. Our support can help you ensure that your volunteers have the best possible volunteering experience, as we can help you with all types of volunteer management documents e.g. policies, procedures, role outlines etc.
Contact us for support: info@dudleycvs.org.uk
Governance and compliance
Laws and regulations apply to all types of not-for-profits and will vary depending on the work they do, how they are set up and their size. We can help you with things like:
- Legal compliance / reporting regulations for charities and / or companies and CICs.
- Thinking about how you approach topics like: health and safety, data protection, financial regulations, equality and diversity. If you want help with safeguarding, our Children, Young People and Families team is a good place to start.
Contact us for support: smallgroups@dudleycvs.org.uk
Raising your profile
We encourage organisations and community groups to share stories, information and events to raise the profile of voluntary and community action and the great things happening in Dudley borough! Get in touch if you would like to share news about your organisation, group or project.
Networking and events
Networking is a great way to connect with others working in your community, getting your messages out and getting involved in joint work. Dudley CVS hosts lots of networking events throughout the year. These can be focused on specific topics, they could be training workshops or they could be focused on certain areas in Dudley borough.
Check out our news feed to find out what’s coming up and register for any you’d like to attend. You’ll be very welcome.