Resources
Communications Resources
Find resources to support your communications, from improving accessibility to expanding reach.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) Resources
A fantastic range of resources to support you to embed EDIB in your workplace.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Toolkit
Created in conjunction with the University of Gloucestershire Law Faculty.
Read more about each of the nine protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010 by clicking the icons below.
Finance Resources
Useful templates and guidance to support you with budgeting, costing and cashflow.
Discounted software for VCSE Organisations
These software providers offer a discount to some VCSE organisations (please check the details to ensure that your organisation is eligible).
| Software | Description | Find out More |
|---|---|---|
| Canva for Nonprofits | Eligible organisations can get free access to Canva’s premium tools, making it easy to create professional-looking posters, social media graphics, presentations, and fundraising materials. | Check eligibility and apply |
| Sage Accounting for Charities | Sage offers 50% off their accounting software. It provides a single place to manage finances, from incoming donations to outgoing payments. | Check eligibility and apply |
| Mailchimp Nonprofit Discount | Mailchimp offers a 15% discount. Their tools can help you manage mailing lists, and stay connected with supporters, donors, and members. | Check eligibility and apply |
| Microsoft for Nonprofits | Charities may be eligible for discounted or free Microsoft solutions, including Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365. | Check eligibility and apply |
| Charity Digital | Charity Digital is a discounted technology platform, working with major partners to provide software, hardware, and digital services at significantly reduced prices. | Check eligibility and apply |
Discounts for VCSE Organisations
These companies provide discounts for VCSE organisations.
Please note that due to VAT reliefs available to charities, it’s important to know what you’re entitled to. Read the guidance here: How VAT affects charities (VAT Notice 701/1) - GOV.UK
| Company | Description | Discount | Find out More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tradeprint | Printed materials | Provides up to 15% discount to registered charities | Check eligibility and apply |
| Printed.com | Printed materials | Provides up to 15% discount to registered charities | Check eligibility and apply |
Fundraising Resources
Improve your impact reporting and reinvigorate your fundraising with these useful resources.
Governance Resources
Guidance, policies and templates to support robust and effective governance in your organisation.
Trustee Recruitment Templates
Trustee Accelerator Programme
Through this training programme, you can learn how to increase diversity within your board and consider how you can make sure that you board continues to be a place that fosters a culture of inclusion.
Healthy and Safe Workplace Resources
ICT & Artifical Intelligence Resources
Resources to support cyber security and the ethical use of AI.
Mergers, Takeovers and Winding-up Resources
Resources to help trustees to assess the viability of a charity, and options to protect stakeholders.
Sustainability Resources
A wide range of resources to support the green transition within your organisation.
Policy Template Resources
Guidance for CICs
What is a CIC?
A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a type of limited company that exists to benefit the community, rather than to maximise profit for private individuals.
It trades like a business, but it is set up specifically to create social impact.
It’s registered with Companies House, rather than the Charity Commission.
It is not a charity.
How is a CIC different to a regular limited company?
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Its activities must benefit a defined community (this can be a place, group of people, or wider society).
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When setting up, the company must explain how its work benefits the community.
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Assets and profits are largely locked into the organisation and can only be used for community benefit.
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CICs must publish an annual Community Interest Report explaining what they’ve done for the community.
A CIC must:
CICs can:
Trade and sell
Be eligible for some grants and funding
Employ staff and pay directors
Make a surplus and reinvest it into its social purpose
What can a CIC do?
Is a CIC right for us?
You can use our quick quiz to help you decide whether a CIC is likely to be appropriate for your project.
It’s important to understand that setting up any kind of company comes with regulations and reporting requirements, and you must fully understand your responsibilities.
You must have at least one director, but if you intend to apply for grant funding, you will need at least three unrelated directors.
To set up a Community Interest Company (CIC), you must pass the Community Benefit Test. This is assessed via the CIC36 form.
This means you must show that your organisation’s activities are:
Carried out for the benefit of the community, and
Not mainly for private advantage
The test is assessed by the CIC Regulator when you apply to register your CIC.
What is the Community Benefit Test?
People living in a particular area (e.g. a town, village or county)
A group of people with a shared need or experience (e.g. carers, young people, older people)
The wider public or society as a whole
What counts as a “community”?
Who benefits from your activities (and what your activities are)
How they benefit
Why those activities are in the community’s interest
What safeguards are in place to stop private benefit taking over
What is the “asset lock”?
Assets are the things that a company owns, and include things like cash (in-hand and in the bank), equipment, investments and property.
The asset lock is a legal protection that makes sure a Community Interest Company’s assets and profits are used for community benefit, not for private gain.
It “locks” the organisation’s value into its social purpose.
It’s included in the articles of association, and CIC36.
What do I need to include?
You can register a CIC by post or online. From 1st February 2026, the cost of registering a CIC online is £115 and by paper form is £139.
You’ll need a name for your CIC, which can’t already be taken (or too similar to an existing company). You can use the Comapnies House namechecker here: Company name availability checker - Find and update company information - GOV.UK
A CIC must have either “CIC” or “Community Interest Company” at the end of its name, or it will be rejected by the regulator.
Shares or Guarantee
A CIC can be limited by shares or guarantee. Most CICs are limited by guarantee.
In a CIC limited by guarantee, there are no shares, shareholders or dividends. Each director agrees to pay a nominal fee (usually £1) in the event of winding-up with debts.
In a CIC limited by shares, shareholders invest money and can receive dividends (although these are tightly controlled).
If you’re setting up your CIC online, you need two documents (as a PDF):
CIC36
Articles of Association (when applying online, a Memorandum of Association is generated for you)
How do I go about setting up a CIC?
CIC36 Declarations on Formation of a Community Interest Company
Articles of Association
You can download the appropriate model articles of association here: CIC model Articles of Association: introduction - GOV.UK
You can download the CIC36 form in your preferred format here: CIC36: application to form a community interest company - GOV.UK