Supported by
Foundation Course Programme
This course is tailor-made to encourage people to consider a job in the charity world, and provides a bridge to help them gain paid employment with a voluntary sector organisation.
It would also be useful to people who are intending to set up their own voluntary organisation or are considering joining a charity as a Trustee and want to learn more about the issues involved.
The programme combines seven full day seminars and workshops spread over several weeks and usually done concurrently with a supervised voluntary work placement in a host charity for a minimum of twenty days. Each seminar day is participative and delegates are encouraged to use the course as a starting point for exploring the sector.
The combination of theory and group work on the training days and the twenty day placement in a host charity is intended to help each individual to gain further insights into how their skills might be usefully applied and where they might best fit in the sector.
The overall programme can be completed within a period of eight to twelve weeks with an average commitment of two to three days each week.
Without doubt the NCVO Working For A Charity Foundation Course is a must for those contemplating a change in career direction. It challenges your reasons to do so, reinforces your desire and provides you with the elementaries so that you have the basic toolbox to go out in search of employment.
- Eddie Ottmann, May 2008
Foundation Course Programme
The subjects covered include:
Day I: Understanding the voluntary sector and the role of volunteers
- The voluntary sector and its importance
- Voluntary action and how charities get started
- How charities work
- Recruitment, selection and support of volunteers
Day 2: Jobs in the voluntary sector
- Job opportunities: what they are and how to find them
- Skills assessment
- Developing a CV for the voluntary sector
- Applying for jobs in the sector
Day 3: Marketing and public relations in the voluntary sector
- The role of marketing
- The key elements of public relations
- How charities use the media
Day 4: Developing a fundraising strategy
- How the voluntary sector is funded
- Methods of generating income
- How to make the most of donors and supporters
Day 5: Charitable trust funding and company giving
- Charitable trusts how decisions are made
- Project funding
- How and why companies give to good causes
Day 6: Financial management and governance
- Financial management: the regulatory framework
- Charity annual reports and accounts
- Governance: the duties and responsibilities of Trustees
Day 7: Successful interviews, a springboard for the future
- The recruitment process in the context of Equal Opportunities
- Interview skills
- The importance of networking
- Goals and actions for future success
Working For A Charity reserve the right to alter the content or order of any course should circumstances make it necessary.
Foundation Course Dates
Summer 2008
(seven seminars)
May 14 & 15
June 4 & 5; 18 & 19
July 2
Autumn 2008
(seven seminars)
October 7 and 8; 21 & 22
November 5 & 6; 19
Winter 2008/2009
(seven seminars)
January 28 and 29
February 11 and 12; 25 and 26
March 11
Summer 2009
(seven seminars)
* Please note that all 7 dates listed are part of the same course, not alternative options.
Timing for all seminars: 9.30 for 10.00 am start, finishing at 4.30 pm.
Venue: NCVO Regent's Wharf 8 All Saints Street London N1 9RL (nearest station King's Cross)
Course Fee: £935 includes training manual, lunch and refreshments on each seminar day. £300 deposit should be enclosed with your registration form and CV and the balance is payable 10 working days before the course start date.
How to book: Download the registration form here and post the completed form to us along with your payment, or contact us with your postal address and we will send the registration form to you. Payment can be made by cheque, credit or debit card or bank transfer (BACS).
A limited number of bursaries, for people in financial need, are available to cover part of the course fee. Bursaries are only awarded following a written application and interview, and successful applicants will usually be offered a bursary place of 50% of the course fee. For information about eligibility for bursaries and how to apply, download this form (.pdf file, 36kb).