The new system involves two new membership options: business – for small organisations with fewer than 10 full time employees; and corporate – for larger national and international businesses that have structured management and market focus in one major discipline and operate separate marketing and corporate social responsibility functions.

It is hoped that it will encourage partnership work between sectors and provide an opportunity to share advice and expertise.

“We conducted a strategic review earlier this year and concluded this was the right way forward against the significant progress of acevo in recent years” said Peter Fix, acevo’s head of strategic development. “We recognise that our partners from the not for profit sector typically do have commercial objectives attached to their membership and so require a relationship approach that seeks to develop mutual value.”