The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is to consider expanding its membership to include ethical businesses.

The move has been announced in the charity infrastructure body’s latest strategy, called Together for a Stronger Society.

It says it will “explore new membership categories, such as for B Corps", which is the certification system for businesses and organisations committed to high standards in environmental performance, accountability and transparency.

The membership expansion is being looked at “to strengthen connections across the wide range of organisations that want to strengthen civil society”, states its strategy.

“Our focus is creating a clearer and more meaningful membership proposition: one that delivers value, creates opportunities for learning and connection, and gives members a stronger voice,” it adds.

The strategy also signals an intention “to move away from a model focused mainly on delivering services”.

“Instead, we will bring together people, ideas, skills and relationships from across civil society and turn them into useful evidence, stronger influence and shared tools. We will use what we learn and build to strengthen our work over-time.”

Expanding its membership is highlighted as one of four key ‘drivers’ for the organisation.

These also include strengthening its role “as a trusted source of insight, evidence and analysis for civil society” through “better use of data, developing our capability in AI and digital technologies, and helping organisations make informed, confident and responsible decisions”.

Other drivers include lobbying for improvements for civil society and bolstering its partnership working.

Small charities

Another pledge is to continue providing practical support for the sector “particularly for small charities”.

This pledge has been made amid concerns this year over NCVO’s small charity support.

In March the infrastructure body announced a wave of redundancies to its team supporting small charities. But members of the NCVO’s own Small Charities Advisory Panel raised concerns that they were not consulted about the redundancies.

Also in March, a group of small charity leaders published a letter that was also sent to minister for civil society Stephanie Peacock outlining fears around the future of small charities support offered by NCVO.

Commenting on the new strategy’s commitment to small charity support its chief influencing officer Leight Brimicombe said: “For our new strategy to succeed it needs reflect the realities facing civil society, and that means making sure it addresses the needs of small charities.”

He added that the NCVO will also support small charities through expanding its free membership scheme.

Free membership will now be available to those with an annual income of up to £50,000.

This will see around 1,200 charities with an annual income of between £30,000 and £50,000 who are already members receive free membership when they next renew.

The NCVO also says that around 9,000 additional charities will now be eligible to join as free members.

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