ACO News Update

ACO Office Move

ACO has moved to a new office in Aldgate East next to Toynbee Hall on 30th October 2019
ACO News Update

Dominic Fox: Farewell to ACO

As Dominic says goodbye to ACO he shares with us some key moments from his nine years as CEO, as well as some thoughts for the future.
ACO News Update

2019 Newton Charity Investment Survey

Charities’ investment decisions are increasingly being influenced by issues such as climate and sustainability, as they start to see the financial benefits of engaging with companies on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. These are among the conclusions from Newton’s latest survey of leaders and decision makers in the UK charity sector.
ACO News Update

Member Spotlight: Chemists' Community Fund

Our Benevolent Fund was founded in 1920 in memorial to the members of the Institute of Chemistry who had died in the First World War, the purpose of the Fund was to provide support to members and their families. Today the Chemists’ Community Fund continues to assist the current and past members of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), as well as their partners and dependents, through life’s challenges. We are looking forward to celebrating our 100 year anniversary next year.

Welcome to the ACO

The Association of Charitable Organisations is the national UK umbrella body for charities that give grants and welfare support to individuals in need. Founded in 1946 we are a powerful and growing network of over 100 members, all joined by the common goal of offering support to help people in need.

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What we do

ACO provides support to its members through:

Knowledge sharing and benchmarking: we encourage collaboration in the sector by supporting our members to work with each other to improve their services and improve best practice.
Networking events: building peer networks and providing opportunities for members to share, and get advice and support. Running regular networking events throughout the year attended by expert speakers in the sector to encourage discussion on thought-provoking topics relevant in the sector. A free to attend quarterly members' meeting.
Raising standards: promoting good practice, tackling problems together and offering solutions;
PR and Communications: sharing member news amongst the network on behalf of our members, and raising the profile of grant-making charities amongst the public with our One Day Changes Lives PR campaign - an awareness day for benevolent funds.
Lobbying and campaigning: giving our members a voice by responding to government consultations and raising awareness about the work of our member organisations.
Information: providing members with up to date information tailored to their specific interests through a monthly newsletter and policy briefings.
Online services: such as websites and member forums proving opportunities to share advice and experience.

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Helping Individuals in Need Report

This toolkit is intended for those running a charity that gives grants to individuals in need. Authored by Caroline Aldred and Clementine Cowl, the idea for this guide came out of the questions that arise frequently at ACO meetings such as ‘our trustees want to offer loans to applicants, but can we do this and what are the legal implications?’ or ‘how should we manage home visits?’ We hope that this guide will assist in finding answers to these questions.

Download Here