Charity infrastructure is closing. What a review means for small charities

Four national charity bodies have called for an independent review of voluntary sector infrastructure in England. The call came on 2 November, after Reach Volunteering nearly closed and the Directory of Social Change entered insolvency in October.

The bodies are ACEVO, CFG, NAVCA and NCVO. Between them they say they connect with more than 170,000 charities and community groups.

What is being proposed

An independent chair would lead a review of the support that charities rely on: advice, training, volunteering, representation and local help.

It would start from the functions the sector needs, not from the organisations that exist today. It would also ask whether some infrastructure is needed at all.

The four bodies say they will catalyse and oversee the review, not lead it. They have committed to declaring conflicts, publishing findings and taking recommendations seriously, even costly ones. Civil Society reports that about £250,000 is being sought and that the review could take up to a year. No start date has been set.

Why it matters to a small charity

Small charities use infrastructure more than they realise. It is the local volunteer centre, the training course, the template, the helpline and the voice in front of regulators and funders.

The authors accept that infrastructure bodies have often been more fragile than the groups they serve. Membership fees, training budgets and event income are in slow decline. Statutory funding has shrunk for years. Very few trusts and foundations fund infrastructure at all.

The closures are not new. The Small Charities Coalition, Children England and the Foundation for Social Improvement have all gone. Each one removed a layer of free or low-cost help.

At the same time, the reporting rules have not got lighter. SORP 2026 applies to periods starting on or after 1 January 2026. Small charities are expected to meet it with less support nearby.

What needs to change

A review is a good start. But it will only help small charities if their voices are in the room, not only the largest charities and the national bodies.

Funders also have a part to play. Support only exists where someone pays for it. If funders want well-run small charities, they need to fund the help that makes that possible.

Regulators and standard-setters should also ask a simple question before each new requirement: who will help a volunteer treasurer meet this?

What to do now

• List the support you rely on today: training, advice, templates, networks and local help. Note who provides each one.
• Ask what you would do if that support stopped. Record the answer for your trustees.
• Join the conversation. When the review opens for evidence, small charities should respond. Ask your local infrastructure body how you can contribute.
• Check your own finance basics while you wait. Our free tools below take a few minutes and give you a clear list of gaps.
• If you have no one to turn to, talk to us. We can tell you honestly whether we are the right fit.

This article is general commentary, not advice for your specific circumstances. Sources: ACEVO, joint article by ACEVO, NCVO, NAVCA and CFG, 2 November 2026; Civil Society, 2 November 2026 (funding figure and timescale); CFG news.