Information to help your group run well
RouteMap
RouteMap is an online flowchart for any not-for profit group or organisation looking for guidance in choosing a legal structure. There are questions to answer, leading to some advice on the structure which seems most appropriate for the way you want to run your group.
The RouteMap does not aim to give detailed guidance or information about the many options available, but it offers a way in to this complicated issue. Wherever a specific type of structure is mentioned in the RouteMap, there is a link to a more detailed explanation in one of these four information sheets
- Not for Profit organisations: a brief guide to legal structures for community & voluntary organisations and social enterprises
- Community and Voluntary Groups: Finding a legal structure to suit your group
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Constitutions: step by step help with writing a constitution (for unincorporated associations)
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Charity Registration: is your group a charity and should it register?
As you go through the RouteMap, you are shown the path you have followed, and you can always go back and answer a question differently if you want to explore all your options.
Start here:
In choosing a legal structure, there is an important difference between groups where membership is open to users or other members of the community, and groups which might provide services for the community but are run by a closed group.
To start on the RouteMap click on the statement below which most closely describes your group:
Membership of our group is open to users or others who support our aims