The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a membership and representative body working with and for charities and voluntary organisations in Scotland.
By choosing to become an SCVO member you will join a growing number of charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations of all shapes and sizes, as well as individuals, private and public sector organisations with an interest in our work.
"SCVO's the only national body in Scotland to work solely with the interests of the voluntary sector as its number one priority." Annette Scobie, Co-ordinator, Borders Voluntary Community Care Forum.
Our Membership Benefits Include:
Information
SCVO Members can access expert help and information on all areas of running a voluntary organisation via our free information service. Enquiries can be made by phone: 0800 169 0022 or by e-mail: enquiries@scvo.org.uk Members will also be kept up to date with key information and developments in the sector via targeted mailings and our fortnightly SCVO Members e-bulletin.
Free Legal Advice Service
SCVO in partnership with 3 of Scotland's most respected legal firms - Harper Macleod, Lindsays and MacRoberts offers up to two hours of free legal advice to SCVO Members on the following areas: Governance, Employment, Property, Contracting and Intellectual Property. (N.B. This service is only available to SCVO Members with an annual turnover of less than £500,000).
TFN - Third Force News
TFN is Scotland's only voluntary sector newspaper. All SCVO Members except those in our Grassroots category receive free subscription to this weekly publication. Grassroots Members can choose to subscribe at a discounted rate of £25 per annum.
Discounted Services and Deals
SCVO has negotiated a range of exclusive discounts with suppliers on key products and services that will help save you valuable resources. These include insurance services designed for the sector, office supplies, telecoms and computer hardware & software. For more information download a PDF of our latest Services & Deals brochure.
Shared Services
SCVO provides key services such as payroll, recruitment advertising through Goodmoves and email marketing through Workwithus.org We can also provide managed desk space for rent, in our Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness offices.
Training
Our training programme has been developed to meet the needs of the voluntary sector. We offer subject specific courses as well as personal and professional development. It's excellent value for money and SCVO Members qualify for our generous discount rates.
For further information on SCVO's Membership Benefits download our booklet About Membership and our Membership Application Form.
Alternatively you can contact our Membership Team by completing the Membership Enquiry Form
Membership Criteria and Categories
Membership of SCVO is available to a wide range of organisations and individuals. There is no size restriction on who can join and our fees are set on a sliding scale according to your organisation’s annual income to ensure that membership is accessible to everyone.
Membership Categories
Grassroots Member
Our Grassroots membership is available free to all voluntary organisations based in Scotland with an annual income of less than £25,000. If your organisation is eligible for this category, you will automatically have access to all SCVO membership benefits except Third Force News (TFN). However you can choose to subscribe to TFN at a specially negotiated rate of £25 per annum.
Full Member
The following groups are eligible to apply for full membership and will have access to all member benefits, be able to seek election to the SCVO Management Board or Policy Committee and may vote at general meetings:
- All Voluntary Organisations in Scotland
- Scottish branches of UK wide charities
- Scottish branches of international charities.
Associate Member
Associate members have access to most member benefits but have no voting rights, nor can they stand for election to the Management Board or Policy Committee. Associate membership of SCVO is open to:
Network Member
Any network body/intermediary organisation may make designated benefits of SCVO membership available to it’s own members. If you would like further information on this, please email the Membership Team: membership@scvo.org.uk
Branch Member
National voluntary organisations with multiple premises or branches may be interested in making the benefits of SCVO membership available to local branches by registering them as branch members. If you would like further information on this please email the Membership Team: membership@scvo.org.uk
Membership Fees
Membership fees are set on a sliding scale according to your organisation’s annual income and on a rolling subscription basis i.e. 12 months membership from the date your application is formally approved.
Payment of the subscription entitles all organisations except Grassroots members to receive at least one free copy of the weekly newspaper, Third Force News.
Full Members
| Income Band |
Fee Per Year |
| £0 - £25,000 |
FREE Grassroots Membership |
| £25,001 - £50,000 |
£125.00 |
| £50,001 - £100,000 |
£175.00 |
| £100,001 - £500,000 |
£250.00 |
| £500,001 - £1million |
£350.00 |
| £1million + |
£425.00 |
| £5million + |
£500.00 |
Associate Members - Voluntary Organisations Outside Scotland
| Income Band |
Fee Per Year |
| £0 - £12,500 |
£50.00 |
| £12,501 - £25,000 |
£100.00 |
| £25,001 - £50,000 |
£125.00 |
| £50,001 - £100,000 |
£175.00 |
| £100,001 - £500,000 |
£250.00 |
| £500,001 - £1million |
£350.00 |
| £1million + |
£425.00 |
| £5million + |
£500.00 |
Associate Members - Public & Private Sector Organisations
| Income Band |
Fee Per Year |
| £0 - £12,500 |
£50.00 |
| £12,501 - £25,000 |
£100.00 |
| £25,001 - £50,000 |
£150.00 |
| £50,001 - £100,000 |
£225.00 |
| £100,001 - £500,000 |
£300.00 |
| £500,001 - £1million |
£400.00 |
| £1million + |
£600.00 |
Associate Members - Individuals
Individual membership includes a subscription to TFN and costs £75 per annum.
Network Members and Branch Members – please e-mail the Membership Team: membership@scvo.org.uk.