Eligible organisations

Definition of a voluntary organisation

A voluntary organisation must be constituted and meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply to Environment Wales:

• Independent

An organisation must be constitutionally independent and not directly controlled by a for-profit organisation or the state. Environment Wales recognises an organisation as independent of the state where there is majority of non-statutory bodies, appointees or representatives on its board of trustees and a majority of non-statutory members.

• Self governing

An organisation must have its own internal decision making processes.

• Non profit distributing and primarily non business

An organisation must make no payments (other than for reasonable out of pocket expenses or other payments allowed by the governing document e.g. for occasional professional services or grants) to members or trustees.

• Voluntarism

An organisation must benefit from meaningful degree of philanthropy (i.e. gifts in kind or of time, including volunteers and non paid trustees).

• Public benefit

Environment Wales expects any voluntary organisation to demonstrate that its objects and activities benefit the wider public; and /or that it makes its benefits available to as wide a group of people as possible within the constituency defined by its objects; and/or that it operates in ways which are open and inclusive rather than elitist and exclusive. Where a governing document exists, it should have a clause ensuring that on dissolution, the remaining assets are redistributed to (a) similar voluntary organisation(s).

Other eligible organisations

Other eligible organisations, that are legally constituted and provide wider community/social benefit, could include (subject to examination of governing documents):

• Community businesses and co-operatives
• The voluntary housing movement
• Non membership charitable trusts
• Self help / mutual aid groups
• Community and local organisations, community associations, village halls etc
• Training charities
• Women's aid groups
• Charitable industrial and provident societies
• Sports groups with community / social benefit
• Religious organisations with social benefit

Specifically excluded are (subject to examination of governing document):

• Political parties
• Universities
• Further education institutions
• Charitable independent and grant maintained schools
• Voluntary controlled and voluntary aided schools
• TECs
• Trade unions
• Sports clubs and societies for non public benefit
• Business associations and local enterprise agencies
• Professional associations
• NHS trusts
• Many major museums
• Quangos and non departmental public bodies (NDPBs)
• Bodies created primarily for the purpose of religious worship and their support