Voluntary and community

We keep informed about policy developments affecting the voluntary and community sector (the Sector) and are committed to working with other departments and with the sector on issues such as alternative financing models, contracting and procurement, support for social economy enterprises, asset transfer and support for philanthropy.

The Department for Communities is responsible for the policy and legal framework for charity regulation in Northern Ireland. The Department is also responsible for overseeing the work of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) which is one of the Department’s Non-Departmental Public Bodies.

Government recognises the vital contribution of the voluntary and community sector across a wide range of activity and there is a strong relationship between the work of both sectors. The challenges being faced, from the economic to the social and environmental, all require collective action, innovative solutions and a strong partnership between government and the sector.

Funding to the voluntary and community sector falls into two main areas. One is to support the voluntary and community sector regionally and helping it to grow. The second is to help the sector to be self sustaining through the development of the social economy and building assets for longer term sustainability.