Step 4 – Create an organisation

If you are running a one-off community project, such as improving a local playground or organising a street party, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to create an organisation. So now you should be ready to get your community project started and progress through to Step 5.

But many community projects will develop into an organisation. Getting a community organisation up and running can be a slow process but there are a few key things to think about:

• Once you have a clear idea of your purpose you can choose a legal structure, management committee and governing document that suit your needs.
• It’s normal to feel a little overwhelmed by the ‘bureaucracy’ around setting up a community organisation or feel that it’s taking you away from dealing with the actual problem you wanted to address.
• Laying strong foundations will ensure that your organisation is sustainable and will benefit the community in the long term.

Below are some links to free guides, software and websites that can help you set up a community organisation.