Association of Charitable Organisations

Free

The Association of Charitable Organisations (ACO) is the official national umbrella body for benevolent funds, grant-making foundations, and charitable organisations across the UK that give financial and wellbeing support to individuals. While the "Here to Help" sub-campaign is specifically tailored as an outreach toolkit for frontline advisors, the main aco.uk.net portal serves a dual purpose as both a sector authority and a public signposting gateway: For the Public & Support Workers: The platform explains the unique landscape of UK benevolent charities. It acts as an open educational library showing how these niche, lesser-known funds evaluate applications based on an individual's background (such as their previous job sectors, location, or health conditions). It guides individuals on how to approach these funds and connects them directly to partner search systems like the Turn2us Grants Search and the Lightning Reach portal. For Member Organizations: ACO serves as a collaborative network for hundreds of massive UK charities (including the Royal British Legion, Family Fund, and the Charity for Civil Servants). It provides them with a secure space for resource-sharing, training, benchmarking, and cross-sector innovation to modernize how financial hardship grants are distributed nationwide.

• Basic necessities
• Digital resources
• Financial support
• Information & advice