Resources
We hope these links will be helpful for those interested in researching the history of voluntary organisations. Sites are listed in alphabetical order. If you would like a link to your organisation added to this page, please e-mail Georgina Brewis at
ARNOVA is an international membership organisation dedicated to fostering through research an understanding of the nonprofit sector, philanthropy and volunteerism
Barnett Research Centre – Toynbee Hall library and archive.
British Association for Local History is the national charity which promotes local history and serves local historians. It publishes both The Local Historian, a quarterly journal, and Local History News, a topical magazine as well as books and pamphlets on local history.
Charity Commission Records link to information on the kind of records the Charity Commission has and records now with the National Archives at Kew.
Database of Archives of Non-Governmental Organisations is an online database of archives of non-governmental organisations post 1945.
The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is a resource and meeting place for anyone undertaking historical research. The IHR runs a series of seminars and lectures open to the public, training events for historian and a hub for postgraduate researchers called the History Lab.
The Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) aims to develop knowledge and understanding of volunteering in a way that is relevant to practitioners and policy makers. This site provides an overview of the work of the Institute as well as detailed summaries of research that it has undertaken.
ISTR is a major international association promoting research and education in the fields of philanthropy, civil society and the nonprofit sector. ISTR reflects the growing worldwide interest in Third Sector research and provides a permanent forum for international research, while at the same time building a global scholarly community in this field.
London Metropolitan Archives The archives contain many records of national and local voluntary organisations, charities, parishes and individuals.
Volunteering England – England’s volunteer development agency.
Voluntary Sector Studies Network – Promotes understanding of the UK voluntary sector through research.
The Women’s Library – Holds archival collections of many women’s voluntary organisations, including the Fawcett Library, the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, Female Emigration Societies and Women’s Suffrage Societies. Also hosts a series of events and talks.
