Become a member of Macc

Macc works with organisations and individuals across Manchester and we aim for our membership to reflect the diversity of the many communities across the city.

We believe that membership brings real benefits both to our work and to society generally.

  • Enhancing the transparency and accountability of our governance structure and providing a constant source of trustees
  • Giving us a consistent awareness of the needs of voluntary, community and faith groups
  • Improving our advocacy role with public bodies by demonstrating the collectivism and impact of the voluntary, community and faith sector
  • Enabling individuals to be more involved in their local communities and increasing individual participation in civil society
  • Supporting local community action and developing fundraising opportunities
  • Encouraging co-operation within the sector and developing a platform for consortium and collaborative working

Membership of Macc is free.

We have two levels of membership, Full and Affiliate.

Benefits of Membership

ALL MEMBERS
  • Access to our Manchester Community Central website
  • Weekly ebulletins
  • Quarterly newsletters
  • Discounts on training and other charged for services
  • The right to submit nominations for the Spirit of Manchester Awards
  • Members receive discounts on hiring our meeting rooms, more information is available here
  • Members receive discounts on places on our training, more information is available here
  • By becoming a member of Macc you will gain access to our free funding portal of funding opportunities
    Please note: To be eligible to access our funding portal you must be a voluntary, community, social enterprise sector (VCSE) organisations working in the City of Manchester with at least 50% of your beneficiaries in the City of Manchester.

FULL MEMBERS ONLY
  • The right to vote at the Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting. (Groups and organisations with full membership have only one vote)
  • The right to nominate potential trustees for the Board
  • Automatic membership of the Voluntary Sector Assembly
  • Entry on the Manchester Community Central online directory
  • Members receive discounts on hiring our meeting rooms, more information is available here
  • Members receive discounts on places on our training, more information is available here

Criteria for Membership

FULL MEMBERS

Membership is open to any constituted voluntary or community group or organisation that can demonstrate all of the criteria below:

  • Working within the City of Manchester and is not for profit
  • Can demonstrate that their beneficiaries are the people of the City of Manchester
  • Has three or more committee members with clear roles e.g. chair, treasurer, secretary
  • Has clear aims, objectives or purpose (often in the form of a constitution, set of rules or other governing document)
  • Can demonstrate financial accountability
  • Signs a declaration expressing
    • support for the purpose, values and beliefs of Macc
    • support for Macc as the lead infrastructure body for the city’s voluntary and community sector
    • support for the Manchester Voluntary Sector Assembly as the main forum for the voice of the voluntary and community sector in Manchester

AFFILIATE MEMBERS

Membership is open to any group or individual that can demonstrate any of the criteria below:

  • Lives in the area covered by Macc
  • Has an interest in the third sector in Manchester (the third sector includes voluntary, community and faith groups, charities, sports clubs, social enterprise and co-operatives)
  • Is interested in the work of Macc
  • Groups awaiting a constitution
  • Groups and organisations not based in the City of Manchester

Affiliate members will be required to sign a declaration expressing

  • support for the purpose, values and beliefs of Macc
  • support for Macc as the lead infrastructure body for the city’s voluntary and community sector
  • support for the Manchester Voluntary Sector Assembly as the main forum for the voice of the voluntary and community sector in Manchester

Affiliate members have no voting rights.

Organisations undertaking and/or affiliated to party political activity are not eligible for membership.

Membership must be renewed every three years.

Membership is not transferable to anyone else.

All membership applications are subject to approval by the Macc Board of Trustees. Macc reserves the right to refuse membership to any organisation it believes to be ineligible. In such a case, the Trustees will consider a written representation from the applicant about the decision and respond to the applicant in writing. The decision of the Board of Trustees will be final.

Macc reserves the right to expel from membership any organisation it believes to be in breach of the membership agreement. This would be put to a vote on a special resolution in a general meeting at which the member would have the right to speak.

How to Join

  • Click here to complete the application form
  • Please note that you will need to attach a copy of your constitution / governing document, your latest annual report or attach a brief written summary of your group’s aims and a copy of your groups income and expenditure, accounts or other evidence of financial accountability.