Full membership

To join CAN as a Full member, you need to be:

• Independent of government and constitutionally self-governing. Either with an unpaid voluntary management committee or where over half are unpaid.
• Value-driven – exist for the good of the community, to promote social, environmental or cultural objectives in order to benefit society as a whole, or particular groups within it
• Not run for financial gain – meaning you re-invest any surpluses to further the ‘good’ you create for the community and have an enforceable ‘asset lock’ to prevent private profit (e.g. if you are a charity or community interest company you will have this in law)
• Providing your service to those in Dorset.

Benefits will include:

• The ability to advertise volunteering opportunities at our Volunteer Hub  System Team Kinetic
• Discounted training
• Unlimited support and advice
• Access to our private Member Zone and weekly ‘Know Your Stuff’ updates
• Our regular newsletter updates
• Access to voting at our AGM
• Use of CAN member logo

Before you join us, please ensure you have read and understood your Membership Responsibilities and our Members’ Privacy Statement.

To join us, complete the quick and simple online Full membership form (link below) or visit one of our offices where you can complete a printed form. Your membership automatically runs until the end of July 2026; after that we’ll check with you whether you wish to remain a member.

Affiliate membership

Our charitable mission focuses on supporting the voluntary and community sector (VCS) across Dorset. However, we are an inclusive charity and want to extend our reach to organisations that are not in the VCS. If your purpose is to improve outcomes for the local community and is not for profit, we welcome you to CAN.

You’ll have access to the many benefits of Full membership, but with the following exceptions:

• We can offer only up to five hours in one year, free expert advice and guidance on starting, running and closing your organisation
• We’ll offer you access to training opportunities, project consultations, advertising job vacancies, and our new Quality Mark, but there will be a negotiable fee. Please talk to us for more information
• ‘Know Your Stuff’ is only available to Full members
• We’ll welcome you at our AGM – however, voting and standing for election as a board member is only available to Full members.

Before you join us, please ensure you have read and understood your Membership Responsibilities and our Members’ Privacy Statement.

To join us, complete the quick and simple online Affiliate membership form (link below) or visit one of our offices where you can complete a printed form. Your membership automatically runs until the end of July 2026; after that we’ll check with you whether you wish to remain a member.

Business Supporter Membership

We also offer an opportunity for local businesses with a ‘social conscience’ to connect with like-minded businesses, charities, community groups and our Council and NHS colleagues. We all share a vision for Dorset to be a place where strong, healthy, diverse and vibrant communities flourish.

You can join us as a Business Supporter member for just £25 per annum …