We have two main Membership categories – Full and Associate. Explore the table and decision and checklist below to understand the eligibility requirements of each.
All Cobseo Members, regardless of category will be required to commit to uphold Cobseo Code of Conduct, which includes our values and our regulations. You will be required to undertake this commitment on the annual renewal of your membership each January.
Not eligible for membership? Click here for more information.
| Requirement | Full membership | Associate membership |
|---|---|---|
| Type of organisation | UK charity | UK charity, not‑for‑profit, or social purpose business |
| Who you support | Armed Forces Community is your main focus | Armed Forces Community is your main focus (and you are a not-for-profit or social purpose business) or Armed Forces Community is part of your focus (and you are a UK Charity, not-for-profit or social purpose business) |
| Time operating | At least 18 months | At least three and a half years |
| Accounts available | At least one set of accounts | At least three sets of accounts |
| Regulation | Regulated by a UK charity regulator | Regulated by a UK charity or other appropriate regulator |
| Governance | Good governance and practice required | Good governance and practice required |
Membership of Cobseo is subject to an annual Member fee, invoiced in January each year. The first year will be pro rata depending on when you join. The fee is based on your gross annual income. One of the core strengths of Cobseo is that the current fee structure is designed so that the costs of membership for the smallest organisations are subsidised by the largest.
Please contact membership@cobseo.org.uk to enquire about the fee.
We accept applications at any time but as all applications are approved at our quarterly Executive Committees, your application needs to arrive with us in good time to allow for due diligence and processing.
To allow adequate time for all membership applications to be considered, please ensure that they are submitted in line with the following deadlines:
| Executive Committee date | Membership application deadline |
|---|---|
| Q1 Meeting - Wednesday 11 March | Wednesday 18 February |
| Q2 Meeting - Wednesday 10 June | Wednesday 13 May |
| Q3 Meeting - Wednesday 16 September | Wednesday 12 August |
| Q4 Meeting - Wednesday 9 December | Wednesday 11 November |
Please get in touch if you have any specific queries about this, we will be as flexible as our small team allows.
All applications will be subject to our due diligence process and you can understand what this entails before applying by reading more here.
Governance and standards are important to the reputation of the sector and similar standards help promote collaboration and trust. That is why we ask for lots of information regarding these things in your application. We may ask non-charities to provide similar information as that required by the Charity Commissions if it is not publicly available via other means.
The Cobseo Membership application form consists of nine sections:
We are here to help – you can contact membership@cobseo.org.uk at any point for help with the membership categories, fees, eligibility, and process. We look forward to working with you.
Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here