ACEVO was started in 1987 by three charity chief executives who felt isolated in their positions, and wanted to establish a networking group of third sector leaders.
ACEVO's membership is primarily drawn from England and Wales, (third sector leaders in Scotland or Northern Ireland can join ACOSVO or CO3 respectively).
Associate membership is offered to anyone with an interest in sector leadership, including chairs and trustees (but excluding for-profit organisations), and aspiring CEOs join as senior leader members.
[3] The principle of full cost recovery, "ensuring [that] publicly-funded services are not subsidised by charitable donations or volunteers", was accepted by HM Treasury in 2002 and embraced by the Gershon Report of 2004.
[5][6] ACEVO has been criticised by other voluntary sector organisations for taking a political stance in favour of charities assisting with the privatisation of public services such as healthcare and prisons.