Whilst the Charity Commission empowers charities to manage their own affairs, it is a fact of life that sometimes mistakes will happen. When an incident occurs, the charity must decide whether it is something they need to report to the Charity...
Many people like the idea of being a charity trustee, and indeed there are many vacancies for trustees across the UK. But what is a trustee, what are their responsibilities, and how do you start the process of becoming one? What is a charity...
The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales has recently published its report following its statutory inquiry into the Birmingham Education Trust (the Trust). The inquiry looked into a series of concerns at the Trust...
All charities are overseen by their trustees. They give up their time, energy and expertise on a voluntary basis and are responsible for the governance, strategy and overall operation of the charity. The Charity Commission, the independent regulator...
We all live in an increasingly digital world and social media forms a large part of this for many people. For charities it has opened new ways of engaging with service users, attracting volunteers and raising much needed funds. As with most...
This month sees the introduction of new law as the Charities Bill has now received Royal Assent and passed into law as the Charities Act 2022. Here are five of the key proposed changes for charities and their trustees: Charities and trustees will be...
The situation in Ukraine is changing rapidly and we appreciate that many of our clients and partners want to support the crisis and help those in need. For charity trustees, this can create some challenge and so we have set out below a number of points...
The Commission has published a range of user-friendly guides for trustees. Launched in Trustees’ Week 2020, the five x 5-minute guides cover a ‘core syllabus’ of basic information that should help trustees run their charities effectively....
The Charity Commission has published guidance for trustees, especially those acting for smaller charities, who may need help facing difficult situations or decisions. We have summarised the Charity Commission’s key considerations and some...
The Charity Commission has today warned charities that fraudsters are exploiting the spread of coronavirus in order to carry out fraud and cybercrime, with Police reporting an increase in coronavirus-related scams. There are a number of ways in which...
If you are contemplating assisting with the current crisis, you should first consider the terms of your charity’s existing charitable objects which are set out in your governing document. Objects that might already allow you to offer support include: ...
Understandably, many charities are currently very concerned about their financial position. As a priority, trustees should consider what are their short, medium and longer-term priorities, and see if they need to amend their financial planning given...
The Charities Commission assured charities last week that their approach to regulation during this uncertain period will be as flexible and pragmatic as possible in the public interest, and they will be helping trustees to be aware of and think about the...
Your charity’s legal structure and constitution set out what type your charity is and how it should be managed. There are four common types of charity structure: charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) – either the...
The Charity Commission and the Information Commissioner have today published a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which aims to enable closer working relations between the two regulators, including the exchange of appropriate information, in order to...
The public continues to be concerned about financial transparency within the charity sector , charities’ accounts enable trustees to communicate effectively with interested stakeholders and provide assurance in terms of financial stability and...
The Charity Commission has issued guidance to assist trustees in managing their charity’s connections with non-charities (such as trading subsidiaries). Essentially charities are being reminded by the regulator to act with probity and ensure that...
A recent government survey has revealed that over two-thirds of high-income charities had recorded a cyber breach or attack in 2018. Of those charities affected, the vast majority (over 80%) had experienced an attack in the form of fraudulent email...
Ensure that the purpose of the non-charity subsidiary is to help the charity to make a positive difference for its beneficiaries. The linkage must be for one of the following purposes: trading to raise money for the charity , carrying out activities which...
The Charity Commission has used its legal powers to suspend and remove two individuals, who were trustees of The Suyuti Institute charity, for misconduct and mismanagement. This means they are disqualified from being trustees or from holding...
The Chair of the CC, Baroness Stowell, yesterday spoke of the need for charities to continue to strive to live up to public expectations so that the sector can be a much-needed source of hope, identity and pride. The Charity Commission is focused on...
