Assessing whether organisations can be registered as charities and maintaining a public Register of Charities
We determine which organisations are eligible to be registered as charities according to the law. We maintain an up-to-date public Register of Charities and as part of this we publish key information and data about what they do and how they spend their money.
We determine which organisations are eligible to be registered as charities according to the law. We maintain an up-to-date public Register of Charities and as part of this we publish key information and data about what they do and how they spend their money.
Explaining the legal and regulatory framework within which charities must operate
We provide a range of helpful and clearly signposted advice and guidance to help charities operate confidently within the legal framework and take responsibility for managing their affairs efficiently. We provide bespoke advice for charities that can be used for legal purposes.
We provide a range of helpful and clearly signposted advice and guidance to help charities operate confidently within the legal framework and take responsibility for managing their affairs efficiently. We provide bespoke advice for charities that can be used for legal purposes.
Helping ensure that charity law is fit for purpose so that charities can develop within a changing world
We help charities to modernise their legal documents, make legal schemes and give legal consents to charities so that they are in step with current needs. We save on Court costs through the legal decisions we take.
We help charities to modernise their legal documents, make legal schemes and give legal consents to charities so that they are in step with current needs. We save on Court costs through the legal decisions we take.
Applying and enforcing charity law so that charities and charitable resources are protected from fraud and abuse
We investigate charities when things go wrong and have a wide range of powers we can apply in serious cases to ensure they are better run, and prevent abuse. We have powers to intervene to protect charity assets, which we can use if our formal investigation establishes serious mismanagement or abuse.
We investigate charities when things go wrong and have a wide range of powers we can apply in serious cases to ensure they are better run, and prevent abuse. We have powers to intervene to protect charity assets, which we can use if our formal investigation establishes serious mismanagement or abuse.
In 2009/10, we:
- registered 6,261 charities in a reduced average time of 28 days
- made accounts and annual returns available to the public for 98% of the sector’s income
- carried out 2,615 assessments into concerns raised about charities by the public and other complainants
- completed 121 compliance investigations, of which 15 were statutory inquiries
- exercised legal powers on more than 8,400 occasions, including 325 legal schemes for charities to change and modernise
- provided bespoke regulatory advice to charities on 11,774 occasions
- dealt with nearly 300,000 contacts with trustees and other customers via post, email and telephone
- achieved a 24% increase in take-up of our online services
- received nearly 40 million page views of our website
- handled 245 Freedom of Information requests
