13 July 2020
The Charity Commission has recently published its findings from research studies it has carried out over the last couple of years, involving thousands of people drawn from all parts of the population and the charitable sector. These studies were carried out to gain a better understanding of the public’s view of charities, the views of trustees and the environment in which charities operate.
The full report and findings can be found here.
However, some of the findings from the studies were that:
- The way charities make the impact they are claiming is as important as the work that they carry out, ie. that they operate in line with the spirit of charity
- All charities have a collective responsibility to uphold the reputation of charity in ensuring that a high proportion of charities’ funds are used for charitable purposes, that they are making the impact they claim and that the way they are making that impact is in line with the ethos of charity
- Money reaching end beneficiaries is the most important factor to the public but only 57% of participants were confident that this was happening.
Whether or not a charity was registered with the Charity Commission was also found to be a factor taken into consideration when deciding whether to contribute time and money to the cause, with 84% of those taking part in the studies found to be more likely to donate if the cause was registered with the Charity Commission.
The studies found that knowing that a charity is registered with the Charity Commission reassures the public that:
- A high proportion of the money the charity raises goes to those it is trying to help
- The charity operates to high ethical standards
- The charity is making an impact
- The charity is well-run and treats its employees well
If you are thinking about setting up a charity and would like help registering it with the Charity Commission, please contact your local UHY charity specialist for assistance.
