Charities, like other types of organisation, can be vulnerable to criminal and terrorist abuse. Our experience is that proven instances of terrorist involvement in or association with the charitable sector are extremely unusual. However, any such abuse is completely unacceptable and charities need to ensure they are not at risk.

The Commission’s Counter-terrorism Strategy was published in July 2008. It has a four-strand approach for identifying and minimising the risk of terrorist exploitation of charities:

1. Awareness

We work in close co-operation with the sector to build on charities’ existing safeguards to minimise the risk of terrorist abuse. We publish Protecting charities from harm, an online toolkit that aims to give trustees the knowledge and tools they need to manage risks and protect their charity from harm and abuse.

2. Oversight

We take a more proactive approach to monitoring the sector to identify those charities that may be facing problems. We can then alert them, at an early stage, to the risks and provide them with regulatory advice and support.

3. Co-operation

In addition to maintaining close links with the charitable sector, we work closely with other government regulators and law enforcement agencies to better ensure the disruption of those that seek to exploit charities for terrorist ends.

4. Intervention

We act proactively and robustly where we have evidence, or serious suspicion, of terrorist abuse involving charities.

Related Links

• Protecting charities from harm - our online toolkit for trustees and staff on the types of risk charities face and how they can put in place a practical framework for identifying, managing and reporting on risk
• Charity Commission counter-terrorism strategy - explains our counter-terrorism strategy and how we aim to raise awareness amongst all charities of how to safeguard themselves from this type of risk
• Charities Back on Track - the Commission's annual reports on the themes and wider issues arising from its compliance work