The Regulator for Charities in England and Wales
Comprehensive information on registering a new charity, including all the publications and forms you will need before you apply
Trustees of organisations applying for registration are now required to have regard to the Commission’s public benefit guidance and to demonstrate their organisation’s aims are for the public benefit, as part of the application process.
Please see our Public Benefit guidance for further information.
Before you go ahead, please follow this link for advice on options to consider.
Before you can start to apply for registration you will need to have a suitable governing document. This is your rule book for the way in which you will operate. If you don’t get it right at the start you will soon run into problems. See our publication Choosing and Preparing a Governing Document.
View a list of Approved Governing Documents. These are produced by some large charities and umbrella bodies. If you can use an Approved Governing Document it will be easier and quicker for your organisation to complete the registration process.
This is the first stage of online application for registration. See also Frequently Asked Questions on the online application for registration process.
If none of the Approved Governing Documents are suitable, or available to you, you can start with one of our model governing documents. You can print the appropriate one and complete it by hand.
The models provide all the clauses that you will need for administering the organisation. Where there are optional clauses please clearly cross out the ones that do not apply. You will normally need all those that are not shown as optional.
Most important of all you will need to provide the object(s) clause. This must be worded in a way that will mean the organisation is legally capable of being a charity.
It can be difficult to word the objects clause correctly. We have set out some examples to help you get it right. An incorrectly worded objects clause is by far the most significant cause of delay to, or rejection of, an application.
Even if we think what you are doing may be capable of being charitable, if the objects clause is not worded in the right way you will have to amend the governing document before we can consider registering the organisation. This may mean calling a meeting of the trustees and/or the members to agree the change. It is far better for all concerned if you get this right first time round.
In preparation for the next (5th) commencement order of the Charities Act 2006, we have agreed a programme for registering 4000 – 5000 previously excepted charities.
This Q &A pack focuses on the use of companies limited by guarantee as a means of achieving a corporate structure that provides limited liability to trustees and members of the charity. It sets out the circumstances in which incorporation of an existing charity might be an appropriate step to take, offers information on the incorporated structures available, sets out the practical steps to take when incorporating and signposts further guidance on this topic. It also flags up some commonly encountered pitfalls arising with incorporation.
These are the forms that you will need.
Guidance on when we need confirmation that CRB disclosures have been obtained.
These booklets will provide you with more information about
· what the law recognises as a charitable purpose;
· how to go about setting up a charity; and
· what trustees need to know and do.
Questions that you ask about registering a charity.