Category: Legal and Regulatory

News from charity and company regulators, relevant legal matters

Legal and Regulatory, Management and Admin, Personnel and Volunteers

Rules on convictions and charity trustees, senior managers

VoluntaryNews

On the blog of Clinks, the support body for offenders and families organisations, ‘Trustee or senior manager of a charity and have convictions? Are you affected by the Charities Act 2016?’.

This has been written by a co-director of Unlock, which has taken an active interest in the extensions to the rules on trustee eligibility that become law through the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016. » Continue reading news item ... “Rules on convictions and charity trustees, senior managers”

Funding, Legal and Regulatory

Another try at simplifying Gift Aid donor benefit rules

VoluntaryNews

HM Revenue and Customs has launched a further consultation on simplifying the Gift Aid donor benefits rules.

This follows an earlier consultation which ended May 2016 – it received 61 responses but didn’t get a clear consensus settling on a single reform proposal. Fundraising UK gives further background.

Download ‘Simplifying the Gift Aid donor benefits rules: response to the consultation and further consultation’ (30 page pdf) via the consultation page. » Continue reading news item ... “Another try at simplifying Gift Aid donor benefit rules”

Funding, Legal and Regulatory

Regulator concerns over opaque fundraising arrangements

VoluntaryNews

Potential dangers around working with third-party fundraisers have been highlighted in a joint regulatory alert from the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator.

Civil Society News coverage mentions that this was issued shortly before a documentary was shown which exposed poor practices at some military charities.

The Commission’s news item says that they

“have significant concerns about a number of cases where trustees have entered into arrangements with third party fundraisers that are not transparent and are detrimental to the charity and its supporters.”

 » Continue reading news item ... “Regulator concerns over opaque fundraising arrangements”
Legal and Regulatory, Sector Policy and Research

Lords committee on charities helps research on their role

VoluntaryNews

A voluntary sector researcher has read through a large pile of written submissions to the House of Lords Select Committee on Charities so you don’t have to! Specifically the 86 submissions which answered the question “What is the role and purpose of charities in civic society in England and Wales?”.

Read ‘Identity crisis: defining voluntary action‘ on Ellie Munro’s Voluntary Action and Other Animals blog. » Continue reading news item ... “Lords committee on charities helps research on their role”

Finance, Funding, Legal and Regulatory2 Comments

More on the new fundraising rules

VoluntaryNews

A “regulatory alert” on fundraising rules which came into force on 1st November has been issued by the Charity Commission. The rules cover additional information on fundraising to appear in trustees’ annual reports (where the charity has to produce audited accounts), as well as the agreements that must be in place when using professional fundraisers or other commercial bodies to raise money.

The alert news item outlines the new requirements and links to a ‘FAQ’ page from the Fundraising Regulator, which was developed jointly with the Commission. » Continue reading news item ... “More on the new fundraising rules”

Funding, Legal and Regulatory

Time given to update agreements with professional fundraisers

VoluntaryNews

The Fundraising Regulator is to give charities a ‘grace period’ of five months (to 31st March 2017) to get existing agreements with fundraising agencies updated to include new requirements coming in from 1st November, according to solicitors Bates Wells Braithwaite email briefing.

The regulator should be publishing some FAQs on its website by the end of this week (i.e. by end of October). Meanwhile, see Bates Wells Braithwaite recent article ‘New requirements from 1st November for fundraising agreements‘.