We know there are around 1,500 people every year that decide they want to register a charity. Some just have an idea and others have been running their organisation for years, unregistered. The Small Charities Coalition (registered charity number: 1122297) launched in 2009 and we have made it our mission to provide our members with relevant support and make their voices heard.
In our communities, on our streets, up and down the country – small charities are doing incredible work, often with little recognition. We won’t let their work go unseen.
We’re a small charity ourselves so we know that setting up a charity takes a lot of work, care and time but it’s not so difficult when you know how.
You get the picture. The vast majority of charities in the UK are small and are set up by people passionate about a cause, a person, a community. This guide is for anyone who is looking to set up a charity where turnover is initially expected to be below £150,000 per year.
This guide will steer you through the logistics of setting up a charity in simple steps. We will be with you on your journey – from that initial idea, calling or passion, to when you reach an income of £1 million (if you want to) and use your experience to support other small charities in the coalition.
We should start by saying that this is not a full and comprehensive guide to charity law. In order to keep it as simple as possible we have included just enough to guide you through the basics. The website of the Charity Commission of England and Wales is where you should go for the full breakdown on absolutely everything you need to know about registering, and running a charity. You’ll want to refer to it frequently during your application.
What we try to do here, is lead you through the steps needed to achieve a successful charity registration with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Separate rules apply for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
All charities can reclaim the tax on donations by registering with HMRC for Gift Aid. This is done by completing an online application form. Gift Aid can only be claimed on donations made by people who live in the UK and pay income tax or capital gains tax.
It’s not the easiest of processes; see Joe Saxton’s blog at https://nfpsynergy.net/blog/gift-aid-claim-small-charity-information
There is plenty of information online, including at https://www.gov.uk/claim-gift-aid
If, after reading this, you are ready to go, then click on the link to our checklist. It isn’t presented in any special order, but it all needs to be done. Don’t be put off! It looks scary at first sight but follow through the steps and you will find yourself registering your charity in no time!
The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the regulator of charities. It maintains the register of charities and keeps an eye on charities accounts and behaviour.
The organisation is attached to the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport but it’s actually a non-departmental public body so they answer to Parliament, not Government ministers.