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
From the 1 April 2008 trustees of organisations applying for registration will be 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.
Our application form and guidance has been updated to specifically include this requirement and will be available for use on the 1 April 2008. Applications on the old form will only be accepted until 1 June 2008. After that date your application form may be returned to you.
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 and the service is restricted to those applicant charities that are using an approved governing document. 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.
There are both advantages and disadvantages in setting up a company to take over the assets of an existing unincorporated charity. Please follow this link for advice. Note: there is no longer a separate application form for registering the company. The same form is to be used for all registration applications.
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.