Setting up a charity

Need a helping hand starting your charity? There are many factors to consider when getting a new charity or non-profit organisation off the ground, so let us help you get moving. We offer a dedicated service that sheds light on the various steps needed in getting your new charity up and running.

HMRC specifies six steps that need to be done in order to set up a charity. We can guide you through this process, which includes:

• Find trustees (you’ll need around 3)
• Make sure that your charity has “charitable purposes” i.e. your charity contributes positively to human rights, the arts, relieving poverty, and so on
• Choose a name for the charity
• Choose a structure for the charity. There are four structures; a charitable company, a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), a charitable trust, or an unincorporated charitable association
• Create a “governing document,” (a rulebook) that explains how your charity is going to be run
• Finally, you’ll need to register the charity with the Charity Commission if it is based in England or Wales if your annual income is over £5,000 or, if you have set up the aforementioned charitable incorporated organisation (CIO).

Once completed, there are many other tasks to complete to continue developing your charity. Completing research and exploring why it is you’re creating your charity is a great next step, with Charities Commission guidance in mind. We can help advise on any pre-existing charities operating in the same sector. If your venture would be better suited as a for-profit business, or social enterprise, we can advise on that too.

You’ll need to start raising funds, too. This can be done via a fundraising plan which might incorporate classic methods alongside crowdfunding and campaigns, which will be vital for maintaining a healthy level of funds for the charity. We will make sure this plan is watertight and will maximise the potential of your idea.

Registered Charities are not the only form of Not for Profit organisations and here at RPD we have extensive experience in looking after all aspects of the sector. Many Members Clubs can be set up through a Company Limited by Guarantee and can achieve Mutual Trading status with HMRC if they satisfy the requirements. The concept of a ‘Social Enterprise’ is perhaps best set up using a Community Interest Company which is another area of the sector we have experience in. Housing Associations and Educational organisations also feature heavily, both in the sector as a whole and our client base.