Website of the UK government

Things to think about before setting up a new charity

Before deciding whether to set up a new charity, you should think about the following things:

• is a new charity the best way forward?
• are there existing charities with the same purposes and activities as yours?
• have you thought about joining forces with an existing charity?
• do you know how a charity must operate?
• do you need to become a limited company as well as a charity (if so you will need to do this first)
• where will you find trustees?
• where will you get funding?

To find out about some of the minimum requirements to be a charity and some of the pros and cons read the articles ‘Setting up a charity’ and ‘Choosing trustees and finding funding’.

• Setting up a charity
• Choosing trustees and finding funding

Making an application

If you want to become a registered charity you need to get an application pack from the Charity Commission.

You need to complete:

• an application form
• a detailed description of how you will run your charity – called the governing document
• a declaration signed by the trustees
  

• Registering a Charity: Charity Commission Application Pack Opens new window

Preparing a governing document

A ‘governing document’ is a document that outlines how the charity will operate and is used throughout the life of the organisation.

A governing document must include:

• what your charity is set up to do
• how it plans to work
• what happens if changes need to be made to the document
• what happens if the charity comes to an end
• who the trustees will be and how they will run the charity
• internal arrangements for meetings, voting, looking after money etc

The Charity Commission provides model governing documents on its website which you can use to set up your charity. If you use a model governing document this will speed up your application.

• Model governing documents from the Charity Commission Opens new window

What happens next?

Once your application is received you will receive a response within 15 days. In some cases more information will be required before a final decision can be made.

If you have not been successful the letter will state why and you can appeal the decision. If you are successful details of the new charity will be added to the public register of charities.

Details about all registered charities, including accounts and names of trustees, are kept on a public register which is available online.

• Advice and guidance on registering a charity from the Charity Commission Opens new window
• What you have to submit to the Charity Commission every year Opens new window
• The public Register of Charities Opens new window