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To start a charity you need trustees, to choose a business structure, decide suitable charitable purposes and you may have to register with the Charity Commission
There are 6 steps to setting up a charity. Find trustees for your charity…
Your charity must have ‘charitable purposes’ that help the public (known…
The official name of your charity is known as its ‘main name’. Your…
You must choose a structure for your charity, which will affect things…
You must create a ‘governing document’ (or ‘rulebook’) for your charity…
You must apply to register your charity if both: its income is at least…
How to decide what your charity’s purposes are and write them in the ‘objects’ clause of your governing document.
Decide whether to set up a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), a charitable company or an unincorporated association or trust.
How to manage and review your charity's connection to a non-charity.
Tax exemptions and reliefs for charities - apply for recognition by HMRC as a charity, reclaim tax on Gift Aid, profits and expenditure
Charity trustees must 'have regard' to the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance when carrying out activities to which it's relevant.
Guidance on public benefit and charitable purposes for charities and organisations wishing to become charities.
Guidance on what purposes can be charitable.
Choose a unique name that people will remember when they want to make a donation or to volunteer.
A charity's objects are a statement of its purposes - they must be exclusively charitable.
If your company isn’t a charity you need Charity Commission permission to use the words ‘charity’, ‘charity’s’, ‘charities’ or ‘charitable’ (known as sensitive words) in its name.
Find out when it's possible to get zero-rated supplies on medical and research goods and services that have been funded by charities.
This guide outlines what the law in England and Wales says a charity is.
Before you start to set up a charity make sure that you know it is the best option for what you want to do.
How to set out your charity's purposes and rules in its governing document, how to start using it and how to change it.
Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
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