Charity Commission customer survey 2022
Published 14 July 2023
Applies to England and Wales
© Crown copyright 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charity-commission-customer-survey-2022/charity-commission-customer-survey-2022
Research conducted on behalf of the Charity Commission by Yonder.
October 2022
Executive summary
The Charity Commission’s customer service ratings remain consistently high year-on-year. For the third year running, 69% of customers rate the service as good. The perceived quality and ease of some services has steadily risen.
Online channels remain the predominant channel of access for customers. The four-fifths who have visited the website and the half who have used the register continue to rate the services highly and pick them out as particular strengths.
The most commonly used online functions enjoy particularly high ratings. Seven in ten people file accounts and update charity or trustee details online, and of these nine in ten feel they receive a good service. The last four years have seen a slight improvement in scores for most online services, though customers broadly do not perceive standards to have changed.
Positivity towards staff remains alongside frustration with perceived unresponsiveness. Customers tend to find the help and guidance they receive on the phone or via email helpful, praising the attitude of staff. But complaints persist on the grounds that wait times on the phone are too long and email responses too late in coming.
Customers are split on whether services are suited to their particular charity, though most feel they should be. Less than half feel that the Commission’s services are suited to charities like theirs, a proportion that varies little with charity size. Over half, on the other hand, feel that the Commission ought to tailor its services to the needs of their charity.
Most charities only have one person who deals with online Charity Commission processes. Most of these people find the services they use easy enough to operate without further guidance.
The Charity Commission’s customer service ratings remain solid and stable
The Charity Commission’s customer service remains relatively well regarded
| Rating | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 5- Very good | 30% |
| 4 | 40% |
| 3 | 16% |
| 2 | 3% |
| 1-Very poor | 2% |
Overall, how would you rate the Charity Commission’s customer service? Base: (1,003)
Customer service ratings are stable within income brackets, with those below £500k continuing to score it higher than those above
Percentage who agree that Commissions customer service is good
| Annual Income | Year | Agreement customer service is good |
|---|---|---|
| £0-£10,000 | 2019/20 | 68% |
| 2020/21 | 73% | |
| 2021/22 | 75% | |
| 2022/23 | 70% | |
| £10,001-£25,000 | 2019/20 | 63% |
| 2020/21 | 74% | |
| 2021/22 | 72% | |
| 2022/23 | 74% | |
| £25,001-£100,000 | 2019/20 | 70% |
| 2020/21 | 71% | |
| 2021/22 | 69% | |
| 2022/23 | 70% | |
| £100,001-£500,000 | 2019/20 | 65% |
| 2020/21 | 66% | |
| 2021/22 | 67% | |
| 2022/23 | 71% | |
| £500,001+ | 2019/20 | 57% |
| 2020/21 | 58% | |
| 2021/22 | 58% | |
| 2022/23 | 61% |
Overall, how would you rate the Charity Commission’s customer service? Base: 2019: 0-10k (284), 10-25k (201), 25-100k (296), 100-500k (255), 500k+ (343); 2020: 0-10k (327), 10-25k (195), 25-100k (275), 100-500k (235), 500k+ (258); 2021: 0-10k (315), 10-25k (187), 25-100k (254), 100-500k (165), 500k (197); 2022: 0-10k (314), 10-25k (168), 25-100k (210), 100-500k (166), 500k+ (179)
Online channels are the most common means of contact with the Charity Commission
The website remains the most popular means of interaction with the Commission, but email has seen a marked decline since 2019/20
Channels respondent has come into contact with the Charity Commission in the last year
| Contact channel | Year | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| I have visited its website | 2019/20 | 84% |
| 2020/21 | 78% | |
| 2021/22 | 81% | |
| 2022/23 | 78% | |
| I have used/ searched its register | 2019/20 | 57% |
| 2020/21 | 50% | |
| 2021/22 | 51% | |
| 2022/23 | 49% | |
| I have sent it an email or emails | 2019/20 | 51% |
| 2020/21 | 43% | |
| 2021/22 | 45% | |
| 2022/23 | 35% | |
| I have been contacted directly by the Charity Commission | 2019/20 | 27% |
| 2020/21 | 28% | |
| 2021/22 | 26% | |
| 2022/23 | 25% | |
| I have called the contact centre | 2019/20 | 24% |
| 2020/21 | 17% | |
| 2021/22 | 23% | |
| 2022/23 | 19% | |
| I have written it a letter or letters | 2019/20 | 13% |
| 2020/21 | 10% | |
| 2021/22 | 8% | |
| 2022/23 | 7% | |
| Other | 2019/20 | 10% |
| 2020/21 | 12% | |
| 2021/22 | 8% | |
| 2022/23 | 13% | |
| I have had no contact with the Commission in the last year | 2019/20 | 3% |
| 2020/21 | 5% | |
| 2021/22 | 4% | |
| 2022/23 | 5% |
Through which channels have you come into contact with the Charity Commission in the last year? Base: 2019 (1,451), 2020 (1,386), 2021 (1,191), 2022 (1,054)
The website and register continue to enjoy high levels of appreciation
The website and register continue to perform best, though the last four years have seen a modest improvement in ratings across most channels
| Contact channel | Year | Agreement service is good |
|---|---|---|
| Its website | 2019/20 | 76% |
| 2020/21 | 78% | |
| 2021/22 | 81% | |
| 2022/23 | 83% | |
| Its register | 2019/20 | 85% |
| 2020/21 | 85% | |
| 2021/22 | 87% | |
| 2022/23 | 90% | |
| Its contact centre | 2019/20 | 62% |
| 2020/21 | 66% | |
| 2021/22 | 66% | |
| 2022/23 | 77% | |
| 2019/20 | 64% | |
| 2020/21 | 72% | |
| 2021/22 | 63% | |
| 2022/23 | 72% | |
| Letter/post | 2019/20 | 35% |
| 2020/21 | 40% | |
| 2021/22 | 35% | |
| 2022/23 | 42% | |
| The direct contact it has made for you | 2019/20 | 69% |
| 2020/21 | 70% | |
| 2021/22 | 70% | |
| 2022/23 | 71% |
How would you rate the service that is provided by the Charity Commission through each of these channels overall? NB Small base size. Base: 2019: Website (1,215), Register (831), Contact Centre (350), Email (744), Letter/post (184), Contact it has made with you (394); 2020: Website (1,085), Register (691), Contact Centre (242), Email (602), Letter/post (136), Contact it has made with you (391); 2021: Website (965), Register (609), Contact Centre (279), Email (535), Letter/post (97), Contact it has made with you (304); 2022: Website (818), Register (515), Contact Centre (205), Email (368), Letter/post (78)*, Contact it has made with you (266)
Almost nine in ten find it easy to locate what they need on the Charity Commission’s website
Among the 78% who use the website…
| 2020/2021 | 2021/2022 | 2022/2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very easy | 18% | 19% | 21% |
| Fairly easy | 65% | 65% | 67% |
| Fairly difficult | 14% | 13% | 9% |
| Very difficult | 3% | 3% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 1% | 2% | 0% |
How easy or difficult is it to find the information that you need from the Charity Commission’s website? Base: 2020 (1,085), 2021 (965), 2022 (818)
While more customers are filing accounts/returns online, markedly fewer are applying to make changes or register charities
Percentage who have come into contact with the Charity Commission for the following reasons
| Reasons for contact | Year | Percentage who rate the service as good or very good |
|---|---|---|
| Filing a return or accounts | 2019/20 | 69% |
| 2020/21 | 65% | |
| 2021/22 | 65% | |
| 2022/23 | 73% | |
| Updating charity or trustee details | 2019/20 | 73% |
| 2020/21 | 68% | |
| 2021/22 | 68% | |
| 2022/23 | 70% | |
| Looking for information or guidance on the website | 2019/20 | 51% |
| 2020/21 | 49% | |
| 2021/22 | 48% | |
| 2022/23 | 44% | |
| Looking for information on the register | 2019/20 | 41% |
| 2020/21 | 37% | |
| 2021/22 | 38% | |
| 2022/23 | 37% | |
| Answering a query or to seek advice | 2019/20 | 33% |
| 2020/21 | 28% | |
| 2021/22 | 31% | |
| 2022/23 | 26% | |
| Applying for permission to change something | 2019/20 | 32% |
| 2020/21 | 18% | |
| 2021/22 | 23% | |
| 2022/23 | 17% | |
| Applying to register a charity | 2019/20 | 20% |
| 2020/21 | 18% | |
| 2021/22 | 21% | |
| 2022/23 | 11% | |
| Reporting a serious incident | 2019/20 | 13% |
| 2020/21 | 13% | |
| 2021/22 | 9% | |
| 2022/23 | 9% | |
| Dealing with a matter that the Commission contacted me about | 2019/20 | 6% |
| 2020/21 | 8% | |
| 2021/22 | 5% | |
| 2022/23 | 5% | |
| Other | 2019/20 | 3% |
| 2020/21 | 3% | |
| 2021/22 | 3% | |
| 2022/23 | 3% |
For what reasons have you had contact with the Charity Commission in the last year? Base: 2019 (1,405), 2020 (1,315), 2021 (1,148), 2022 (1,003)
The most commonly used services – filing returns/accounts, updating details – are highly rated, as is the register as an information source
Reasons why respondents came into contact with the Charity Commission and their rating of the service
| Reason for contact | Percentage who contacted commission for this service | Percentage who rate the service as good or very good |
|---|---|---|
| Filing a return or accounts | 73% | 91% |
| Updating charity or trustee details | 70% | 94% |
| Looking for information or guidance on the website | 44% | 80% |
| Looking for information on the register | 37% | 92% |
| Answering a query or to seek advice | 26% | 70% |
| Applying for permission to change something | 17% | 60% |
| Applying to register a charity | 11% | 82% |
| Reporting a serious incident | 9% | 76% |
| Dealing with a matter that the Commission contacted me about | 5% | 66% |
| Other | 3% |
For what reasons have you had contact with the Charity Commission in the last year? Base: (1,003); How would you rate the service that is provided by the Charity Commission in each of these areas? Base: Filing (728), Updating details (700), Looking… on the website (444), Looking… on the register (369), Query (258), Permission (172), Registering (106), RSI (95), Contacted me (47), NB Some low base sizes
Most service ratings either remain stable or show slight improvement over the long term
Ratings of the Commission’s services have remained broadly stable since 2019/20
Percentage of service users who rate the service as good or very good
| Reasons for contact | Year | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Filing a return or accounts | 2019/20 | 86% |
| 2020/21 | 88% | |
| 2021/22 | 90% | |
| 2022/23 | 91% | |
| Updating charity or trustee details | 2019/20 | 89% |
| 2020/21 | 92% | |
| 2021/22 | 91% | |
| 2022/23 | 94% | |
| Looking for information or guidance on the website | 2019/20 | 77% |
| 2020/21 | 74% | |
| 2021/22 | 77% | |
| 2022/23 | 80% | |
| Looking for information on the register | 2019/20 | 85% |
| 2020/21 | 88% | |
| 2021/22 | 91% | |
| 2022/23 | 92% | |
| Answering a query or to seek advice | 2019/20 | 61% |
| 2020/21 | 73% | |
| 2021/22 | 65% | |
| 2022/23 | 70% | |
| Applying for permission to change something | 2019/20 | 62% |
| 2020/21 | 68% | |
| 2021/22 | 64% | |
| 2022/23 | 60% | |
| Applying to register a charity | 2019/20 | 71% |
| 2020/21 | 83% | |
| 2021/22 | 77% | |
| 2022/23 | 82% | |
| Reporting a serious incident | 2019/20 | 64% |
| 2020/21 | 72% | |
| 2021/22 | 64% | |
| 2022/23 | 76% | |
| Dealing with a matter that the Commission contacted me about | 2019/20 | 68% |
| 2020/21 | 61% | |
| 2021/22 | 65% | |
| 2022/23 | 66% |
How would you rate the service that is provided by the Charity Commission in each of these areas? Base: Filing (728), Updating details (700), Looking… on the website (444), Looking… on the register (369), Query (258), Permission (172), Registering (106), RSI (95), Contacted me (47), NB Some low base sizes
Those who look online at the website or register are less likely to be seeking answers or advice than those who call the contact centre
| Reasons | Channel of contact | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Updating charity or trustee details | Visited website | 74% |
| Used register | 77% | |
| Called centre | 75% | |
| 73% | ||
| Letter | 74% | |
| Contacted by CC | 70% | |
| Filing a return or accounts | Visited website | 74% |
| Used register | 75% | |
| Called centre | 63% | |
| 70% | ||
| Letter | 72% | |
| Contacted by CC | 71% | |
| Looking for information or guidance on the website | Visited website | 53% |
| Used register | 60% | |
| Called centre | 62% | |
| 60% | ||
| Letter | 64% | |
| Contacted by CC | 51% | |
| Looking for information on the register | Visited website | 42% |
| Used register | 63% | |
| Called centre | 40% | |
| 44% | ||
| Letter | 55% | |
| Contacted by CC | 41% | |
| Answering a query or to seek advice | Visited website | 29% |
| Used register | 31% | |
| Called centre | 67% | |
| 46% | ||
| Letter | 31% | |
| Contacted by CC | 37% | |
| Applying for permission to change something | Visited website | 19% |
| Used register | 21% | |
| Called centre | 31% | |
| 33% | ||
| Letter | 47% | |
| Contacted by CC | 25% | |
| Applying to register a charity | Visited website | 11% |
| Used register | 13% | |
| Called centre | 20% | |
| 20% | ||
| Letter | 15% | |
| Contacted by CC | 15% | |
| Reporting a serious incident | Visited website | 10% |
| Used register | 13% | |
| Called centre | 17% | |
| 19% | ||
| Letter | 22% | |
| Contacted by CC | 11% | |
| Dealing with a matter that the Commission contacted me about | Visited website | 5% |
| Used register | 6% | |
| Called centre | 9% | |
| 9% | ||
| Letter | 14% | |
| Contacted by CC | 16% |
And for what reasons have you had contact with the Charity Commission in the last year? Base: Visited website (818), Used register (515), Called centre (205), Email (368), Letter (78), Contacted by Charity Commission (266)
While customers sense more improvement than regression, the quality of service is broadly felt to have remained the same
| Improved | Stayed the same | Got worse | Don’t know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filing a return or accounts | 27% | 63% | 3% | 7% |
| Updating charity or trustee details | 25% | 62% | 3% | 11% |
| Guidance | 25% | 51% | 3% | 21% |
| Its website | 24% | 58% | 2% | 16% |
| Its contact centre | 22% | 43% | 6% | 28% |
| Its register | 21% | 64% | 1% | 14% |
| Applying to register a charity | 20% | 32% | 2% | 46% |
Have you noticed any change in the quality of the following services in the last 12 months? Base: Filing (728), Updating details (700), Guidance (829), Website (818), Contact centre (205), Register (515), Registering (106)
Customers are generally happy with the services the Commission provides
Customers are broadly pleased with the online experience
Helpful & professional staff
When forthcoming, the quality of the assistance received over the phone or by email is often praised by those who are able to speak to someone
Staff are felt to be knowledgeable, understanding and keen to help
Quotes from research:
“The advisors in the Contact Centre can be absolutely wonderful. Their advice is fantastic and, when they didn’t know the answer to a technical problem I had, had the grace to admit they didn’t know and to come back to me with the answer.”
“Positive attitude from staff who genuinely wanted to help.”
“Speaking to the helpline was incredibly useful and easy to access. I felt taken seriously and treated like an individual.”
Clarity of online guidance
Most customers are content that the website tends to offer the guidance they need
Many, though not all, believe that the user-friendliness of the website is such that they do not need to phone or email
Quotes from research:
“Clear and comprehensive explanations on website, including examples of situations that may come up.”
“The menus on the website are generally clear and easy to use.”
“I didn’t need to speak to anyone and could do it all online!”
The charity register and annual returns
Many pick out the facilities for searching and updating the register as particularly useful and uncomplicated
While some feel the filing of returns could be simplified, most find the process straightforward enough
Quotes from research:
“Very impressed with the officer who reviewed our charity application and helped explain a couple of issues we needed to resolve.”
“Updating the register is very user friendly.”
“When updating the charity details or preparing and submitting the annual return, I have found the relevant sections easy to follow and complete.”
Availability of information
The majority express appreciation for the large quantity of information, though a few find it difficult to locate what they need
Some find it reassuring to know that they can call the contact centre if they remain unsure
Quotes from research:
“The service is straightforward and the information available is easy to find and comprehensive.”
“The information on finance is useful.”
“They explained where I could get further information if I needed it. I felt reassured I was doing the right thing.”
However, some would like to see improvements in the accessibility of relevant information. Suggestions for improvement prioritise the accessibility of relevant guidance
Clear and accessible information
Some from smaller charities in particular continue to complain of overly complex or legal terminology
Respondents seek detailed, relevant information to be conveyed in a concise format
Quotes from research:
“Easier to understand documents. We are volunteers and I do not understand some of the terms used.”
“It can be fiddly to find things if the terminology isn’t what you are used to. More plain English is needed.”
“Language not geared towards civilian users with no professional background in business, charities, accounts.”
Guidance appropriate to charity
Some feel that the answers to their queries are frequently simple and ought to be easier to find
The wealth of information is set against the lack of any straightforward means of navigating it
Some representatives of less-professionalised charities feel they lack the knowledge and the time to find their way to what they need
Quotes from research:
“More specific and detailed information on the website is a must. There are too many ‘read this 200-page PDF’ type solutions.”
“Often find it difficult to find specific information required on a topic.”
“It should be much easier to find things on the website. There are so many connected links between documents that it’s hard to know if you’ve read everything.”
Responsiveness
Long waits for email responses are again a source of frustration for many
Those who mention having interacted on the phone often highlight the difficulty of getting through to someone
The appreciation people have for the help they do eventually receive leads them to express desire for more staff to improve accessibility
Quotes from research:
“Turn around time needs desperate attention for registering a charity.”
“The time taken to respond to enquiries was appalling.”
“Getting someone to understand and dealing with a difficult issue relating to an old trust was very difficult and took a number of calls and emails - once I was allocated a person to help, the help was brilliant.”
Website functionality
While most people find the website user-friendly enough for their needs, several point to areas where improvements could be made:
- navigation is felt not to be intuitive for those who seldom use it
- some struggle to find what they are looking for when searching the register
- many mention that the RSI function is slow and prone to malfunction
Quotes from research:
“The IT continues to be clunky and hard to use in certain areas.”
“Improve the ability to search by name and select criteria to restrict number of possible matches.”
“The Serious Incident Reporting forms are very frustrating to use. They glitch, are hard to edit, often become unresponsive and take much longer to complete than should be necessary.”
Those customers who desire improvement continue to call for greater responsiveness and more intuitive search functions. Customers would like…
Swifter responses by phone and email
Quotes from research:
“Why can’t you speak to the person dealing with your enquiry?”
“Responses are eventually received but only after a significant wait and numerous requests from the charity for updates or timelines. We appreciate you are busy, but you should be able to provide a rough timeline.”
Easier access to advice and guidance
Quotes from research:
“I want to know how I can get advice on trustee behaviour, there is no such thing to be found.”
“Clear flagging of guidance documents that are current/in force, and of those which have been superseded.”
Simpler ways of locating specific information
Quotes from research:
“I think one sometimes has to do quite a lot of investigation to find what one is looking for.”
“It was a bit circular and hard to find the right part of the site to change trustee details.”
“It is extremely difficult to find details of a contact - address, telephone number, email - and if there is a specific question to ask that is not covered by searching the website, that can be very frustrating.”
Indeed, customers do not think that the comprehensiveness of the Commission’s services is matched by its understanding of specific needs
As previously, customers are most likely to agree that the Charity Commission’s services are comprehensive and detailed
| Descriptors of the services provided | SUM Agree | SUM Disagree |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive | 73% | 5% |
| Sufficiently detailed | 72% | 5% |
| Aimed at people in roles like mine | 71% | 7% |
| Accessible | 70% | 6% |
| Clear | 69% | 6% |
| Easy to understand/ follow | 67% | 8% |
| Timely | 66% | 8% |
| Easy to find/ access | 64% | 9% |
| Concise | 61% | 9% |
| Understands my needs | 60% | 10% |
Using a scale of 1-5, to what extent would you say that the services provided by the Charity Commission are… Base: (1,003)
While these metrics remain broadly stable, clarity, ease of understanding and timeliness have risen notably since 2019/20
Percentage of service users who agree
| Descriptors of the services provided | Year | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive | 2019/20 | 72% |
| 2020/21 | 73% | |
| 2021/22 | 73% | |
| 2022/23 | 73% | |
| Sufficiently detailed | 2019/20 | 71% |
| 2020/21 | 72% | |
| 2021/22 | 73% | |
| 2022/23 | 72% | |
| Aimed at people in roles like mine | 2019/20 | 69% |
| 2020/21 | 68% | |
| 2021/22 | 70% | |
| 2022/23 | 71% | |
| Accessible | 2019/20 | - |
| 2020/21 | - | |
| 2021/22 | 71% | |
| 2022/23 | 70% | |
| Clear | 2019/20 | 64% |
| 2020/21 | 67% | |
| 2021/22 | 68% | |
| 2022/23 | 69% | |
| Easy to understand/ follow | 2019/20 | 62% |
| 2020/21 | 65% | |
| 2021/22 | 66% | |
| 2022/23 | 67% | |
| Easy to find/ access | 2019/20 | 59% |
| 2020/21 | 62% | |
| 2021/22 | 63% | |
| 2022/23 | 64% | |
| Timely | 2019/20 | - |
| 2020/21 | - | |
| 2021/22 | 62% | |
| 2022/23 | 66% | |
| Concise | 2019/20 | 60% |
| 2020/21 | 58% | |
| 2021/22 | 60% | |
| 2022/23 | 61% | |
| Understands my needs | 2019/20 | - |
| 2020/21 | 59% | |
| 2021/22 | 59% | |
| 2022/23 | 60% |
Using a scale of 1-5, to what extent would you say that the services provided by the Charity Commission are… Base: 2019 (1,405), 2020 (1,315), 2021 (1,148), 2022 (1,003)
Customers are divided on whether the Commission’s communications are suited to their particular charities, though most feel they should be
| Statement A | Agree more with statement A (10-6) | Neutral (5) | Agree more with statement B (4-0) | Statement B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Charity Commission communicates with my charity in a way that is relevant and appropriate for my charity | 46% | 14% | 33% | The Charity Commission communicates with my charity in a one-size-fits-all way that does not take into account what my charity is really like |
| £0-£500k | 47% | 14% | 31% | £0-£500k |
| £500k+ | 40% | 15% | 40% | £500k+ |
| Statement A | Agree more with statement A (10-6) | Neutral (5) | Agree more with statement B (4-0) | Statement B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Charity Commission communicates with my charity in a way that is relevant and appropriate for my charity | 54% | 15% | 24% | There is no need for the Charity Commission to tailor its communication to suit particular charities |
| £0-£500k | 54% | 14% | 24% | £0-£500k |
| £500k+ | 53% | 17% | 26% | £500k+ |
Please carefully read the following pair of statements. Please use the scale to indicate which statement you agree with more? Base: Overall (1,054), £0-£500k (858), £500k+ (179)
The few people at any given charity who carry out functions on the website are broadly satisfied with the process
Interactions with the website are the preserve of five people or fewer in almost all charities and of only one person in two-thirds of charities
| Total | £0-£10k | £10k-£25k | £25k-£100k | £100k-£500 | £500k | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 individual | 68% | 77% | 74% | 67% | 64% | 52% |
| 2-5 people | 31% | 20% | 24% | 32% | 36% | 47% |
| 6-10 people | <1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 1% |
| 11+ people | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Don’t know | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 1% |
Which of the following best describes the way your charity uses any of the following functions on the Charity Commission’s website: starting your charity’s annual return, reporting a change to your charity’s details, making changes to your charity’s governing document, changing your charity’s financial year, choosing a charity name, or obtaining a registration certificate. Base: Total (1,054), 0-10k (314), 10-25k (168), 25-100k (210), 100-500k (166), 500k + (179)
For people in all roles, annual returns and the reporting of changes to details are the most common tasks
| Total | Member of staff | Volunteer | Treasurer | Trustee, Board or Committee member | Chair | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting your charity’s annual return | 75% | 79% | 69% | 85% | 71% | 66% | 70% |
| Reporting a change to your charity’s document | 71% | 85% | 71% | 67% | 68% | 63% | 79% |
| Making changes to your charity’s governing document | 29% | 37% | 28% | 22% | 30% | 28% | 30% |
| Obtaining a registration certificate | 19% | 23% | 23% | 17% | 19% | 22% | 12% |
| Changing your charity’s name | 9% | 13% | 5% | 7% | 6% | 10% | 4% |
| Changing your charity’s financial year | 8% | 12% | 13% | 7% | 8% | 9% | 5% |
| I don’t use any of these functions | 8% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 8% | 12% | 9% |
Please select which of the following functions you personally use on the Charity Commission’s website. Base: Total (1,054), Staff (239), Volunteer (83)*, Treasurer (288), Trustee… (329), Chair (232), Other (114). *NB low base size. Professional advisors have been omitted due to low base size
At least half find it quite or very easy to use the functions they need; four-fifths in the case of the most commonly used functions
| Very easy | Quite easy | Neither/nor | Quite difficult | Very difficult | Used by | |
| Obtaining a registration certificate | 56% | 31% | 9% | 2% | 1% | 19% |
| Reporting a change to your charity’s details | 38% | 42% | 14% | 4% | 1% | 71% |
| Starting your charity’s annual return | 38% | 39% | 17% | 4% | 1% | 75% |
| Changing your charity’s financial year | 40% | 28% | 26% | 6% | 1% | 8% |
| Changing your charity’s name | 19% | 38% | 33% | 9% | 1% | 9% |
| Making changes to your charity’s governing document | 16% | 34% | 26% | 18% | 6% | 29% |
Please select which of the following best describes how easy or difficult you find it to use the following functions on the Charity Commission’s website. Base: Obtaining certificate (205), Reporting change (752), Starting return (795), Changing financial year (86), Changing name (94), Changing governing document (301). *NB Low base size
Though most feel equipped for their tasks, two-fifths of those who have to make changes to the governing document would appreciate direction
Percentage who would appreciate direction on…
| Overall | Function users | |
|---|---|---|
| How and when to start my charity’s annual return on the Charity Commission website | 20% | 24% |
| How and when to report a change to my charity’s details on the Charity Commission website | 16% | 21% |
| How and when to make changes to my charity’s governing document on the Charity Commission website | 12% | 40% |
| Hoe and when to obtain a registration certificate on the Charity Commission website | 3% | 13% |
| How and when to change my charity’s financial year in the Charity Commission website | 2% | 17% |
| How and when to change my charity’s name on the Charity Commission website | 2% | 20% |
| I do not need any guidance because I am able to complete this process without support alongside the online service | 68% | - |
Please select which of the following best describes the sort of direction you would appreciate in using the following functions on the Charity Commission’s website. Base: Overall (969), Annual return (795), Reporting change (752), Changing governing document (301), Obtaining certificate (205), Changing financial year (86), Changing name (94). *NB low base size
Appendix
Methodology
Quantitative survey of trustees
Yonder conducted an online survey of 1,054 participants taken from the Charity Commission’s database, sampled using the Charity Commission’s register. These included a combination of people who had had contact to submit an annual return in the past 12 months, those who had had other forms of contact in the past 12 months (e.g., applied for permission to make a change, were subject to a compliance enforcement case, applied to register, or reported a serious incident), and those who had had no contact at all in the past 12 months.
Where relevant, answer options were randomised, and scales rotated. All questions using opposing statements were asked using a sliding scale.
Where percentages do not sum up to 100%, this may be due to computer rounding.
Respondents breakdown
Respondents role
| Trustee, Board, or Committee Member | 31% |
| Treasurer | 27% |
| Member of staff | 23% |
| Chair | 22% |
| Volunteer | 8% |
| Professional advisor | 2% |
| Other | 11% |
Income
| £0 - £10,000 | 30% |
| £10,001 - £25,000 | 16% |
| £25,001 - £100,000 | 20% |
| £100,001 - £500,000 | 16% |
| £500,001 + | 17% |
Years operating
| Up to 5 years | 16% |
| 6-10 years | 4% |
| 11-15 years | 6% |
| 16-20 years | 6% |
| 21-30 years | 13% |
| 31-50 years | 26% |
| 51-75 years | 12% |
| 76+ years | 17% |
Geography
| South East | 18% |
| South West | 16% |
| London | 12% |
| East of England | 10% |
| No primary area | 9% |
| North West | 7% |
| West Midlands | 7% |
| East Midlands | 7% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 7% |
| Wales | 3% |
| North East | 2% |
| Overseas | 2% |
| Scotland | 0% |
| Northern Ireland | 0% |
Charity remit
| Education/ training | 31% |
| Religious activities | 18% |
| General charitable purposes | 17% |
| Recreation | 16% |
| Prevention/ relief of poverty | 15% |
| Health/saving lives | 14% |
| Arts/culture/heritage | 14% |
| Disability | 10% |
| Other charitable purposes | 10% |
| Environment/ conservation | 9% |
| Economic/ community/development/unemployment | 6% |
| Accommodation/housing | 6% |
| Amateur sport | 6% |
| Equality/ diversity | 4% |
| Overseas aid/famine | 3% |
| Human rights, religious/ racial harmony | 3% |
| Animal welfare | 2% |
| Science and technology | 2% |
| Armed forces/ emergency services | 2% |
Base: All (1,054)