Policy paper

How charity registration decisions are made: Charity Commission

How the commission makes sure it only registers organisations that meet the legal test for charitable status and are required to register.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Details

The Charity Commission’s role is to make sure that each organisation it registers:

  • satisfies the legal definition of a charity in the Charities Act
  • is required to register
  • will operate as a charity once registered

This publication explains how the commission uses the information you provide in your charity registration application to decide:

  • whether your organisation is set up as a charity
  • if it should register it
  • if it should monitor it after registration

It also sets out how the commission checks your organisation meets the requirements for charities relating to:

  • its name
  • its governing document
  • its trustees
  • its finances

Updates to this page

Published 23 May 2013

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