Guidance

Charity Commission guidance

Guidance to help you set up and run your charity.

• From: The Charity Commission
• Published: 11 September 2019
• Last updated: 27 September 2023
  Show all updates

  1. 27 September 2023

     Links to collection pages updated to help users find guidance by topic.

  2. 2 November 2020

     Page updated to add links to 5 new '5-minute guides'. The guides cover: charity purposes and rules, making decisions, managing charity finances, managing conflicts of interest and what to send to the Charity Commission.

  3. 11 September 2019

     First published.

Applies to England and Wales

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Search all of the Charity Commission’s guidance

‘5-minute guides’ for charity trustees

Short guidance on the basics all trustees need to know:

• Charity purposes and rules
• Making decisions at a charity
• Managing charity finances
• Managing conflicts of interest in a charity
• What to send to the Charity Commission and how to get help
• Safeguarding for charities and trustees
• Political activity and campaigning by charities

Guidance by topic

Search guidance for charities by topic:

• Charity boards and governance
• Trustees, staff and volunteers
• Money, assets and property
• Your charity’s activities
• Fundraising
• Accounts, financial reporting and tax
• Setting up or closing a charity