Wenty Leagues’ Post

⚖️ As the nation braces for a possible general election, charities are poised to advocate for their causes. We explore below how you can stay compliant with Charity Commission regulations while still amplifying your voice in the policy arena ⬇️ #CharityLeadership #AdvocacyMatters #NotForProfit #CharityCommission

Have you read our blog? ‘Labour’s Landslide: What the new government means for charities and non-profits’. It goes through some of the policies and promises that could impact charities. “It's been reported that 242 MPs in the Labour government have experience in the charity sector, ranging from employees, volunteers and fundraisers. There are also eight members of the cabinet that have worked in charities as opposed to the Conservative government’s cabinet of which only two members had worked in charities, according to an article by Pro Bono Economics.” Read more on our website. #thecharityspark #labourgovernment #charityimpact #newgovernment

The increasing pressures on local authorities, health services, and other public sector budgets have heightened the demand for the essential support provided by the charity sector. While this highlights the critical role of charities, it has also intensified the competition between smaller and larger charitable organisations for local contracts. Gary Beharrell, Lloyds Bank Foundation’s regional manager, delves deeper into this issue and explores how larger charities winning local contracts could cause small charities to close. Click the link below to read how commissioners could improve the process for local contracts and create equal opportunities for all charities. https://lnkd.in/e-ZCF7zR #Notforprofit #charitypressures #localcontracts #WeAreMerrifield

It's the last day of Small Charity Week and there has been heaps of great noise about the amazing work that small charities do on the frontline in the UK. There are, of course, lots of brilliant things we can do to support the small charities that often get overshadowed by large national charities, but one of the most impactful, in my opinion, is to be a Trustee or NED of a smaller organisation. You really get to understand the inner, complex workings of a charity, you get to see how your time, knowledge and input helps move the organisation forward, you know that you are making a difference to (usually) vulnerable people who really need a helping hand from a charity, and you can hopefully take some weight off or be a sounding board for an overstretched Chief Exec (thank you to my own generous trustees Lara Sonola, Tracy Cherrington, Karrie Liu (CMath FIMA), Richard Smuts at Age UK Wandsworth for all their help!). I often get asked why I volunteer my time (I'm a trustee at the wonderful BLINDAID and a newly-appointed volunteer NED at Beyond The Page) when I already work in the voluntary sector and when I must be already at capacity in my own charity role. Yes, I'm not going to lie, I do have a never ending to do list (who doesn't?), but it's really important to me to use some of my precious personal time to support my community and to support my peers. As well as all the skills they can't afford in consultants, small charity Boards need people who understand/work in charities on them too, to help provide a balanced perspective about the operational reality of running a charity and how that marries up with strategic objectives. So this is a shout out to anyone on here who isn't already a trustee to go have a look at Reach Volunteering and apply for a board role this weekend. Pretty please 💕 #smallcharityweek #volunteeringmatters https://lnkd.in/ecYZB7UY

What rules surround charities accepting, refusing or returning donations? Following an increase in queries from charities on accepting or returning donations and the ex-gratia regime, as well as new Charity Commission for England and Wales guidance on this topic published Monday (4 March), Stone King Partners Hannah Kubie and Luke Watson have created a helpful collection of FAQs for charities. Subjects covered include the broad rules on returning donations, whether charities should have policies in place regarding the acceptance, refusal and return of donations, and a reminder of the current ex-gratia rules. Read the FAQs here: https://lnkd.in/eBw_NYyX #ExGratia #CharitableGiving #CharityCommission #StoneKing #Donations

Whatever one’s views generally on this situation, it highlights one common point in charity ventures. At the concept stage of a project, one needs to consider the appropriate legal platform for that. If a charity is the correct route, great. But it then brings with it a regulatory framework and public expectation. And at the intersection of those two things is ‘private benefit’. That needs care. And that can even strike at well-meaning and objectively justifiable things like being paid for hours and hours of effort. These issues need to be carefully considered right at the outset. This case illustrates the point. And no-one can feel good about that. https://lnkd.in/e9GZegc9

How did charities do in the recent election? As always, my colleague Tamsin Anderson provides a clear and simple overview: The Charity Commission recently published a summary of its casework in the run up to the General Election. Read our two minute guide to explore the casework summary in more detail, including the key takeaways and problems that arose. #Charities #GeneralElection #CaseworkSummary #CharityCommission

📣 Members of our Charity & Not-for-Profit team (Keith Macpherson, Susan Pattison, and Alan Davis) recently held a Charity Trustee Training webinar where they discussed the general tax implications of setting up a trading subsidiary of a charity.   If you missed the live session or would like to watch it again, you can do so by clicking the link below 👇  https://lnkd.in/g_bRd3fn   #CharityTrustees #Webinar

Choosing the right legal structure is an important decision for any organisation. For many not-for-profit and non-trading organisations, be they charities, community groups, or sporting clubs, the decision will often narrow down to a trust, incorporated association or company limited by guarantee. This blog explores the differences between registering a charity or not-for-profit as an incorporated association or a company limited by guarantee. https://bit.ly/3ml3zoM #organisationallaw #notforprofit #businessstructure #companylimitedbyguarantee #incorporatedassociation

There is lots to love about small charities (aside from the fact that they help so many people!): ❤️Agility ❤️Lived experience ❤️Local roots What do you love about small charities? These points are in our latest blog, and there you'll also find our special small charity membership offer: https://bit.ly/3VX9xLt Slide description: 1. Purple background with white text: "There's lots to love about small. Some of the great values of smaller charities." Small Charity Week logo in the bottom left corner. 2. Agility: A small organisation can pivot, change, adapt, and innovate on a speedier scale than a larger one. 3. Lived experience: Small organisations are often founded, run, and governed by people with lived experience. 4. Local connections: Authenticity, local knowledge, and real human connection is something to be treasured, protected, and prized. 5. To celebrate Small Charity Week, we're offering 10% off membership for small charities, until the end of June only #SmallCharityWeek #Charity #Chairs #Trustees #Boards #Governance #NonProfit #ThirdSector