Charity technical briefings

On 29 March 2019, following consultation in 2018, the Charity Commission published its guidance for charities with a connection to a non-charity. The guidance makes clear that the Charity Commission expects that:

• Trustees will have applied this guidance to all connections they have with non-charities;
• Trustees will have addressed the risks of any connection; and
• Trustees will ensure that the charity’s resources are never used to advance non-charitable agendas and interests.

The key message is that, whilst connections with non-charities can make a positive difference for a charity’s beneficiaries, it is an area where the Commission’s casework has identified concerns. The six principles covered in the guidance are:

• Recognise the risks
• Do not further non-charitable purposes
• Operate independently
• Avoid unauthorised personal benefit and address conflicts of interest
• Maintain your charity’s separate identity
• Protect your charity