Charity law and governance

We work with over 50% of the UK’s largest charities because we take this approach and focus on commercial solutions so you can keep having the greatest impact possible.

Trustee relationships

As the group of people that have ultimate responsibility for governing your charity, it’s obviously essential that your trustees are aware of what their role entails. We work with many of our charity clients to provide bespoke trustee inductions and training as well as establishing working processes for decision-making and risk management. This can relate to a particular project or more generally – for example developing a board manual. We often facilitate trustee workshops to support a broader governance review, and then support our clients in putting in place the new processes.

We also have a particular niche handling disputes within trustees, and recently supported a major non-profit client in handling a move by a faction to remove a particular trustee.

Working with the sector regulators

Whether it’s the Charity Commission or Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in England, the Office of the Scottish Regulator or the Singapore Commissioner of Charities your relationship with your relevant regulators is key. It is essential to your interests that we also have good working relationships with the regulators. Our team are very involved in the sector and lobbying. We might be getting new structures set up, dealing with a complaint or on occasion supporting a charity with a difference of opinion with a regulator.

Thanks to our huge tax team, unlike other charity firms, we also have strong relationships with the IRS, HMRC, the Hong Kong Revenue Department and other tax authorities which is very useful in set up and in working with your major donors.

Royal Charter organisations in the UK

We act for more charities established by Royal Charter than any other firm – charities like the British Red Cross Society; SSAFA Forces Help; The College of Optometrists; the Arts Council of England; The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development; and, the NSPCC.

We have worked on the amendment of the Charter on its bye-laws. We write the section on the law relating to Royal Charter bodies in ‘Tolley’s Charities Manual’.