Charity Commission business plan 2023-24

Last month the Charity Commission published its summary business plan for 2023/24 outlining its proposals for undertaking its new five-year strategy, following the end of the previous period (2018-2023).

The 2023/24 Business Plan is a transition strategy, before the implementation of the Commission's new five-year strategy in 2024.

The Commission has outlined four priorities for the transitional strategy as follows:

• Priority 1: to regulate effectively, be clear about its role and decision-making
• Priority 2: to strengthen its support and interventions to ensure charities are run well
• Priority 3: In challenging times, to improve how it uses its voice, data and intelligence to help charities deliver impact
• Priority 4: to invest in its people and systems so that it can continue to be an expert Commission

The Commission aims under Priority 1 to deliver a clear and transparent regulatory approach focused on fairness. Publicly, the Commission aims to clarify its role, remit and limitations to the public, charity trustees and other stakeholders.

In addition, the Commission aims to continue to invest in its systems to improve the registration process by making it more 'digital, efficient, and effective'. Crucial to the registration process, the Commission aims to implement a new and consistent writing style to clarify to applicants and recipients why the Commission takes the action it does in each situation.

For Priority 2, the Commission aims to focus on increasing effectiveness at discovering and dealing with wrongdoing and proposes to deliver the next phase of its awareness campaigns relating to trustee obligations, as well as to publish further guidance on Charities Act 2022 changes which continue to be implemented in phases.

Specifically, the Commission promises to improve digitalisation and the customer experience through the newly launched ‘My Charity Commission Account' feature (which we covered in a previous e-alert).

In order to achieve Priority 3, the Commission proposes to speak out on the issues that matter, specifically by explaining its casework to the public to have a meaningful impact. It aims to be proactive in anticipating wrongdoing and by improving 'intelligence gathering' to do so.

Looking forwards, the Commission notes the introduction of new questions for charity annual returns and an updated SORP accounting framework.

Finally, Priority 4 focuses on internal improvements to the Commission for the benefit of staff. The Commission aims to equip employees with internal updates and operational guidance to improve the casework process. In addition, the Commission looks to 'bolster capacity' through a wide programme of continuous improvement.

Click here for the full business plan.