Charity fundamentals

Fact sheets

Collective Working & Mergers Some people believe that there are too many charities competing for too few funds, and that a significant amount of charitable resources could be saved if more charities pooled their resources and worked together.	Data Security Breach Plan Toolkit This toolkit will help your group implement a plan now and not wait until a data breach occurs
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)have merged to become the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). CRB checks are now called DBS checks.	Forming a Charitable Company How to form a Charitable Company
Forming a Friends Group We want to improve things in our local community but where do we start?	General Data Protection Registration and what it means to member groups General Data Protection Registration (GDPR) is one of the biggest changes in data protection legislation in history and came into force within the UK in May 2018. It is important to make sure that your group has implemented this. This fact sheet breaks down what GDPR is, what you need to do and what the penalties for non-compliance are.
Holding an Annual General Meeting The aim of the AGM is to provide the charity trustees and/or officers the opportunity to explain their management of the charity to the members.	How to Chair a Meeting General guidance for Chairs
How to Close Down a Group The guidance set out by the Charity Commission regarding dissolving a charity.	How to Register a Charity in the UK What steps you need take to register a charity in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Membership Organisations Our advice to our friends groups is that every membership organisation needs to decide what type of membership or combinations of membership are most appropriate to them, both from the perspective of facilitating good governance and galvanising support and activism.	Model Constitution for Member Groups (2012) A model constitution for an unincorporated charitable organisation is attached below. (Updated November 2020)
Preparing a Business Plan It is essential to have a realistic, working business plan when you're starting up a business.	Writing a Mission and Vision Statement In order to succeed as an organisation, the staff, members and volunteers must know what it is about.

E-newsletters

Charity Commission News The latest edition of the Charity Commission newsletter	Director of Social Change Newsletter
Independant Examiners Charity Services Newsletter	Office of the Scotish Charity Regulator Newsletter
Third Sector Newsletter

External factsheets & publications

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