The Charity Commission for England and Wales has published a new version of its guidance to help people raise concerns about charities.
The updated guide is called Raising a concern with the Charity Commission (CC47).
It gives clear advice on:
● When to report a concern
● What kinds of problems the Charity Commission can look into
● What the Commission cannot do
● How it deals with serious problems
● How to send your concern in the right way
The Charity Commission helps make sure charities in England and Wales are honest, well-run, and follow the law. This new guidance is written to help the public, charity workers, and trustees understand when and how to report serious issues.
Why This Matters
Charities do important work and support many people. Most of the 170,000 charities in England and Wales are doing a good job. Their staff, trustees, and volunteers usually act in the best interest of the charity.
But sometimes, problems happen. These problems could be:
● Misuse of charity money or property
● Abuse or harm to the people the charity helps
● Things that damage trust in charities
Last year, the Charity Commission received over 3,600 concerns from members of the public. But 8% of these could not be taken forward. In many cases, there was not enough information, or the problem was not something the Commission is allowed to handle by law.
This is why the Commission has updated its guidance — so people know when to report a concern and what to expect.
Clearer Guidance for Everyone
The new guide explains where to send different types of concerns. For example:
● If you are a trustee, volunteer, or employee, it tells you how to report serious problems inside a charity
● If your concern is better handled by the police or another regulator, it helps you know who to contact
Kate Waring, Head of Intelligence and Risk at the Charity Commission, said:
“Most charities are working hard to help others. But when something goes wrong, it’s important that people feel they can report it. Our updated guidance explains what concerns we can deal with, and helps people raise them in the right way. It also makes clear when another organisation may be the right place to go.”
What Should You Do?
If you care about charities and want to help them stay honest and strong, this new guidance can support you in doing the right thing:
Read the full guidance here:
Raising a concern with the Charity Commission (CC47)
If needed, visit the full news announcement here:
Updated Guide to Raising Concerns About a Charity
This updated guidance makes it easier for you to raise concerns in the right way and help keep trust in the charity sector strong.
