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How to set up a charity for beginners
Rating: 4.4 out of 5(11 ratings)
14 students

How to set up a charity for beginners

Embark on a journey to set up your charity - from initial idea through to registration, learn everything you need to do.
Created byHengameh Kay
Last updated 12/2024
English

What you'll learn

  • The legal definition of a 'charity'
  • The steps involved in setting up a charity
  • The role of the trustee and how to select trustees for your charity
  • How to draft your charitable purposes
  • The main charitable legal structures and the advantages and disadvantages of each
  • What to include in your charity’s governing document
  • How to select a name for your charity and naming requirements and restrictions
  • Understanding whether you must register your charity with the Charity Commission

Course content

6 sections32 lectures1h 40m total length
  • Introduction to what is a 'charity'?4:27

    This lecture provides an introduction to the course and the legal definition of a ‘charity' in the Charities Act 2011.

  • Charitable purpose 1: The prevention or relief of poverty2:23

    This lecture details the first description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the prevention or relief of poverty. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context.

  • Charitable purpose 2: The advancement of education2:52

    This lecture details the second description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the advancement of education. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context.

  • Charitable purpose 3: The advancement of religion2:59

    This lecture details the third description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the advancement of religion. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context as well as application tips.

  • Charitable purpose 4: The advancement of health or the saving of lives3:09

    This lecture details the fourth description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the advancement of health or the saving of lives. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context.

  • Charitable purpose 5: The advancement of citizenship or community development2:32

    This lecture details the fifth description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the advancement of citizenship or community development . The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context.

  • Charitable purpose 6: The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science4:20

    This lecture details the sixth description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context as well as application tips.

  • Charitable purpose 7: The advancement of amateur sport3:38

    This lecture details the seventh description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the advancement of the amateur sport. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context as well as application tips.

  • Charitable purpose 8: The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution, etc.3:37

    This lecture details the eighth description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context.

  • Charitable purpose 9: The advancement of environmental protection or improvement2:38

    This lecture details the ninth description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the advancement of environmental protection or improvement. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context as well as application tips.


  • Charitable purpose 10: The relief of those in need etc.2:20

    This lecture details the tenth description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context.

  • Charitable purpose 11: The advancement of animal welfare3:11

    This lecture details the eleventh description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the advancement of animal welfare. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context as well as application tips.

  • Charitable purpose 12: The promotion of the efficiency of the armed forces etc.3:12

    This lecture details the twelfth description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: the promotion of the efficiency of the armed forces of the Crown, or of the efficiency of the police, fire and rescue services or ambulance services. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that would fall within this description for context.

  • Charitable purpose 13: Any other charitable purposes1:14

    This lecture details the thirteenth description of charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2011: any other charitable purposes. The lecture provides examples of the types of charities that have fallen within this description in the past.

  • Charitable purposes - Additional issues4:08

    This lecture highlights two additional issues to keep in mind in relation to charitable purposes, which are: carrying out your charitable purposes abroad and political purposes.

  • Public benefit4:02

    This lecture breaks down the 'public' and the 'benefit' elements of the requirement for a charitable purpose to be 'for the public benefit' and provides practical examples and application tips.

  • Drafting charitable purposes2:44

    This lecture provides some practical tips on drafting your charitable purposes.

  • Jurisdiction of the High Court1:20

    This lecture provides a brief overview of what it means for a charity to be 'subject to the control of the High Court' and how you can go about demonstrating that this requirement is fulfilled for your charity.

  • Activity 11:55

    This clip provides a brief summary of the instructions for the Activity 1 downloadable resource: 'Checklist to determine whether your idea is a charity'.

  • Activity 20:52

    This clip provides a brief summary of the instructions for the Activity 2 downloadable resource: 'Drafting your charitable purposes'.

  • Step 1 quiz

Requirements

  • No previous knowledge on this topic is needed.

Description

This course provides a comprehensive overview of how to start a charity.

My aim with this course is to draw on my legal experience and expertise on this topic to help demystify what is a complex and often misunderstood area. To help simply this complex topic, this course is structured as a journey, breaking down how to set up a charity, step by step:


  1. The first step on the journey asks, 'Is my idea a charity?’ and breaks down the legal definition of a ‘charity’, as people often have a preconceived notion in their mind of what a charity is, which is usually incorrect.

  2. The second step on the journey asks, 'Who will run my charity?' and the factors you will need to consider when making this decision, including restrictions on who can act.

  3. The third step on the journey asks, 'How should I structure my charity?' and goes through the main charitable legal structures, which will help you decide which structure is best suited to the needs of your charity.

  4. The fourth step on the journey asks, 'What should I name my charity?', including the distinction between main names and working names, as well as the requirements and restrictions on naming.

  5. The final step on the journey asks, 'Do I need to register my charity?' and details the requirements for registering your charity, as not every charity can register with the Charity Commission.

This course will give you the tools you need to enable you to successfully set up a charity.

Who this course is for:

  • This is course is open to everyone, but is particularly useful to individuals who want to set up a charity, current or future trustees of charities, current or future volunteers of charities, or those with a general interest in charities and the charitable sector.