The Charity Commission for England and Wales have just published revised guidance for trustees of faith charities.
An article from our archive for the New Year…
The guidance tells us that ‘…places of worship such as churches, gurdwaras, mandirs, mosques, synagogues, temples and viharas are normally charities’. They normally exist with purposes that are entirely charitable. This includes…
- advancement of religion
- prevention or relief of poverty
- advancement of education
The Commission also notes that there are ancillary organisations of faith that are also charitable in their endeavours, namely
- religious supplementary schools
- religious choirs
- missionary organisations
You must register your organisation as a charity if it has charitable purposes for the public benefit and (both of the following)…
- it’s based in England or Wales
- it has income over £5,000 (from all sources)
There are, however, some churches that are exempt from charitable registration. You can find advice and information about this here…
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/excepted-charities/excepted-charities–2#church-charities
You can find broader, more general advice on charitable purposes and rule here…
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-purposes-and-rules
Faith community members, who are already trustees, or community members who are considering becoming trustees, will find this guidance, detailed, timely and helpful in making your full contribution to the work of your charity.
A full copy of this guidance can be found on the web pages of Gov.uk here…
