The Regulator for Charities in England and Wales
In 2003 the Charity Commission was tasked by the Home Office with taking forward the recommendation in the Strategy Unit report Private Action, Public Benefit 2002, to introduce an annual SIR which highlights key qualitative and quantitative information about charities that have an income of £1million and above.
The Charity Commission then set up an external reference group of charity representatives, the NCVO, and others with expertise in the sector in order to develop the SIR, and supporting Guidance Notes. Extensive consultation on, and piloting of, the content and the information it generates was conducted. This fed into further development and testing of the SIR, which is now being introduced and implemented as a new Part C of the Annual Return 2005.
The Annual Return 2005 will be published shortly. In the meantime, for information only, we are publishing the SIR and the supporting Guidance Notes. Charities that will be required to complete it as Part C of the Annual Return for the first time, will be sent a letter explaining the process for submission.
We would like to thank all charities that submitted a response to the public consultation and/or participated in the pilot exercise.
Results of an independent research report into the future of the Summary Information Return (PDF).