Clarity for charity complaints

(Immediate Release - 25 June 2008)

The Charity Commission receives around 2,000 complaints about charities a year; these are wide-ranging but our remit means we can only look into specific types of issues. To explain the process more clearly, today we publish revised guidance. Complaints about charities (CC47) covering our proportionate approach, identifying what we can, and can’t, look into and signposting other organisations who may be able to help with complaints we can’t pursue.

We also often receive complaints about internal disputes within charities and our new guidance to trustees, Conflicts in your charity, explains it is usually trustees’ responsibility to resolve these. Only rarely can we become involved.

Complaints about charities (CC47) specifies we will take up complaints where we decide that there is a serious risk of harm to or abuse of a charity, its assets, beneficiaries or reputation, and we consider that our intervention is necessary to protect them.

The issues we consider serious include:

• significant financial loss to a charity
• serious harm to beneficiaries, particularly vulnerable beneficiaries
• sham charities
• threats to national security, particularly terrorism
• deliberate use of a charity for private gain

Andrew Hind, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, said

“Everyone, rightly, has high expectations of charities. When people are disappointed they often come to the Commission, but we can only look into some types of complaints. Our revised guidance explains what we can – and can’t – pursue and the process involved. It also signposts other relevant organisations who may be able to help, providing a useful resource to assist would-be complainants".

Complaints about charities and Conflicts in your charity are available from the Commission’s website

Notes to editors:

1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator for charitable activity in England and Wales. For more information see our website at www.charitycommission.gov.uk
2. The Commission's calculation of approximately 2,000 complaints is based on average figures of around 165 complaints a month.

For more information, please contact our Press Office.

PR20/08