At the end of March this year the Charity Commission published Guidance for Charities with a connection to a Non-Charity.

Regular readers of my blogs will know that I consider Charity Commission publications to be some of the best public communications around and this one is no different. It explains in detail what constitutes a connection and how you should manage it.

It emphasises the importance of independence and the potential risks that the charity is exposed to. Most importantly it expects trustees to understand and apply the guidance.

Thus if you are a charity which:

• has set up and owns a trading subsidiary
• has been set up by the non-charity, for example: corporate foundations, or charities set up by social enterprises, campaigning organisations, or government or local authorities
• gets regular funding or support from the non-charity
• gives regular funding to the non-charity, for example: grant makers who regularly fund a non-charity; charities set up to support the activities of a non-charity, such as charities with a link to an NHS Trust, or other ‘friends of’ charities
• works regularly with a non-charity to deliver services, campaigns or other projects
• has a non-charity as trustee, or where the non-charity can appoint some of the trustees
• has a non-charity as its sole or significant member

this guidance applies to you and your trustees must make themselves familiar with its contents. You can download the document at

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-for-charities-with-a-connection-to-a-non-charity#contents

and if having read the document and recognise a potential conflict of interest or an issue of independence then give me a call on 07896 894 711 and we can discuss the problem and how it might be solved.