Charity Commission for England and Wales

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Charity Commission for England and Wales
Position of the authority quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization (Quango)
Supervisory authority (s) House of Commons
Headquarters London
Chief Executive Helen Stephenson
Employee 350
Website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission

The Charity Commission for England and Wales ( Welsh name Comisiwn Elusennau Cymru a Lloegr ) is an intermediary organization ( Quango ) of the United Kingdom's England and Wales . As an organization, it is comparable to a corporation under public law and is not subject to any ministerial control. The quasi-authority is accountable to parliament. In Scotland the analogous authority is called the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator , in Northern Ireland it is the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland . The Charity Commission's mission is to regulate and monitor charities so that the public can support such organizations with confidence.

For this purpose, the Charity Commission maintains the Charity Register, comparable to the register of associations in Germany. From this task also follows the order to monitor organizations for their aid purpose.

assignment

In 2005 the Charity Commission stated four key objectives:

  • Empowering charities to maximize their impact
  • Ensure compliance with legal requirements
  • Promote innovation and effectiveness
  • to [politically] support the work of the charitable sector

Given that expensive public schools , private universities or private hospitals are run as tax-privileged charities, at least some of these goals are in the public eye.

organization

The highest body of the Charity Commission is the Board of Commissioners. This commissions a full-time employee as Chief Executive to conduct the official business. He is supported by a Head of Governance and a Head of Communication as staff units. In the line this is supplemented by the functions:

  • Director of Legal Services (Legal Department)
  • Director of Resources (Finance, Human Resources, IT Systems, Facilities, Purchasing and Archives)
  • Director of Policy and Strategy (set of rules for charities, planning and development, goal setting and implementation)

criticism

In 2014, nearly 200,000 charities in Great Britain collected around GBP 80 billion. They employed around 1 million people for this and to implement their goals . Around 1000 of these charities raised more than GBP 10 million in donations. Charities are tax-privileged and therefore prone to attempted fraud. In 2013, a parliamentary commission of inquiry revealed that the Charity Commission was barely able to cope with the sheer number of charities and ensure that no one was using charity status for tax avoidance or as a political vehicle.

In 2016, Stuart Etherington of the National Council for Voluntary Organizations criticized the lack of independence of the Charity Commission's Board of Commissioners. At the same time, Asheem Singh of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organizations said that the board was increasingly representing one-sided interests. In addition to two of the most important charity administration foundations, voices from the Cabinet Office also criticized the board's too political orientation. Charities, according to the critics, are increasingly losing confidence in the Commission. For one thing, the process of appointing staff appeared to be too politically motivated. Analysis of the board members showed that the majority had little knowledge of the charity sector and came from a narrow social group, so that the board lacked diversity. On the other hand, the majority of the board members showed a strong closeness to so-called think tanks , often politically or socially influential bodies , although political goals are expressly regarded as non-charitable.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f About Us. In: Website of the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Charity Commission for England and Wales, accessed April 27, 2020 .
  2. ^ Duncan Watts: British Government and Politics . A Comparative Guide Edition. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2006, ISBN 978-0-7486-2323-5 .
  3. ↑ a b c d Charity Commission for England and Wales. (PDF) 2005 Departmental Report Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Command of Her Majesty June 2005. The Stationary Office, accessed April 27, 2020 .
  4. ^ Patrick McCurry: New guidelines to benefit the voluntary sector. Changes to charitable company structure. In: The Guardian's website . Guardian News & Media Limited, September 19, 2001, accessed April 27, 2020 .
  5. ↑ a b c d David Craig: The Great British rake-off… what really happens to the billions YOU donate to charity: Fat cat pay, appalling waste and hidden agendas. November 15, 2014, accessed April 27, 2020 .
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g Kirsty Weekly: Who is really in charge at the Charity Commission? In: Website of Civil Society Media Ltd. Civil Society Media Limited; 15 Prescott Place; London SW4 6BS; United Kingdom, accessed April 27, 2020 .