The Charity Commission’s newly revised guidance on paying trustees, published on 25 April, brings welcome clarity to an area that continues to present considerable regulatory and practical challenges for charities. As a law firm specialising in charity law, trustee payments are a frequent topic of enquiry, and for good reason. While the principle that trustees act in a voluntary capacity remains central to charity law, real-world complexities often mean that charities find themselves asking whether, and how, they can lawfully remunerate a trustee or a connected party.

Thoughtful registration of intellectual property lies at the heart of many a charitable success and we can advise about how to maximise the protection available to you. Even if trade mark registration has been completely overlooked, there are different ways forward. We can provide specialist advice to get the application right and avoid conflicts, saving you time and funds.

This Thursday 7 March will see the third phase of updates to the Charities Act 2022 come into force. The below insight provides a summary of the changes that you need to be aware of.

The latest round of changes to the Charities Act 2022 went live on 14th June 2023. Our Charities and Social Enterprise experts have put together a summary of the changes which include changes to the way charities deal with the disposal of land, changes to how permanent endowment funds can be used and changes to the rules around what a charity can be called.

A charity’s brand is what enables the charity to be recognised by the public and is closely linked to its reputation – its ability to attract fundraising and achieve its charitable aims.

Charity trustees are the people who share ultimate responsibility for governing a charity. Trustees ensure the charity is managed and run correctly. They may also be known as trustee volunteers, board members, management committee, governors, directors.

The Charity Commission’s statutory inquiry into Human Appeal has found failures, highlighting how important it is for charities to have good and robust governance.

The Charity Commission recently concluded the National Trust did not breach charity law as a result of its regulatory compliance case involving the charity, and found there were no grounds for regulatory action.

The recent decision of the High Court not to uphold director disqualification proceedings brought by the Official Receiver against the former trustees and CEO of the Kids Company charity has reopened much debate within the charity sector.

The role of trustees within a charity, or not for profit organisation, and the essential need for good governance.

Tozers’ charities team has been fortunate to have co-hosted or attended several roundtable discussions among charity trustees and senior managers in recent weeks, where they have shared their experiences of what has been a hugely challenging last 12 months for the charity sector.

Considering the potential benefits of increased collaboration with other organisations, and reviewing the effectiveness of existing collaborations, should be a top priority for the charity trustee roles and senior management.