Charity registration support
Setting up a charity involves more than filling in a form. The structure you choose, the way your purposes are worded and the evidence you provide all affect whether a regulator approves your application. Simply Third Sector helps you get each of these right from the start.
We support applications to the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR in Scotland and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.
How we can help
Choosing your structure
Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
We prepare your constitution, draft your charitable purposes and set out how your work benefits the public. A CIO gives trustees limited liability and is regulated by one body, which suits many small and medium-sized charities.
Charitable companies limited by guarantee
If you need a company structure, for example to employ staff, hold contracts or run larger operations, we draft the governing documents and manage the Companies House and charity regulator requirements together.
Charitable trusts
For grant-making bodies or groups wanting simple governance, we draft the trust deed and define clear, registrable charitable purposes.
Converting a CIC to a CIO
If your community interest company has outgrown its structure and charitable status would suit it better, we guide you through the conversion, including how your assets, activities and governance should be handled.
How we can help
If your application has run into trouble
Rejected or closed applications
We look closely at the regulator’s reasons, pinpoint what went wrong and rebuild your application to address them.
Responding to regulator queries
If the regulator has asked questions about your application, we help you write clear, well-evidenced responses to keep things moving.
Appeals and reviews
Where it’s appropriate, we assess whether a decision can be challenged and prepare a request for review or an appeal.
What does it cost?
Every organisation is different, so we give a fixed-fee quote after an initial conversation about your plans. Complexity, such as work overseas, unusual purposes or the policies you need (safeguarding, for example), affects the price. You are always free to apply directly to the regulator at no cost. We’re here if you’d rather have an experienced team handle it.
Get your fixed-fee quoteTraining and expertise
- Level 4 Certificate in Charity Law and Governance (CGI)
- Member of the Charity Law Association
Our work is backed by formal training in charity law and governance. Lynsey Heeley (Founder) holds the Level 4 Certificate in Charity Law and Governance from The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, which covers the legal and regulatory framework for charities, the role of the regulators and the principles of good governance.
We keep our knowledge of charity law up to date through our membership of the Charity Law Association, which brings together charity advisers, lawyers and academics to share experience and respond to changes in the law and regulation.
Within just a couple of months, we received our charity approval.
Get in touch
Contact
Call us on 0333 050 9128 or 0788 184 0149, email lynsey@simplythirdsector.co.uk, or send us a message.
Our advice doesn't end with your project either - we are always at the end of the phone for free advice.