The Charity Commission is the government body charged with ensuring public confidence in charities. It does this through registering, monitoring and supporting charities as well as investigating alleged wrong doings. It is in setting the rules by which charities can become officially registered that the Commission has its most significant impact. A review is currently being undertaken by the Commission to provide clearer guidance about what is and what is not charitable under the law. In its recently published consultation document, Review of Organisations on the Register , the Commission puts forward ideas on what the basic characteristics of a charity are, as well as what those of a well run charity should be.
Time is often more precious to people than money.
Giving money may not be as good an indicator of commitment as the giving of time. An organisation that is unable to inspire others to give unpaid labour and talents to its work is, in general, unlikely to deserve the benefits of charitable status. Although the importance of volunteer contribution is recognised in the consultation paper the Centre believes it needs a stronger emphasis. Volunteer involvement should be seen as a defining characteristic of a charity. Political campaigning One of the current criteria that a charity must meet is to have aims which are clearly stated, lawful and exclusively charitable .