Governance of community groups can be a minefield - which structure is best for you? Charity? CIC? CIO? What is a CIC? Who makes a good Trustee? The session will support your journey towards becoming a fully incorporated organisation capable of fulfilling your key services, and with structures in place that will satisfy commissioners and funders.
Any prospective charity founder will need to consider:
why a charity? There are pros (generally tax and business rates relief) and cons (generally enhanced regulation)
which legal structure? The most common options are a trust, charitable incorporated organisation, company limited by guarantee or unincorporated association
who will the first trustees be? You will need at least three trustees. They should all understand what their duties will be as charity trustees
what will the charity’s governing document look like? Key points to consider include the charity’s objects, whether the charity will have a wider membership and how decisions will be made
what activities will the charity carry out? It is important to have a plan covering what the charity will be doing from day one. You will need to provide information on your activities to the Charity Commission when you apply for charitable status
