Charity Essentials - August 2020

Date updated: Thursday 6th August 2020

In this edition

Key considerations for successful collaborations and mergers
What lessons can charities learn from the Charity Commission’s inquiry report on RNIB?
Regulating in the public interest
Supreme Court ruling on whether members owe fiduciary duties
Upcoming events

Key considerations for successful collaborations and mergers

For Part Two of our Charity Financials webinar series Stone King were joined by Liz Wright of RSM and Richard Litchfield of Eastside Primetimers to consider charity collaboration, focusing particularly on merger. This perennial subject has acquired a greater immediacy in the uncertain time of COVID-19. The aim of the webinar was to provide a clear overview, highlight key issues and put concerns into perspective.

What lessons can charities learn from the Charity Commission’s inquiry report on RNIB?

The recent publication by the Charity Commission of a highly critical report on the RNIB, a household name charity, identified serious issues relating to governance and keeping beneficiaries safe. The Commission has, at the same time, published a regulatory alert for large service delivery charities which addresses similar issues.

Regulating in the public interest

On 15 June 2020, the Charity Commission published research from Populus examining the relationship between Charity, charities and the general public: Regulating in the Public Interest. This is very worthwhile reading for all charities in order to better understand the drivers of public support.

Supreme Court ruling on whether members owe fiduciary duties

On 29 July 2020 the Supreme Court published a significant judgment on whether members of a charitable company limited by guarantee owe fiduciary duties to the company’s objects. The Court found that they do and confirmed that it applies to members of all charities, from mass membership charities to small charities.

Upcoming events