Starting a new charity or social enterprise can be a daunting task. Every year we assist numerous organisations to establish as charities or social enterprises.

We are adept at taking clients through the process of:

  • Choosing the right legal structure, whether this be a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), company limited by guarantee, charitable trust or unincorporated association. Our clear structure table sets out some of the benefits and disadvantages of the various structures.
  • Putting in place appropriate constitutional documents.
  • Navigating the registration process with the Charity Commission.
  • Ensuring your charity is fit for purpose by providing the appropriate policies (including data protection policies) to enable you to start your journey.

Where a charitable structure may not be appropriate, our specialist charity lawyers are skilled in dealing with other forms of social enterprise such as Community Interest Companies (CIC), B-Corps and co-operatives.

What our clients say

"The team is lauded for its ‘well-presented advice’ and for the fact that there are ‘sufficient subject matter experts on hand to be able to tackle a wide range of questions’."

Legal 500

The law and practice referred to in this article or webinar has been paraphrased or summarised. It might not be up-to-date with changes in the law and we do not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided at the time of reading. It should not be construed or relied upon as legal advice in relation to a specific set of circumstances.