The work of charities is extremely varied. For many charities there are considerable options to think about when deciding what their activities will be. It is vital a charity’s activities help achieve its mission and are properly planned.
When we receive applications from organisations who want to become charities, there can be times when an applicant has not provided enough information. The common issues are:
Here are some of the things you need to think about when deciding on your activities:
The decision regarding whether to provide services directly is a pivotal one. There are a number of considerations here, including:
Many organisations give out grants. This is a way they can provide public benefit, which is the second requirement of the charity test.
If your charity gives grants, you must make sure these grants advance your charity’s charitable purposes.
If you are applying to become a charity that gives grants you should try to cover all these points in your application:
More information about grant giving can be found here.
Under Scottish charity law, your charity can campaign if:
While there are restrictions on what campaigning activities a charity can undertake, it is important to note that political campaigning in principle is not forbidden. In fact, political campaigning on particular issues can be an important way for charities to achieve their charitable purposes.
If you do intend to campaign on political issues, please read our ‘Charities and campaigning on political issues: FAQs’ so you are aware of the rules.