| The Department for Communities has launched a consultation on a £20k registration threshold below which charities in Northern Ireland would not be required to register with or report to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (the Commission). The consultation is now open and will close on 11 August 2024. The Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 currently requires that every charity in Northern Ireland must register with the Commission and provide an annual report and accounts for publication on its website. There are currently no exceptions to this requirement. The value of registration to very small charities has been the subject of debate for some time. There is some evidence that the smallest charities struggle to meet these statutory requirements and this in turn is a negative contributory factor to volunteering, on which the majority of these small organisations rely. The consultation asks if a £20k annual income threshold is set at an appropriate level and will seek to build evidence to support the policy under development. It asks what visibility is required of such charities, what evidence is required of them as proof of their status, what should happen in the event that a charity has a spike in income which takes it above the threshold, and whether an existing offence of mis-representation in respect to fundraising should be extended to cover charities choosing not to be registered by virtue of the threshold. This consultation could lead to the most significant change in charity regulation since its inception in Northern Ireland. It is therefore important that the views of the charity sector, those who benefit from charities, and those who support charities in their work are represented. The Department is hosting a series of consultation information events throughout Northern Ireland from 11 June which you are encouraged to attend prior to completing the survey. Prior booking is required and places are limited. We encourage you to read the consultation documentation prior to completing the survey and would be grateful if you could share this email with interested colleagues / members of your organisation. Many thanks, Colleen Bell |
Acting Head of Charities Policy and Legislation