How to register a charity in England and Wales
Registering with the Charity Commission gives your group recognised status, access to more funders and tax reliefs like Gift Aid. Here are the main steps.
1. Check you need to register
In England and Wales, most charities must register once their income goes over £5,000 a year. A CIO (charitable incorporated organisation) must register whatever its income. Check the current rules on GOV.UK, and note Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.
2. Agree your charitable purposes
Your purposes must be exclusively charitable and for public benefit — for example, relieving poverty or advancing education in a named area. Be clear about who benefits and where.
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Questions people ask
How long does charity registration take?
It varies. Check the Charity Commission's current processing times; clear applications are usually quicker.
Can a charity have just one trustee?
The Charity Commission usually expects at least three unconnected trustees.
Written by Jessie Joe Jacobs. Jessie has worked in the UK voluntary sector for around 25 years and founded the Teesside charity A Way Out. She founded Charity Builder to give small groups the support a local CVS would.