Starting a charity - How charities work

Starting a charity can be rewarding but it is a big job

Starting a charity can be highly rewarding and can help you make a real difference. . But it’s important not to underestimate how much time and effort establishing and running a charity will take.

To start a charity you’ll need a people to be its trustees. You’ll then need to to give it a legal structure, and also register it with the Charity Commission if its income is over £5,000.

It’s worth thinking about whether you could achieve your goals by working with or fundraising for an existing charity, saving you the administrative responsibilities of setting up a new one. Charities will normally be happy to talk to you about how you could work together.

If you’re sure starting a charity is the right thing to do, you can get started with the Charity Commission’s detailed guide on how to go about setting up a charity and , which covers everything from starting out to .