'Working with Scottish Charities'

This web page is intended to draw together in one place, a range of resources to help you in running your charity, including links to legislation and where to go for further help. This page includes information on the new Act and will be updated regularly.

Scottish Executive Consultation Documents

The Scottish Executive is currently consulting on:

Benevolent Fundraisng Regulations (Link to Scottish Executive website)
Scottish Charity Appeals Panel (Link to Scottish Executive website)

The deadline for both these consultations is 9 March 2005

Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act

The Scottish Parliament passed the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act on the 10th June 2005 and our working assumption is that it will be in force in April 2006. View general briefing on the Act and a link to the Act.

The List

OSCR now publishes information drawn from the 2005 Annual Return and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs' Index of Charities. This is searchable by charity number, name, address, income and charitable causes. Check your charity's entry on The List.

OSCR's Consultation Programme

There are a number of preparatory steps to be taken before the Act can come into force. Over the next three months, OSCR will prepare guidance and consult on draft processes for the Charity Test, the new Register of charities and the new regime of consents and notifications. Find out more about OSCR's Consultation Programme and how to participate.

Bill implementation timetable

The Scottish Executive has published an implementation plan, setting out the tasks to be undertaken in advance of implementation next year. This sets out the public appointments process for OSCR's Board as well as for members of the Scottish Charity Appeals Panel. The implementation plan includes details on several sets of regulations (and rules for the Appeals Panel) which are required to be in force on the day or soon after OSCR takes its new powers.

Annual Monitoring

In May 2005 OSCR introduced a programme of Annual Monitoring for all recognised Scottish Charities and you should have received and completed a form for your charity. The additional information provided as part of this exercise will be included in a List of Scottish Charities to be published by the end of 2005. Find out more about Annual Monitoring by OSCR including what to do if your charity did not received a form.

Guidance

Although OSCR is not resourced primarily as an advice-giving body, there are however a range of resources on the site to assist you in running your charity. These include comprehensive FAQs and publications on issues such as accounting, public collections, trust reorganisations and registration by cross-border charities. If you do not find what you are looking for, please contact us.