Publicising that you are a charity
All charities registered in Scotland must publicise the fact that they are a charity. Charity trustees must make sure that certain charity details are on specific external documents.
These rules also apply to any third parties who publish documents on behalf of your charity, for example legal advisors, accountants, or organisations working on your behalf.
You need display your charity’s details. This means:
- your charity's name, as entered in the Scottish Charity Register
- any other name your charity is known as (the ‘known as’ name)
- your Scottish Charity Number (SC0[zero]xxxxx)
- the fact that you are a charity, if this is not already clear from your name.
It is good practice to state that the charity is regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
If you are a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), you do not have to include your Scottish Charity Number but we strongly recommend that you do. You must, however, state that you are a SCIO if your name does not include the terms ‘Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation’ or ‘SCIO’.
There are two main ways of publicising your charitable status.
- Use a statement on your documentation. For example, ‘Monkstown After School Club (known as Monkey Club) is a Scottish Charity, SC098765, regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)’; or
- Use the OSCR registration logo. This is free to download and can be found on your charity’s Scottish Charity Register entry.
OSCR’s Head of Engagement, Dr Jude Turbyne, said,
“Being a Scottish charity is something to be proud of.
“Achieving this status shows that an organisation has passed a robust charity test, demonstrating their benefit to the public. Maintaining it involves meeting a range of responsibilities and a degree of scrutiny.
“Research shows that if charities correctly display their status, the public is more likely to trust them – and trust is a key driver for many donations.
“Thanks to all of the organisations who have followed our guidance and are publicising charitable status in the right way. In addition to the many charities who are using our suggested text, our updated registration logo has been downloaded thousands of times since it was launched last year.
“If you would like more information on publicising your charitable status, our website has clear guidance and examples for you to follow.”
Read guidance on publicising your charitable status here.
Background
- The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is the independent regulator and registrar of Scotland’s 24,000 charities and publishes the Scottish Charity Register at www.oscr.org.uk. Our vision is for charities you can trust which provide public benefit. More information about our work can be found in our Media Pack.
- The updated OSCR registration logo has had 8,385 unique downloads since its launch on 12 July 2017. Charities can find their individual logo on their Scottish Charity Register entry.