When to become a registered charity?
Many community groups begin as grassroots organisations run by dedicated volunteers. However, as your organisation grows, so do your responsibilities.
If your organisation has an annual income of more than £5,000 per year, as per the guidance from the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Point North requires you to be registered with an appropriate regulatory body before we can award you with any funding.
Once your income exceeds £5,000, becoming registered provides greater accountability, stronger governance and independent oversight, helping to protect your organisation, your volunteers and the communities you support.
Our requirement is about ensuring charitable funds are invested responsibly and that organisations receiving grants have the governance arrangements expected at this stage of their development.
As an independent grantmaker, we have a responsibility to both the communities we support and the donors who trust us with their money. Carrying out robust due diligence is one of the most important ways we meet that responsibility.
Who does this apply to?
If your organisation has an annual income of more than £5,000, you’ll need to be registered with an appropriate regulatory body for your application to be considered for funding.
Depending on the type of organisation you are, this could include be with:
- The Charity Commission (for example, as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) or registered charity)
- HMRC as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC)
There may be other legal structures more suitable depending on how your organisation operates. What matters is that appropriate governance and regulatory oversight are in place.
Why do we ask for registration?
Managing larger amounts of charitable or public funding requires stronger governance, greater financial oversight and clearer accountability.
For Point North, governance forms an important part of our due diligence process.
It helps us understand how your organisation is governed, how decisions are made and how funds are managed. It also provides confidence that there is external oversight beyond the information provided within a funding application.
Ultimately, this protects everyone involved: your organisation, your trustees or committee members, the people who benefit from your work and the donors whose generosity makes grants possible.
Why isn’t an unregistered organisation eligible?
Where an organisation has an annual income above £5,000 but isn’t registered with an appropriate body, there are limitations to the assurance we can reasonably obtain during our due diligence assessment.
There are several reasons for this:
Registration means your organisation operates within an established regulatory framework.
Without that oversight, it’s more difficult for us to independently verify governance arrangements, financial management and compliance with recognised standards.
As organisations grow, expectations around financial management increase.
Registration supports transparent financial reporting, appropriate record keeping and compliance with relevant legal and tax obligations. These are all important considerations when charitable funds are being awarded.
Strong governance helps organisations make informed decisions, manage conflicts of interest and demonstrate effective financial controls.
Informal or unincorporated groups may not have the same governance arrangements in place.
They can also expose committee members or organisers to personal liability for debts or legal claims.
Registration provides greater confidence that appropriate structures exist to manage these responsibilities.
Every grant we award represents the trust placed in Point North by our donors, funding partners and supporters.
Our role is not only to distribute funding where it’s needed most, but also to ensure it reaches organisations with the governance, accountability and oversight needed to manage it responsibly.
That’s why we apply consistent due diligence standards to every application we receive.
This approach helps protect charitable funds while supporting public confidence in local giving.
Planning to apply for funding?
If your organisation has an annual income above £5,000 and isn’t yet registered with an appropriate regulatory body, we won’t be able to progress your application.
However, we’d be delighted to receive an application in the future once your organisation has adopted a registered structure that meets our eligibility requirements.
We know governance can sometimes feel complex, particularly for growing community organisations. Our aim is to be transparent about what we ask for and why we ask for it, helping groups prepare strong applications while ensuring we remain responsible stewards of the funds entrusted to us.
Strong governance isn’t simply about meeting a funder’s requirements. It’s about building resilient organisations that can continue making a lasting difference in their communities.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or need help completing your application, our team are here for you. Get in touch with us on email or phone.
0191 378 6340
