Exploring 'Legal matters'

If you want to set up or run a charity you need to understand what the law says about charities and what the advantages and disadvantages of being a charity are. It may not actually suit your organisation to become a charity, but if it does you must follow the right procedure.

Want to learn the basics? Get the facts on charity legislation and discover whether it is worth applying for charitable status in our overview.

	Has your organisation got what it takes? Have a look at our essentials to find out.		Still need more? See our glossary of terms. Look at the resources area for useful weblinks and publications.
	Hungry for knowledge? In more depth gives further insight into the key issues.

Learning objectives

By working through this session you will discover:

• What 'charity' means in legal terms.
• The pros and cons of charitable status.
• The three main types of charitable organisation.
• How to set up and register a charity in the UK.
• The role of the Charity Commissioners.