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FOREWORD
The concept of "charity" has existed in England and Wales – both in religious organisations and beyond – for far longer than the government has regulated the institutions which administer it. There have been differences of opinion as to what it means exactly — translators of the Bible have differed over whether "agape" should be rendered "charity" or "love" but they have agreed that the requirement to love others is a fundamental aspect of religious expression. Even this debate on translation shows the closeness of "charity" and "love" and therefore the esteem with which charity has been held in religious thought. Historically people may have disagreed on the precise meaning of charity,
but this has not really mattered because doing it has always been far more important than de ning it.
Nowadays, the law in England and Wales has set clear boundaries as to what a charity is. There are thirteen different types of charitable purpose set out in the Charities Act 2011. These include the advancement of religion, the advancement of education, the relief of poverty, the advancement of health and the saving of lives, the advancement of human rights and con ict resolution and more. Charities reach into every part of England and Wales, and often work internationally. They rely on generosity and, with the aim of preserving and protecting this, the Charity Commission was formed in 1853. Today our primary objective is to promote public trust and con dence in charities.
In speaking to a broad range of religious charities, with diverse views on what the purpose of human life is and of what spiritual authority we are responsible to, we might expect questioning on the validity of charity law and even of The Commission as a civil regulator. However, it is both positive and interesting
that that this is not our experience. Nearly always the people we engage with
in religious charities are clear that our legal expectations are entirely consistent with their understanding of higher truths. The belief that charitable donations should be protected to achieve as much positive change as possible, and categorically not mismanaged, unites people of different beliefs. It is great to hear so much support for this when people come together at multi-faith events.
It is trustees who have ultimate legal responsibility for the administration of their charities. Trustees have legal duties, and you will nd more information about this in our guidance "The Essential Trustee", as well as a helpful summary within this book. These duties are not meant to be unduly burdensome, trustees
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