Sarah Atkinson - Charity Commission

ePolitix.com speaks to Sarah Atkinson of the Charity Commission about the launch of their new toolkit, designed to help MPs.

Question: What exactly is the new Charity Commission toolkit and how will it help MPs?

Sarah Atkinson: As the charity regulator, we get a huge number of letters, emails and calls from MPs and their staff asking us for advice and information about charities. Often the same queries come up time and time again, and sometimes we’re not even the right organisation to respond (queries about tax breaks for charities, for example, should go to Revenue & Customs). 

We’ve developed a series of simple, practical factsheets to give answers to the most common questions MPs ask the Commission, along with advice and information which we think they’ll find useful. 

All this is packaged in a handy toolkit which also includes key contact information – so MPs and their offices have a special resource which gives them tailored information and advice about charities, and points them in the right direction to get further assistance.

Question: What do MPs need to know about charities and why?

Sarah Atkinson: With around 190,000 registered charities in England and Wales, every MP has charities operating in their constituency delivering services, providing amenities and offering support and advice to people – so most MPs feel pretty familiar with the work that charities do. 

What they may not know so much about is general information about charities – how many there are, which charities are engaged in a particular activity, or how to go about registering a new charity or finding advice about running a charity. 

And of course, often, MPs want to know, for themselves or for their constituents, how to deal with a particular concern or complaint about a charity.

Question: How do MPs interact with charities? How would the toolkit improve this interaction?

Sarah Atkinson:  Lots of MPs and peers are active supporters of charities, and you only have to look at the register of all party groups or see the nominees for the ePolitix Charity Champion Awards to know that relationships between charities and parliamentarians are, on the whole, active, constructive and productive. 

However, we do know that there are some issues where we can do more to help parliamentarians understand the framework within which charities operate. For example, complaints about charities – especially about fundraising or marketing – are usually best directed to the charity itself, and in fact, it’s helpful for a charity to know if their material or activity is not having the reaction they hoped. 

We also have a role to play in making clear what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour for charities – sometimes, for example, it’s assumed that a charity shouldn’t be engaged in political debate at all but in fact, political campaigning can be a perfectly legitimate way for a charity to support the delivery of its objectives, and we have recently published rewritten guidance to help charities and others understand the requirements of the law in this area. 

Question: What are the most common questions MPs ask the Charity Commission?

Sarah Atkinson: Unsurprisingly, the majority of queries we get are about constituency issues involving charities, rather than national policy issues.  Often, a local charity has got into difficulties and the MP wants us to give the charity some advice or step in to protect the interests of the local community. 

Issues involving the sale of land, buildings or property can be controversial locally, and MPs want to know from us what's happening and what they can expect. And MPs do contact us with complaints about charities – which can range from objections to the way a charity is fundraising or campaigning, to a complaint about a service that a charity is delivering, to a worry that a charity is being misused.

We're also often asked by MPs about when and how to set up a charity, and of course, what advice they can give their constituents about checks to be sure their donations are going to a genuine charity.

Question: What difference does a charity’s size make to how efficiently it campaigns and engages MPs?

Sarah Atkinson: I don't think a charity's size makes as much difference as people might think in how well it engages with MPs. Some of the larger charities have the advantage of a dedicated and specialist public affairs team, which means they have more resource, and perhaps sometimes more skill, to dedicate to developing campaigns that will inspire parliamentarians.  However, smaller charities can sometimes be more innovative, which can certainly deliver results. 

In the end, I think MPs will tell you that the cause matters more to them than the size of an organisation, and certainly there are some things that charities can do to maximise the success of their campaigns: base your campaign on evidence drawn from your experience of working for the cause, and as much as possible make sure the voices of your beneficiaries or users are heard directly in your campaign; aim to build relationships across the political parties, as charitable causes are one of the few things that can truly cross party boundaries; work in collaboration with other charities wherever possible to magnify your voice. 

Above all, take every opportunity to bring the issues to life for your supporters. Our recent research into public trust and confidence in charities shows that direct experience of what a charity does is the biggest driver of trust in charities.

Question: Will you be doing anything to mark the toolkit launch?

Sarah Atkinson: We're launching the toolkit at a workshop for MPs and their staff at the House of Commons on July 8. As well as handing out the toolkits, Commission staff will be on hand to offer advice and answer any questions about charities or the Commission's role. 

We'll also be offering MPs and their staff a preview of our new online register search, where for the first time parliamentarians will be able to call up online a list of all the charities based in their constituency – something which we know they will find useful. 

Anyone who would like to join us should contact our Parliamentary team on 020 7674 2322 or email max.wind-cowie@charitycommission.gsi.gov.uk