Write down your aims and objectives clearly on paper so one may easily read them and act. The first step to accessing funding for your group or organisation is to define your aims and objectives demonstrating that they are for the public benefit if it is to be recognised and registered as a charity in England and Wales.

What is the ‘public benefit requirement’?

‘Public benefit’ is the legal requirement that every organisation set up for one or more charitable aims must be able to demonstrate that its aims are for the public benefit if it is to be recognised and registered as a charity in England and Wales. This is known as the ‘public benefit requirement’.

Although all charities have always had to meet the public benefit requirement, the Charities Act highlights it by requiring all charities to demonstrate, explicitly, that their aims are for the public benefit, including charities advancing education or religion, or relieving poverty, which were previously presumed to be for the public benefit.

What are the principles of public benefit?  

The two key principles of public benefit are that there must be an identifiable benefit or benefits, and benefit must be to the public, or a section of the public.

There must be an identifiable benefit or benefits

It must be clear what the benefits are

The benefits must be related to the aims

Benefits must be balanced against any detriment or harm

Benefit must be to the public, or section of the public

The beneficiaries must be appropriate to the aims

Where benefit is to a section of the public, the opportunity to benefit must not be unreasonably restricted by geographical or other restrictions.

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A constitution is simply the aims and rules that your group will use, also considered as a legal document. It consists of a statement of what your group is going to do and how it is going to do it and usually a template to be adapted specifically for each individual organisation. It is important because:

• Without this written understanding people can easily find themselves at cross purposes and the jobs won’t get done
• It will serve as a reference, and help to resolve problems in times of controversy
• Outsiders, especially potential funders, will want to see that your group is democratic and accountable. This involves having a clear procedure by which decisions are made – this is usually in form of a template.

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Running any group costs money, and it’s a good idea to start thinking at the beginning about where to get it from and how to look after it. As soon as your group has some money, it is a good idea to give someone responsibility for keeping track of it (the Treasurer).

Having a group bank account is the best way to make sure the group’s money is kept safely. Most high street banks offer special accounts for community groups. You will need to have at least two members of the group willing to act as signatories. Funders usually require (and it’s a sensible precaution in any case) that you have a bank account where each cheque has to be signed by two people.

Opening a bank account for your community group can take several weeks, or even a few months. Be careful to fill the application form in thoroughly and send all the information that is requested. The bank may still write to ask for further details before opening the account.

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A business plan isn’t written once; it’s a living document that you return to periodically to help you spot potential pitfalls before they happen.

A business plan is a written description of your business’s future. That’s all there is to it–a document that describes what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. A business plan is also a road map that provides directions so a business can plan its future and helps it avoid bumps in the road.

It gives you direction.

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Developing a monitoring and evaluation framework helps clarify which pieces of information to collect to evidence your story of change.

It is good practice to include people who will be collecting the data when you develop your framework. You could also involve beneficiaries, volunteers, trustees, partner organisations or funders.

Ideally, write your framework before your project starts so you can make sure you are collecting appropriate data from the beginning.

It measures growth and progress.

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