This page contains information on our current and previous consultations. The Commission is keen to hear your views on the aspects of the work that we are consulting on.

Recent Consultations

Public benefit and registration guidance consultation

The Commission's most recent consultation was on our Public benefit statutory guidance and Registering as a charity in Northern Ireland: guidance. This consultation ended on Monday 6 May 2013.

Thank-you to everyone who took the time to contribute to our consultation and share their views on our draft guidance.

All consultation responses we have received will be analysed and collated, with a summary of responses provided on our website in the summer of 2013. The updated public benefit and registration guidance will also be published in the summer, in preparation for compulsory charity registration to begin later in 2013.

To read or download copies of all our public benefit and registration guidance consultation documents please see the list below.

We strongly recommended that anyone interested in taking part in our consultation, including anyone attending our consultation events, read our: Public benefit statutory guidance, the Public and Benefit Elements and our Registering as a charity in Northern Ireland: guidance.

You may also wish to read the guidance document which is relevant to your charity's purpose.

    Key guidance documents:

• Statutory guidance on public benefit (pdf, 3,471KB)
• Public and Benefit Elements (pdf, 804KB)
• Consultation on public benefit and registration guidance (pdf, 544KB)
• Registering as a charity in Northern Ireland: guidance for consultation (pdf, 793KB)

    Guidance documents related to each charitable purpose:

• The prevention or relief of poverty supporting guidance (pdf, 776KB)
• The advancement of education supporting guidance (pdf, 806KB)
• The advancement of religion supporting guidance (pdf, 807KB)
• The advancement of health or the saving of lives supporting guidance (pdf, 782KB)
• The advancement of citizenship or community development supporting guidance (pdf, 770KB)
• The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science supporting guidance (pdf, 790KB
• The advancement of amateur sport supporting guidance (pdf, 785KB)
• The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity supporting guidance (pdf, 797KB)
• The advancement of environmental protection or improvement supporting guidance (pdf, 792KB)
• The relief of those in need supporting guidance (pdf, 771KB)
• The advancement of animal welfare supporting guidance (pdf, 807KB)
• Any other purposes supporting guidance (pdf, 749KB)

    Supporting documents:

• Glossary (pdf, 424KB)
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Consultation on our draft Equality Scheme and Action Plan 2012-2017

In 2012 the Commission held a consultation on our draft Equality Scheme and Action Plan 2012-2017. This consultation ended on Friday 8 June 2012.

You can view the consultation documents on the links below:

Equality Scheme and Action Plan easy read document (MS Word, 4.18MB)

Equality Scheme and Action Plan summary document (MS Word 541KB)

Thank you to all of those who took the time to respond. We received a wide range of feedback and comments. The revised Equality Scheme and Action Plan has now been forwarded to the Equality Commission.

A summary of responses received is now available. This document includes general information about the consultation as well as a summary of the responses received.

Draft Equality Scheme and Action Plan - Summary of responses to our consultation (MS Word 186 KB)

Draft Equality Scheme and Action Plan - Summary of responses to our consultation (PDF 184 KB)

 

If you have any queries about our current or previous consultations please contact us.