Closed consultations

This section contains information and reports on the Commission's previous public consultations, which have now closed:

• Joint consultation on draft Strategic Plan 2023- 2026 and Engagement strategy
• New and amended questions in the Annual Return Regulations 2019 and the online registration application
• Comment phase: draft Strategic plan 2018-22
• Consultation on proposed action for charities that have failed basic compliance checks
• Public consultation on proposed changes to the Annual Monitoring Return 2018
• Matters of material significance: UK wide consultation
• Public consultation on draft accounting and reporting guidance
• Setting the Commission’s strategic agenda
• Equality guidance for charities
• Receipts and payments draft introductory notes
• Participation strategy consultation
• Interim reporting requirements for registered charities consultation
• Public benefit and registration guidance consultation
• Equality scheme and action plan 2012-2017 consultation

Consultation now closed: Joint consultation on draft Strategic Plan 2023- 2026 and Engagement strategy

The Commission's joint public consultation on a new strategic plan 2023-26 and a new engagement strategy, both of which are being undertaken following the Independent Review of Charity Regulation commissioned by the Minister for Communities in January 2021, is now closed.

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to contribute to our consultation and share their views on these proposed changes. We have listened to your views, which are reflected in the consultation report below, which also explains what the Commission will do in response to this feedback.

Consultation now closed: new and amended questions in the Annual Return Regulations 2019 and the online registration application

The Commission's public consultation on  new and amended questions to be included in the Annual Return Regulations 2019 and the charity registration application form is now closed.

This eight week consultation opened on Tuesday 27 August 2019 and closed at 5pm on Tuesday 22 October 2019. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to contribute to our consultation and share their views on these proposed changes.

The responses received were analysed and collated and a consultation report, providing an overview of the public consultation process and outlining how we considered the responses received, is available below.

Comment phase now closed: draft Strategic Plan 2018-22

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland sought the views of stakeholders on its draft Strategic Plan 2019-2022.

This eight-week consultation opened on Wednesday 19 September 2018 and closed at 5pm on Monday 12 November 2018. Your views are important to the Commission and we would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their views on the proposals in the draft plan.

All responses received during the consultation have now been analysed and collated. Our feedback report, including an analysis of the responses received and an outline our next steps, is available below as a pdf.

 

Consultation on proposed action for charities that have failed basic compliance checks

The Commission sought the views on action it proposes to take when the accounts and reports of registered charities fail basic compliance testing.

Basic compliance checks are checks carried out on annual monitoring returns (AMRs) submitted by registered charities under the annual reporting programme. The aim is to ensure that the information submitted complies with the fundamental requirements of charity legislation.

This eight-week consultation ran from 26 September 2018 to 21 November 2018. Your views are important to the Commission and we would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their views on the proposals in the draft plan.

When we have analysed the responses we will compile a report setting out where and how we have taken into account the responses provided during this process. We will alert those who took part in the consultation when the report is available.

Public consultation on proposed changes to the Annual Monitoring Return 2018

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland ran a public consultation on proposed changes to the Annual Monitoring Return 2018.

This 10 week consultation opened on Tuesday 12 September 2017 and closed at 5pm on Tuesday 21 November 2017. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to contribute to our consultation and share their views on these proposed changes.

The responses we received will now be analysed and collated. A full consultation report, providing an overview of the public consultation process and outlining how we considered the responses we received will be available in Spring 2018.

We will alert those who took part in the consultation when the report is available.

Matters of material significance: UK wide consultation

The UK-wide consultation on new matters of material significance, to be reported to the charity regulators by auditors and independent examiners, has now closed.

Under the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008, auditors and examiners who become aware of a matter which they believe would be of material significance are under a duty to make a written report on the matter to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (“the Commission”). What constitutes matters of material significance are not set out in the legislation and it is instead for the Commission to advise what we expect to be reported to us.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) previously published a single list of matters which applied to England, Wales and Scotland. With the introduction of full annual reporting for registered charities in Northern Ireland, CCEW and OSCR are keen to work with the Commission to develop a revised policy which would apply throughout the UK.

This approach would help ease regulatory burdens on cross-border charities and ensure auditors’ and examiners’ guidance on these matters is common across charity law jurisdictions in the UK.

A public consultation on the revised UK-wide matters of material significance policy opened on Thursday 19 May 2016. This consultation ran for 16 weeks, closing on Sunday 11 September 2016.

The proposed policy drops one of the existing eight reportable matters and adds three new matters. The new matters are areas where charity regulators have an interest and where it has been found that reports are not always made.  It is hoped that, by including these extra matters, auditors and independent examiners will be clearer in the areas they should be reporting.

The resulting 10 matters of material significance would be common to all the UK charity regulators.

---

Public consultation on draft accounting and reporting guidance

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's public consultation on its draft accounting and reporting guidance for registered charities is now closed. The consultation opened on Friday 18 December 2015 and closed on Friday 11 March 2016.

All feedback received by the Commission is valued and we thank everyone who took the time to contribute to the consultation and share their views on the draft guidance.

All responses received during the consultation have now been analysed and collated. Our consultation report, including information about the consultation, and the draft guidance are available below as pdfs.

Consultation report

Draft guidance

---

Setting the Commission’s strategic agenda

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is developing a new strategic plan, outlining how the Commission will work to deliver the statutory framework governing charity regulation in Northern Ireland over the next three years.

To support the Commission in setting its strategic agenda for 2016-19, the Commission recently sought the views and suggestions of interested parties on possible priorities and objectives for a draft strategic plan.

This comment phase closed on Monday 7 September 2015  and the Commission is now analysing the feedback received in preparation for preparing a draft strategic plan for 2016-19.

---

Equality guidance for charities

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland ran a 12-week public consultation on its draft Equality guidance for charities in Northern Ireland from Tuesday 3 February 2015 to Tuesday 28 April 2015.

All responses received during the consultation have now been analysed and collated. Our consultation report, including information about the consultation, and the draft guidance are available below as pdfs. You may also be interested in reading our Equality guidance for charities: FAQs.

The finalised version of the equality guidance is available in the Charity essentials section of the website here.

---

Receipts and payments draft introductory notes

The Commission’s Receipts and payments draft introductory notes were open for comment from interested parties between 4 July 2014 and 31 October 2014. 

Following this comment phase, the Commission will now analyse the feedback received and prepare the final version of the introductory notes.

For more information, or to read the Commission's Receipts and payments draft introductory notes, finalised Receipts and payments toolkit and Example receipts and payments accounts please visit the Accounting and reporting essentials section of our website.

---

---

Participation strategy consultation

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland ran a public consultation its Participation strategy from Tuesday 6 May 2014 until Monday 30 June 2014.

All responses received during the consultation have now been analysed and collated. Our consultation report, including information about the consultation, our plans for the future and how we listened to the feedback we received, is available below: 

The Participation strategy consultation document and FAQs are also available using the links below:

All responses received have now been analysed and collated. Our full consultation report, which includes general information about the consultation, as well as a summary of responses received, are available to read or download below: 

The consultation document, including a copy of the draft annual monitoring return, and a series of frequently asked questions, are also available:

Background to the interim reporting requirements consultation

Prior to the beginning of registration in December, charities in Northern Ireland were not required to submit annual monitoring returns or accounts and reports to the Commission for inspection. This changed following the beginning of compulsory registration on 16 December 2013, with annual reporting by charities playing an important role in the Commission’s regulation and monitoring work as well as helping to ensure the register of charities is accurate and up to date.

To make the process for regulation and monitoring of charities as accessible and smooth as possible, the reporting requirements for registered charities in Northern Ireland will be introduced on a phased basis.

The Commission’s consultation focussed on phase one, the interim requirements. Under this phase, registered charities will have to submit an annual monitoring return, including their annual accounts and reports in the format they currently prepare them, to the Commission for annual inspection.

The interim requirements will last until the full accounting and reporting regulations, made by the Department for Social Development, come into effect (phase two). A further consultation on phase two is anticipated in 2014.

---

 

Public benefit and registration guidance consultation

The Commission ran a consultation on the draft public benefit statutory guidance and registering as a charity in Northern Ireland guidance in early 2013. This consultation ended on Monday 6 May 2013.

All consultation responses received have been analysed and collated. Our full consultation report, which includes general information about the consultation as well as a summary of the responses received, is available to read or download below:

Following this consultation, we have also now published The public benefit requirement statutory guidance, Registering as a charity in Northern Ireland guidance and supporting documents which provide further information on the 12 charitable purposes. All of these finalised documents are available to read or download here.

To read or download copies of the draft public benefit and registration guidance consultation documents please use the links below.

---

 

Equality scheme and action plan 2012-2017 consultation

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:

Thank you to all of those who took the time to respond. We received a wide range of feedback and comments. The final version of our Integrated equality scheme and action plan 2012-2017 is available to read or download from our website here.

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

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