Update on combined list

The Commission is no longer publishing the combined list in its previous format, with the list having now been replaced by the following:

• List of applications in progress
• List of organisations governed by the law of another jurisdiction but operate in Northern Ireland*

The combined list was first introduced by the Commission shortly after charity registration commenced in Northern Ireland, providing a means by which the public could check if a charity, which was not on the public register, was known to the Commission and would be contacted for registration in due course. However, with over 7,800 charities now registered and work moving along to register the remaining charities, where eligible, the combined list has now been phased out. This is in line with one of the recommendations from the Independent Review of Charity Regulation in Northern Ireland.

The public register, available here, lists all the charities registered in Northern Ireland as well as providing information such as what they do, where they work and their annual accounts for applicable years.

Any organisation which may be a charity in Northern Ireland must apply to the Commission for registration; this is regardless of whether or not the organisation is registered with HMRC for charitable tax purposes.

This means that any organisation which:

• has exclusively charitable purposes,
• is governed by the law of Northern Ireland and,
• is an institution, that is, an organisation that is an independent body, the hallmarks of which include having control and direction over its governance and resources

must make the Commission aware of its existence so that it can be called forward to apply for registration. They can do this by completing an expression of intent form (or sometimes via an umbrella body).

When they submit a registration application, the Commission will then determine if the organisation meets the legal definition of a charity, as set out in the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. If an organisation’s registration application is successful, it will become a registered charity and its details will be entered on the public register of charities.

Ends

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is the independent regulator of charities in Northern Ireland, established under the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.

The Commission has statutory functions to determine whether institutions are or are not charities and to establish and maintain an accurate and up-to-date register of charities,

* The Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 refers to organisations which operate for charitable purposes in or from Northern Ireland but were established in law outside of Northern Ireland as “Section 167 institutions”. The Commission cannot call these organisations forward to apply for registration until the Department for Communities has commenced this section of the legislation.