Set Up Your UK Charity
Get your Charity Commission application right from the start
You know the difference you want to make. What’s less clear is the path through the Charity Commission’s requirements – your charitable objects, governing document, public benefit case, and policies. We prepare a clear, well-structured application with you, so it holds up when the Commission reviews it.
No obligation, you don’t need to be ready to apply. The call tells you where you stand.
Specialists in Charity Commission registration for England & Wales
What working with us gives you
An application that stands up
your charitable objects, public benefit case, and supporting documents prepared clearly and thoroughly, so you avoid unnecessary delays and questions from the Charity Commission.
Your charity, your decisions
you stay involved at every choice that matters while we handle the regulatory detail. No stack of templates, no being left to work it out alone.
Ready to operate from day one
once you’re registered, we help you put the essentials in place: your charity bank account, Gift Aid registration, first trustee meeting, and a simple website.
Not sure whether you’re ready to apply? A free call will give you clarity on what’s needed and whether now is the right time to proceed.
Why Charity Applications Get Refused
The Charity Commission turns down applications for reasons that are almost always preventable. From working with applicants – including people reapplying after a refusal – the same handful of problems come up again and again.
Vague charitable objects
Your objects clause is the legal foundation of the charity, and it’s the part the Commission reads most closely. Something like “to support vulnerable communities” won’t pass – it doesn’t say what the charity will do, who benefits, or how. The Commission needs to see exactly what the charity exists to achieve.
What fails: “To support vulnerable communities.”
What works: “To relieve poverty among refugees and asylum seekers in Manchester by providing emergency food parcels, temporary accommodation, and advice on accessing benefits and employment.”
Poorly defined beneficiaries
“Disadvantaged people” is too broad. The Commission expects a clearly defined group – who they are, where they are, and why they need the charity’s help. Precision here is often what separates an application that moves from one that stalls.
Unrealistic scope
Four charitable purposes across six countries on an income of a few thousand pounds raises immediate questions. The Commission looks for a credible match between ambition, resources, and the capacity to actually deliver. Overreaching at the outset is one of the most common places an application comes unstuck.
Activities that don’t match the purpose
If your objects say “education” but your planned activities read more like executive coaching or political campaigning, the Commission won’t see a charitable purpose. Each activity you describe has to connect, clearly and demonstrably, to the objects you’ve stated.
Thin governance and safeguarding
If your charity works with children, vulnerable adults, or operates overseas, the Commission examines your safeguarding, trustee oversight, and risk management closely. Generic policies, or missing ones, are a frequent cause of delay or refusal.
We’ve helped applicants resolve every one of these, whether they’re starting fresh or rebuilding after a refusal. The earlier we look at your objects, structure, and supporting documents, the fewer you’ll meet on the way through.
Your Charity, Built on Solid Foundations
Evolve Catalyst provides a complete charity setup service for England and Wales. We work alongside you from your first conversation through to a fully registered, operational charity, handling the technical, governance, and regulatory work while you stay involved in the decisions that matter.
We don’t hand you a stack of templates and wish you luck. We prepare your documents, draft your application, and guide you through each stage. If the Charity Commission comes back with questions, we help you handle those.
Here’s how the work breaks down.
Stage 1: Planning and preparation
Before anything gets submitted, we get the foundations right. This is where we spend the most time.
- Work out whether a CIO or a charitable company is the right structure for your charity
- Draft your charitable objects clause to the standard the Commission requires
- Build your public benefit case with clear evidence of need
- Prepare or review your governing document (constitution or articles of association) so it meets Commission requirements
- Advise on trustee recruitment, roles, eligibility, and legal responsibilities
- Check your proposed charity name against the Charity Register, Companies House, and trade mark listings
Stage 2: Registration
With the groundwork done, we move to the application itself.
- Complete the Charity Commission online application form
- Prepare all supporting documents – evidence of need, strategic plan, safeguarding policy, risk management policy, due diligence framework
- Fill in & review the whole application for consistency and accuracy before submission
- Help you respond to follow-up questions from the Charity Commission
Stage 3: Post-registration setup
Registration is a milestone with more to do after it. Once you’re approved, we help you set up your charity to operate.
- Open a dedicated charity bank account with dual authorisation
- Register with HMRC for Gift Aid and applicable tax reliefs
- Hold your first trustee meeting and record the minutes
- Build a basic website to help you get started
Ghamdan Al-Areeky
Founder & Charity Mentor
How It Works
Every charity we set up starts the same way – with a conversation.
A free call to see where you stand
We talk through your goals and where you’ve got to so far. We’ll tell you straight whether charity status is the right route for what you’re planning, and if it is, what it’ll take to get there. No obligation, and no assumption that you’ve already decided to apply.
We build it with you
If you go ahead, we build the application with you. You make the calls that matter; we do the drafting and the paperwork.
You apply, we stay alongside
We get everything ready, then you submit it as the applicant – it’s your charity. If the Commission comes back with questions, we help you answer them.
You’re ready to operate
Once you’re approved, the core setup is in place, and you can get started.
This Service Is For You If…
- You want to start a charity in England and Wales and need help across the whole process - from first steps through to registration and beyond.
- Your application was refused, and you need to work out what went wrong and how to put it right.
- A CIO or a charitable company - you're not sure which structure fits what you're setting out to do.
- The Charity Commission's guidance is one thing; turning it into a workable plan you can act on is another.
- Working with vulnerable people or overseas means safeguarding and due diligence have to be right from the start.
Charity Setup FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up a charity in the UK?
The main steps are: settle your charitable purposes and who the charity will help, choose a structure (most new charities use a CIO or a charitable company), prepare your governing document and objects clause, appoint your trustees, and apply to the Charity Commission. If you choose a CIO, that application is what forms it; with other structures, you must register once your income reaches £5,000 a year. Most of the difficulty lies in the detail. The objects clause is the part that the Charity Commission examines most closely, and it’s where we spend the most time getting things right with you.
How long does it take to register a charity in the UK?
After you submit, the Charity Commission’s decision process often takes around 3 to 6 months, although complex applications can take longer. Before that, preparing everything – your objects, governing document, and supporting policies – usually takes around 4 weeks. We work to get you application-ready efficiently, without cutting corners.
How much does it cost to set up a charity?
There’s no flat figure, because it depends on what your charity needs – the structure you choose, how detailed your objects and beneficiaries are, and whether you’re starting fresh or reapplying after a refusal. The Charity Commission doesn’t charge a fee to register, so what you’re paying for is the preparation: getting the objects, governing document, and supporting paperwork right so the application doesn’t stall or come back refused. We’ll give you a clear figure for your situation on the first call, once we understand what you’re setting up.
What’s the difference between a CIO and a charitable company?
Both are incorporated structures that give the charity its own legal identity and generally provide trustees with greater protection than an unincorporated charity. A CIO registers only with the Charity Commission – there’s no Companies House filing and less ongoing paperwork. A charitable company registers with both Companies House and the Charity Commission, and must comply with company law as well as charity law. For most new charities, a CIO is simpler to set up and run.
Do I need a solicitor to register a charity?
There’s no legal requirement to use one, and plenty of charities are registered by their founders. The catch is that the objects clause, governing document, and public benefit statement all have to meet a specific legal standard, and getting them wrong is what causes delays or a refusal. That’s where thorough preparation makes the biggest difference.
My charity application was refused. Can I reapply?
Yes. You can submit a fresh application once you’ve addressed the issues in the Commission’s refusal letter. That usually means rewriting the objects clause, narrowing your scope, adding operational details, and improving your governance and safeguarding. We help applicants understand what caused the refusal and rebuild the application so the next submission holds up.
Ready to Set Up Your Charity?
Starting from scratch or picking up after a refused application, we’ll help you build a charity that’s properly structured, compliant, and ready to start its work.
Book your call and let’s talk about where you are and what you need.
No obligation, just a clear picture of where you stand.
Based in England. Specialising in Charity Commission registration for England and Wales.