More than 2,000 charities in Northern Ireland have not accessed their online record in a year, putting them at risk of failing to update their details with the regulator, which can lead to regulatory action.
The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland has said that only 62 per cent of registered charities have accessed their online record on the register of charities in the past 11 months. The CCNI has said it finds that figure “suspiciously low”.
It says that as a result, 4 in 10 registered Northern Ireland charities are at risk of possible regulatory action for failing to keep their details up-to-date with the charity regulator.
Tom McGrath, Chief Charity Commissioner, said: “It’s important that charity trustees remember that charity registration is not the end of the process. The responsibilities of charity trustees to the Commission go far beyond that.
“A figure of just 62 per cent of charities accessing their online account in the past year is suspiciously low, yet the consequences for a charity that is uncontactable are potentially very serious.
“We would urge every charity that has not accessed its online record to do so as soon as possible, check whether the information is correct and make any necessary changes”.
The Commission has said it is concerned that 18,000 charity trustees, representing 2,124 charities, may miss important messages and calls-to-actions from the regulator. It said they may also be failing in their duties to be transparent and provide accurate information to inform the public about their work.
In March, a report from CCNI outlined how failure to update details has led to one charity failing to submit its annual financial accounts and going into default, and another having a concern submitted about its management. It said that while in these occasions formal guidance was considered appropriate, the Commission does have the power to issue orders and take further legal action if matters are more serious.
The CCNI says that when a charity registers with the Commission it is provided with an online account which it can access via a username and password to make necessary changes. Keeping the register up-to-date is a legal requirement, but it also helps ensure that the charity receives reminders of reporting deadlines.
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