The Charity Commission’s chief executive has told voluntary organisations to “stop being shy” about the impact they make and discussed plans for a change in reporting requirements.
At the commission’s annual public meeting yesterday, David Holdsworth said he would change reporting requirements for charities “to make more visible the sheer scale, impact and outcomes charities achieve”.
“Demonstrating the impact and amazing outcome charities achieve has never been more important,” he told the event at King’s Place in London.
“Our research tells us, consistently over many years, that what matters to people is information about how money is spent by a charity, knowing what charity achieves, knowing how it achieves its purpose, makes a difference to public trust and confidence.
“Respond to this. Understand that transparency and impact reporting really do matter. Thinking about demonstrating your impact should run like a golden thread through everything you do.
“We will work with you to evolve reporting requirements to make more visible the sheer scale, impact and outcomes charities achieve.
“It is time to stop being shy about your impact.”
Commission will ‘regulate robustly’ and support charities
Holdsworth, who took over from Helen Stephenson as the commission’s CEO earlier this year, urged the government to “recognise that charities not only occupy space the state and the market have never been able to reach or don’t currently reach”.
He encouraged charities to respond to a consultation on the government’s plans for a covenant setting out the relationship between the state and the sector.
“The fundamental collective challenge for all charities now and into the future is to hold true to your core charitable mission whilst influencing, anticipating and adapting to inevitable change,” he said.
“Be confident in rising to today’s challenges as you have always done. Be confident in thinking differently about the best way to adapt and deliver your charitable purpose.
“And finally, be confident that we at the commission will regulate robustly, because, as our research shows, it does mean [the] public trusts the sector.
“But we will also be right there with you, supporting you to achieve your potential, so communities can thrive and achieve their potential.”
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