The Charities Regulator’s 2021 Annual Report, shows that only 64% of registered charities had filed their annual reports on time, which is within 10 months of the charity’s financial year-end. These annual reports provide an overview of a charity’s finances and activities in the previous year and are published on the public Register of Charities.
Helen Martin, Chief Executive of the Charities Regulator said: “The question for charities is whether they can afford not to comply with the requirement to file annual reports. Funding is the number one concern for charities we surveyed¹ last year, and as inflation brings an increased cost of living, it will remain so. There is a strong link between greater transparency and accountability by charities and public trust in the sector, according to the public², making the charity’s annual report to the Charities Regulator an important means for registered charities to provide basic information to the public on their finances and activities in the previous year.”