Letter by Helen Stephenson to large charities
Published 25 June 2020
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Dear
I know that, at this time of national crisis, many in the voluntary sector are facing severe financial strain, and charities such as yours are playing a crucial role in the Coronavirus response.
In the last few months we have seen, more than ever, how communities rely on the work of charities, particularly those providing vital services. This has demonstrated, beyond doubt, that the will of the public to do good is not dimmed and that, even when we are in lockdown, people’s desire to help and support each other is as strong as ever. Even under current constraints, they have shown how much they value and wish to support charities, and have found new ways to raise money and volunteer their time. But we should never take that public support for granted.
Over the past few years, we have seen grave governance failings in some household name charities. These failings have resulted in serious incidents which have put people at risk of harm and exposed the charities in question to financial and reputational damage. These cases have also impacted the sector as a whole. The most recent of these is outlined in the Charity Commission’s inquiry report (published on 25 June 2020) into the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
We cannot ignore the potential impact of these failings on public trust and on the support on which charity relies. I am, therefore, writing to you as leader of a large charity involved in service delivery to consider the issues set out in the regulatory alert, and to ensure you understand and implement adequate and clear lines of accountability in the governance of your charity.
I know that this is a very difficult time, both for the country and for the sector, and I am mindful of the significant demands being on placed on those running charities. But irrespective of the current context, the matters raised through our inquiries are extremely important, and need to be raised with you now.
If you have any questions or concerns about points raised in the alert, please do get in touch. Our call centre also remains available to answer questions you may have in relation to your charity and our updated guidance on COVID-19 can be found here.
You can call the Commission from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, on 0300 066 9197.
Thank you