‘I’m worried that a charity might not be operating as it should - what should I do?’ It’s a question no one wants to ask, but sometimes we must. Whether you're a member of the public, a volunteer, or a staff member, Helen Oparinde, NCVS Sector Growth Coordinator, guides you through the process, including the latest guidance (released today, Monday 6 June), to support you through what can be a challenging and uncertain situation.
Member of the public
You might be involved in a charity where, for example, the annual general meeting has been delayed, but the trustees have explained the reason. In situations like this, it’s best to raise any questions directly with the charity’s trustees first. This gives them a chance to explain or correct anything that may have gone wrong. Trustees are the people who lead the charity and make decisions about how it is run.
The Charity Commission does provide support, but its focus is on concerns that could cause serious harm to charities or affect public trust and confidence in them.
On 9 June 2025, the Charity Commission updated its Raising a Concern with the Charity Commission (CC47) guidance. The aim is to make it clearer when you should contact the Commission with a concern, and what the Commission can (and cannot) do as the regulator. A press release alongside the update explained that the changes were made because 8% of the 3,679 public concerns submitted in the last financial year could not be taken further. This was either because they were outside the Commission’s legal powers, or there wasn’t enough information to act on.
The updated guidance makes clear that you should report concerns to the Charity Commission when they involve any of the following:
- A charity breaking the law in a way that significantly damages its reputation and public trust in charities
- Serious harm to people the charity helps, or others who come into contact with the charity
- Charities being used for significant private gain
- A charity being set up for illegal or improper purposes (e.g. tax avoidance)
- A charity losing large sums of money
- A charity losing major assets, such as land or buildings
- Criminal, illegal, or terrorist activity
It’s also important to report criminal allegations to the police, and tax-related concerns to HMRC. The Charity Commission’s role is to look at how charities are run - but it does not investigate crimes themselves.
Member of staff or volunteer
The guidance also covers situations where staff and volunteers may want to raise a concern. It explains that if you disagree with a decision made by the trustees, but that decision was made legally and in line with the charity’s governing document, the Charity Commission will usually not get involved.
There is separate guidance available called Disagreements and Disputes in Charities, which offers advice on resolving disputes between trustees, staff, and members in a way that avoids putting the charity’s funds, reputation, or the people it serves at risk.
If you're a staff member or volunteer with a concern, the first step is to check your organisation’s policies to understand the correct process to follow.
If you’re a staff member reporting certain types of wrongdoing, this is called ‘whistleblowing’. You are legally protected from being treated unfairly at work because of whistleblowing. The Charity Commission’s guidance Report serious wrongdoing at a charity as a worker or volunteer explains this in more detail.
Volunteers, however, are not currently protected by employment law in the same way. This is largely because they don’t hold a paid position that could be lost through dismissal or resignation. But that doesn’t mean the impact is less serious—volunteers can still lose valuable experience or references, which could affect future job opportunities.
Protect, the UK’s whistleblowing charity, believes that concerns from all team members, including unpaid ones, should be heard and taken seriously. They are campaigning for a new whistleblowing bill that would extend legal protection to volunteers, interns, and people on work placements, recognising the important role they play in raising issues that are in the public interest.
Further support
If your charity would like support on reviewing your policies and procedures, please get in touch using our request for support form.
As part of our 150th birthday celebrations, we’re making our regular training free to attend this year. One of our up-and-coming courses is Dealing with Conflict in your Volunteer Programme on Wednesday 16 July 2025. To book a place on that training and view our other training courses, click here.
