Charities and community groups

The first ever Charities Commission in Northern Ireland was unveiled on 1 June 2009. The new body will have powers to regulate, monitor and, where required, investigate charities.

Charity Commission for Northern Ireland

For the first time in Northern Ireland there will be:

• a clear definition of what is a charity
• a register of all charities operating in Northern Ireland
• a test of what is and isn’t a charity
• a charity regulator – the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI).

CCNI will introduce a regulatory framework for the charitable sector in Northern Ireland, in line with developments in the rest of the UK and Ireland.

• Charity Commission for Northern Ireland website

The makeup of CCNI:

• Chief Commissioner - Thomas McGrath, former chair of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board
• Deputy Chief Commissioner - Mrs Patricia Sloan, Director of BBC Children in Need
• Paul Cavanagh, Chair of Derry Local Strategy Partnership
• Angela Chada. Executive Director of Springboard and board member of Intercomm
• Philip McDonagh, Senior Management Consultant and Chief Economist with PriceWaterhouseCoopers
• Walter Rader, Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland

There will also be a process for anyone to make an appeal against a decision made by the CCNI - the Charity Tribunal for Northern Ireland.

When available, more information about charities will be added to the pages of nidirect.

See also...

• Gift Aid - information for charities (money, tax and benefits section)
• Tax relief when giving to charity through your payslip (money, tax and benefits section)

Do it online

• Find your local council