Not-for-profit case law update

With the interest in the Jubilee and the succession of the monarchy and programmes such as ‘Who do you think you are’ genealogy is a growing hobby.

• Burke’s Peerage was established by John Burke in London in 1826 during the reign of King George IV. Since then, it has become the definitive guide to the genealogy and heraldry of historical families worldwide. Burkes Peerage Foundation was established to advance education in the subject of genealogy and personal history. It is however currently under inquiry as to the governance and administration carried out by the Trustees and questions concerning filing of annual accounts.
• The Genesis Philanthropy Group was established to educate the public in the arts, culture and heritage of Jewish people. However, three quarters of trustees have been placed on the sanctions list for having connections to Russia. The charity’s assets were frozen but interim managers will now be appointed to allow the charity to continue.
• Raleigh International Trust has ceased to operate. It has cited reduced funding and reduced foreign aid as well as the Covid Pandemic affecting travel for having an irreversible impact. It has entered into a Creditors Voluntary liquidation. It is important that you review finances regularly so that you know if you are solvent or not; spotting the warning signs and seeking appropriate help at that stage can prevent the position that Raleigh International Trust is now in i.e., having to make staff redundant, cancel volunteers and cancel future expeditions.

Finally, some are sounding warning bells for Charity’s to heed the Charity Commission advice –“know your ….”. Blackbaud is a well-known cloud software company with a stated aim of acting for social good. It is utilised by many charities.

However, it has recently been revealed that it has been in a relationship with the NRA (National Rifle Association) for a number of years. In itself this is a commercial agreement and is not being questioned. However, there are some suggestions that charities ought to consider who their suppliers act for before entering into agreements with them.

This may be something that Trustees wish to consider at their next board meeting.