Charity register causes row
Howard Lake | 3 May 2006 | News
A commercial company attempting to establish a register of charities in Northern Ireland has become embroiled in a dispute with the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, an umbrella body for the charity sector. PCI Consulting, based in Derry, has accused NICVA of ‘actively opposing’ the project.
PCI Consulting wrote to charities in Northern Ireland recently inviting them to join their ‘Register of Approved Charities’ with the stated objectives of promoting better relations between the charity sector and businesses, to give donors comfort that the charities are well run and to encourage efficiency. A subsequent email sent by NICVA to their members and subscribers was unenthusiastic about the project and highlighted the £200 annual fee.
PCI in turn attacked NICVA’s attitude and pointed out the £400 average cost to their members and claimed they needed £1.9 million to serve ‘around 20%’ of the sector. They describe NICVA’s comments as ‘unwarranted and unjustified.’ NICVA say their membership fees run from £40 to £200 depending on the member’s income and they provide a range of services, including a fortnightly information bulletin.
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The Government is currently in the process of establishing its own official register of charities as the Charity Commission’s remit does not extend to Northern Ireland.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.