Something like "to promote and advance the above goals through the
provision of information in the UK or overseas" might suffice.
Political campaigning and charities is an interesting line. Plenty of
charities campaign on issues related to their charitable objectives -
eg Shelter emailed me recently to ask me to email the Chancellor,
Terrence Higgins Trust wanted me to email my MP, Oxfam wanted me to
support Tony Blair for the "Make Trade Fair"/Live 8 campaign - but the
purpose of those campaigns must be to advance their charitable
objectives.
Anything explicitly set up to overturn laws, or change Government
policy, is poo-pooed by the Charity Commission - hence why political
parties are not charities.
Amnesty is interesting - everything that can be a charity is (eg
helping victims with medical aid), everything that can't, isn't.
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/amnesty/aiukstructure.shtml
I agree though - a quick check over before incorporation is easier than
after...
Regrettably, I only have a contract lawyer as a friend - good luck with
the search for one more specialist.
Scott
On Wednesday, December 14, 2005, at 11:49 am, Andrew Walker wrote:
We need to find out (from our lawyer or from the
Charities commission)
if object e) would rule out our registration as a charity and if
objects a) to d) give us implicit permission to campaign as an
ancillary purpose without stating this. An alternative would be to
make sure we have a catch all object "to engage in any activity to
further the ..." if this is permitted.
Andreww
On 12/14/05, Cormac Lawler <cormaggio(a)gmail.com> wrote:
On 12/14/05, Gordon Joly
<gordon.joly(a)pobox.com> wrote:
The current set of objects (a) to (e) has the following (final)
object:
e) to campaign if necessary against impediments and restrictions to
the
above goals, wheresoever enacted, in the United Kingdom or overseas.
But the Charities Commission guidelines at
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc9.asp
state:
3. However, where the campaign or other activity is of a political
nature (ie seeking to advocate or oppose a change in the law or
public policy), charity trustees must ensure that these activities do
not become the dominant means by which they carry out the purposes of
the charity. These activities must remain incidental or ancillary to
the charity's purposes.
Does the fact that one of our five objects (and a reference to the
other four) give us explicit campaigning purpose and as hence as at
odds with the above clause? See also the rest of "CC9"
CC9 - Campaigning and Political Activities by Charities
(Version - September 2004)
I haven't read the above document(s), but the reason for this
suggestion was that *if* we ever felt the need to campaign for a
change in the law (in the UK or abroad), having this explicitly stated
in the objects would allow us to do it. Campaigning will not be our
predominant activity, so I still think we fit within the Charity
Commision's guidelines.
Cormac
_______________________________________________
Wikimediauk-l mailing list
Wikimediauk-l(a)Wikimedia.org
http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l
_______________________________________________
Wikimediauk-l mailing list
Wikimediauk-l(a)Wikimedia.org
http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l
Scott Keir + scottkeir(a)yahoo.co.uk + 44(0)7811 266225
+ I've moved to: 76 Longridge Road, London, SW5 9SQ +
___________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail
http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com