Homelessness Charity Probed for Failing to Act on Legal Order, Says Charity Commission

The Charity Commission has initiated a statutory inquiry into GiftingHumanity, a Leicester-based homelessness charity, following its failure to comply with a legal order. This action follows the charity’s previous involvement in the regulator’s double defaulters class inquiry due to its failure to submit financial accounts for five consecutive years.

In December of the previous year, the Charity Commission mandated GiftingHumanity to file all outstanding financial information. However, the trustees did not fulfill this requirement, leading the regulator to classify this as misconduct and/or mismanagement in the charity’s administration.

Additionally, the charity is currently operating with fewer trustees than required by its governing document, further complicating its governance. The ongoing investigation will scrutinize the trustees’ adherence to their legal obligations concerning the preparation and submission of financial accounts and annual returns. It will also evaluate whether the trustees have followed previously issued regulatory guidance and if the charity has an adequate number of trustees capable of managing it according to its governing document.

The inquiry aims to determine the extent to which any administrative failings or weaknesses are due to misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees. Should further issues arise, the scope of the investigation may be expanded. GiftingHumanity, which also supports individuals affected by disasters, reported an income of £247,000 for the fiscal year ending April 2018. However, its accounts for 2018-19 are overdue by over 1,700 days, as noted on the regulator’s website. This situation underscores the importance of accountability and transparency within organizations, reflecting the biblical principle of stewardship and the call for integrity in all dealings, as highlighted in Micah 6:8.

Source: Read the original report