Thinking about becoming a charity

Published: 02/04/2019

Updated: 02/04/2019

There are lots of different charities in Scotland and lots of different reasons why people set them up. But, there are some basic points that everyone thinking about setting up a charity needs to consider.

OSCR publishes general guidance, but we can’t advise if becoming a charity is right for you. This is because, as regulator, we have to make decisions about applications and because each case is individual.

We strongly recommend you get advice if you’re thinking about setting up a charity. See the sources of help and advice for more details.

We have set out 5 key steps, with questions and information, to help you make the right decision:

Step 1 Do you need to be a charity?

Step 2 What it means to be a charity

Step 3 10 Questions to ask if you’re thinking about setting up a charity

Step 4 Ready to apply?

Step 5 How to apply

Sources of help and advice

Step 1 Do you need to be a charity? >