About the Charities Commission
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Background
The Charities Commission was established as an autonomous Crown Entity on 1 July 2005. It is headed by Chief Executive Trevor Garrett and governed by a Board appointed by the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Hon. Winnie Laban.
Functions
The functions of the Charities Commission are determined by the Charities Act, which was passed in April 2005. Broadly, these are:
- to register and monitor charitable entities in New Zealand; and
- to provide education and support to the charitable sector.
The Charities Commission also:
- promotes public confidence in the charitable sector;
- encourages best practice in governance and management of charitable organisations;
- provides advice on matters relating to charities to government; and
- promotes or undertakes research into matters relating to charities.
The Charities Register
New Zealand’s register of charitable entities opens to accept applications on 1 February 2007. Charities will have until 1 July 2008 to register with the Commission before their tax exempt status is affected.
Registration is voluntary and has no bearing on the legal status of an organisation. The Charities Commission will assure the public that if a charity appears on the Register, that charity is engaged in genuinely charitable acts. In this context, charities that register with the Commission will benefit from improved public trust and confidence in their activities.
The public will be able to search the Register on this website for information about the nature, activities and purposes of registered charities in New Zealand.
Registration forms
The forms required for registration will be available on the Charities Commission website, and in hard copy, from 1 February 2007.
In the meantime, a copy of the regulations (which contain the forms) is here. If your organisation is considering registration, take advantage of this preview to get a feel for the level of information we are likely to ask you to provide.
Further information
For more information about the Charities Commission or registration under the Charities Act, please browse this website.
You can also call the Charities Commission on free phone 0508 242 748.
To get updates by email, please send your name, organisation and contact details to info@charities.govt.nz.