Increased Public Engagement with Charities Register Soars by Nearly 90%

Access and viewing of charity records on the public Register of Charities jumped significantly last year, according to figures published today (24.07.24) by the Charities Regulator in its Annual Report 2023. The report shows 248,858 views of records of Irish-registered charities on the Register of Charities last year, an increase of 87% from the previous year (133,428). The records provide information on the finances and activities of charities. These are taken from the statutory annual reports that charities must submit to the Charities Regulator within ten months of the end of their financial year.

At the end of 2023, there were 11,516 charities registered in Ireland—ranging from small volunteer-only charities to multi-national organisations. A total of 130 new charities were registered during 2023. An estimated 281,250 people were employed within the charity sector in 2023 – equivalent to almost one in eight workers in Ireland.

Interim Chief Executive Madeleine Delaney commented, “Public trust underpins the charity sector and is linked to transparency and accountability within the industry. Filing annual reports is a simple way for charities to show their commitment to transparency and accountability while providing vital information to donors, funders and others who check the Register of Charities.

Charity trustees oversee their organisations, and the majority work hard to run their charities well and to further their charitable purpose while meeting their legal obligations. However, a significant number of charities are still failing to file their annual reports on time. To improve this, in autumn 2023, we commenced a targeted compliance programme, contacting more than 1,700 charities that were late or had not filed at least one annual report. We also initiated prosecutions during the year against eight charities that had failed to file at least one annual report with us. The compliance programme continues into 2024, alongside our primary work supporting charities through guidance and materials to promote good governance.”

She added: “We also delivered a significant work programme during 2023 to increase public trust and confidence in the charity sector. This included an information campaign to promote and support informed giving to charities by encouraging people to check the Register of Charities before donating through checkacharity.ie. The campaign contributed to a 33% increase in visits to the Search the Register webpage and over a quarter of a million views of charity records, a year-on-year increase of 87%.  This shows that accountability is important to the Irish public. It also highlights why charity trustees must ensure their charity’s record on the public Register is current.”

Other figures of note in the annual report include:

• ‘Advancement of education’ is the most common charitable purpose, cited by 32% of registered charities.
•  Some 52% of registered charities (excluding schools) are volunteer-only organisations.
• Most charities (60%) (excluding schools) have annual income of less than €250,000.
• 58% of registered charities filed their statutory annual reports with the Charities Regulator on time (on par with 2022 figures), and 78% had filed by the end of 2023 (up from 73% in 2022).
• During the year, 632 concerns were raised with the Charities Regulator, a slight drop from 2022. The Charities Regulator closed 654 concerns in 2023—an 18.1% increase compared to 2022. It opened one statutory investigation.
• ‘Search the Register’ was the most popular page on the Charities Regulator’s website, with a 33% increase in traffic compared to 2022.

The Charities Regulator’s remit is grounded in legislation, particularly the Charities Act 2009. The Charities (Amendment) Act 2024, which was recently passed, includes a series of revisions and updates to the primary legislation. The advancement of human rights as a charitable purpose, provisions for greater financial transparency, and defining charity trustee duties are significant new provisions included in the amending legislation.

Speaking on the publication of the Charities Regulator’s annual report, Minister of State responsible for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD, said: “The 2023 Annual Report underlines the importance of public trust and confidence in our registered charities. Our charity sector is an essential and valued part of Irish society, and it is vital that the public feel confident in the work of charities and their governance.

The provisions contained in the Charities (Amendment) Act 2024, in consolidating the existing legal framework for the Charities Regulator to conduct its statutory functions, will strengthen this valued sector, ensuring greater transparency, clarity and fairness, which will serve to enhance public confidence in the sector itself.”

The Minister continued:  “I want to take this opportunity to recognise the vital role of the Charities Regulator and to extend my thanks to the Chair and the Board of the Regulator, the management, and the staff for their ongoing hard work and dedication in providing support, guidance, and oversight to our charities.”

Chair of the board of the Charities Regulator board, Gerry Kearney, added: “A critical challenge for any regulator is to work in a proportionate, fair and effective way. To this end, we welcome the amendments to the Charities Act 2009. These will further support a proportionate approach to regulation, promote fairness by extending a common regulatory approach to all charities, and clarify trustees' duties regarding managing and administrating charities.”

The Charities Regulator’s Annual Report 2023 is available on its website.