Set up a charity
Register your charity
The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is the independent regulator of charities in Northern Ireland.
An organisation must apply for registration as a charity in Northern Ireland if it:
- has exclusively charitable purposes
- is governed by the law of Northern Ireland
- has control and direction over its governance and resources<
The Commission manages the registration process by calling charities to apply in batches. In order to be called forward to register, new charities must make the Commission aware of their existence. You can do this by filing an expression of intent form.
Charities registered with the Commission must also comply with a number of legal responsibilities, including reporting to the Commission on their activities, governance and finances on an annual basis. See annual reports for your charity.
The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland provides further information on registering a new charity.