This page provides answers to your questions about the information displayed
on the GuideStar UK website.
Which charities are included on the GuideStar UK website?
The website contains information about all 168,000 registered main charities in
England and Wales. This includes most but not all charities. The main
exclusions are:
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All charities recognised by HM Revenue and Customs in Scotland and Northern
Ireland
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All exempted and excepted English and Welsh charities recognised by HM Revenue
and Customs - which includes some charitable housing associations
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Community and voluntary groups
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Social enterprises
In the future we will expand our coverage to include these types of organisation
What information about charities is displayed on Guidestar UK?
GuideStar UK will help you to find out:
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How to contact the charity
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What the charity has been legally set up to achieve
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Who the charity helps
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The services the charity provides
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Where the charity works
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The charity's activities and recent achievements
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How the charity spends its money
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Grants the charity has made
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The charity's grant making policies and programmes
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The charity's fundraising and other income generating activities
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The origins and history of the charity
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The number of people who work and volunteer for the charity
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The roles performed by volunteers
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The names of the people responsible for decision making at the charity
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How the charity makes sure it is well managed
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What assets the charity holds
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How you can help the charity
Where does GuideStar UK get its information?
GuideStar UK brings together existing information that is already in the public
domain. We are careful not to place any additional reporting burden on
charities. The main source of our information is the Charity Commission. The
Commission provides us with:
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A weekly electronic extract from its on-line Public Register of Charities
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Weekly batches of Trustees' Annual Reports and Financial Statements that have
recently been filed by charities with an annual income of £10,000 or more
We extract financial and narrative data from these Trustees' Annual Reports and
Financial Statements.
Charities are able to edit and add to their entries on-line. This is entirely
voluntary. A 
appears where a charity has made changes to their entry. All information
displayed on this website is taken from documents filed with the Charity
Commission or entered on-line by the charities themselves.
Can I read the original regulatory documents filed by a charity?
Yes. GuideStar UK provides a facility for users to view and read the latest
available Trustees' Annual Report for each charity. For some charities
GuideStar UK also holds an electronic copy of their Governing Documents.
Does GuideStar UK hold other reports or documents prepared by charities?
Yes. Charities are able to upload their latest newsletters and press releases as
well as other important documents such as annual reviews or impact reports.
How up to date is the information on GuideStar UK?
We aim to display the latest information on charities.
Those with annual incomes over £10,000 are required to file a Trustees' Annual
Report or Financial Statement within 10 months of the end of the financial
reporting period, which is usually one year.
Currently we receive copies of reports and accounts eight weeks after the
documents are filed by the charity with the Charity Commission. Once we receive
a copy of a charity's report and accounts we aim to publish that information as
soon as possible.
In addition, charities are able to edit and add to their entries on-line at any
time. A appears
where a charity has made changes to their entry.
The date of the charity's latest report and accounts and/or the date on which
the charity last updated their entry are shown on the charity's Summary page.
Does GuideStar UK identify charities that offer grants?
Yes. Grant making charities are denoted by this symbol: 
.
You can also add the word 'grants' to your keyword search.
Please note that many grant making charities do not accept unsolicited
applications. You should avoid making funding applications that would be a
waste of your time and that of the grant makers. Please read carefully the
descriptions of a charity's activities and grant making policy before
considering whether to contact them.
Will GuideStar UK produce league tables of charities?
GuideStar UK will not evaluate charities or comment on their performance. We
will not present any league tables. We will report basic information as it is
reported directly by charities to the Charity Commission or in their entries on
this website.
Will GuideStar UK sell data about charities?
Yes. GuideStar UK intends to develop a range of additional information services
for charities, grant makers, professional advisers, and researchers and
policymakers. These services will provide customised access to the database.
Data may also be licensed for external use. All our revenue generating products
will help to ensure the sustainability of the free public website.
We will only grant data licences that are consistent with GuideStar UK's
charitable objectives: to promote and support the UK's voluntary and community
sector.
Is there an explanation of the terms used on the GuideStar UK website?
The Help section includes a glossary of the terms used throughout the site.
A short explanation of certain headings or links is also provided in a 'hover
over' that appears as you place your mouse cursor over them.
Why do I need to enter the sum of these numbers in the box?
By entering the sum of the numbers you see in the box, you can help GuideStar
UK prevent automated registrations. This reduces system loads and ensures
better performance.
What is the FRSB?
The Fundraising Standards Board launched in February 2007, is a voluntary
scheme which shows a charity has agreed to adhere to a strict set of
fundraising codes and independent complaints process. The Fundraising
Standards Board logo offers the public a "mark of reassurance" to look for
when giving to charities. To find out more about the scheme please visit
fsboard - opens new browser window or call 0845 402 5442.
Charities can show the public they are members of the scheme by using the
organization section of Update my Charity.