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Charities and social enterprise

The charity sector is incredibly diverse and we work with a range of charities from those influencing climate change progress at an international level to those enhancing local communities through support work to those in need including the elderly and people with disabilities, mental health problems and addiction issues.

What links all charities is that they are tackling important issues across, and for the benefit of, society. As regulation increases and funding dwindles, we help them to operate and thrive.

Our charity clients work for their money and many are complex commercial businesses operating in a highly regulated and closely scrutinized environment. As the need for their services increases, many have felt the pain of budget cuts. We help them to think in new and more sophisticated ways and bring valuable commercial skills and reassuring protection regarding regulatory risks. We also work with local authorities, helping them to identify the vital services that charities can provide, negotiate contracts and manage successful relationships.

Charities expect a lot of themselves – delivering their services to a consistently high standard is always a priority. When lack of funding threatens this, many choose to withdraw their services rather than compromise quality. But with society’s high expectations and increasing press scrutiny, this can all too often have a negative reception. We offer a steady, guiding hand, and bring essential legal experience and cutting edge commercial expertise to help them navigate difficulties and protect their reputation.

What can our charity and social enterprise lawyers do for you?

Our role is to help charities promote their charitable purposes, be more commercial and fulfill their promises and obligations. Providing governance advice and helping to ensure compliance with charity law and regulatory requirements is the cornerstone of our work. We advise on a full range of governance issues as well as provide broader support such as through trustee training. We often advise boards at a strategic level on wider issues like group structuring, asset optimisation and staffing strategy, and bring wider skills to projects such as act as the ability to act project manager on restructuring projects.

We also offer much more to our clients by providing expert skills in other specialist areas. We are a full service law firm and charities can benefit from specialist skills in areas including, for example, pensions, land acquisitions and financing.

Broad and specialist – our firm’s expertise ranges from employment to real estate, disputes, tax, finance and beyond. Always agile and open - through our specialist charity sector team, clients have the support of our entire firm at their fingertips.

In brief

  • An holistic approach with sound commercial advice across the legal spectrum

  • Trusted advisors we are collegiate, easy to access and quick to add value

  • High profile clients include The Brandon Trust, Walsingham, Joseph Rowntree, National Autistic Society, Action on Hearing Loss, Dimensions UK and St Christopher’s

  • Experts in housing, working with providers across the UK and trade bodies including the Chartered Institute of Housing

  • Read some of the testimonials we've received from clients who've come to us for support with charity and social enterprise law:

    Our testimonials

    Read some of the testimonials we've received from clients who've come to us for support with charity and social enterprise law:

    "The team that I have dealt with have been very helpful and prompt; their capabilities and advice have been terrific."

    "The strength in depth of the team stands out, and the level of responsiveness and the quality of the advice is consistently great, whoever we deal with, at whatever level."

    – Legal 500, London Charities and Not-for-profit

Read some of the testimonials we've received from clients who've come to us for support with charity and social enterprise law:

Our case studies

Charity law work we do for our clients

  • Massive deal reached to help alleviate London's affordable housing shortage and safeguard homeless families

    We advised Capital Letters, a not-for-profit organisation owned by 10 London borough authorities, on a £750 million deal with Home Safe Housing, a registered housing charity. The initiative should help to provide up to 2500 affordable rented homes across the capital, easing London's housing crisis and giving safe and secure accommodation to families experiencing homelessness.

    Read full case study
    Massive deal reached to help alleviate London's affordable housing shortage and safeguard homeless families
    "The London housing market is among the world's most expensive, and the volume of affordable housing stock is nowhere near enough to cope with the capital's ever-growing population. The statistics for the number of children currently in temporary accommodation are alarming, and they need to be addressed. It's great that Capital Letters and Home Safe Housing have come together to help increase London's volume of affordable housing stock and provide much-needed homes for homeless families"
    David Hughes
    Legal Director

Charities and social enterprise

Meet the team

Explore the full team

Related Services

Affordable housingCorporateEmployment and pensions

Related Sectors

Affordable housingHealth and social careEnergy

Knowledge Hub

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Insights
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News
20 October 2023 | Author: Yetunde Dania & Moad Giebaly

Trowers champions West Midlands region's "amazing potential to grasp opportunities" with launch of Growth Through Change campaign

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