What does CC7 mean in CHARITY

The Charity Commission for England and Wales is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. It regulates registered charities in England and Wales to ensure that charity law is upheld.

The CC7 carries out several tasks including registering charities; advising trustees about their legal obligations; responding to complaints about charities; auditing accounts; intervening when there are serious concerns about a charity's activities or finances; taking legal action against those that break charity law; providing advice on how to set up charitable foundations; and issuing guidelines for fundraising activities.

The CC7 inspects or investigates charities when it finds evidence of misconduct or poor practice. It can issue warnings or orders to deal with any issues raised in its inquiries. It can also apply to the court to disqualify trustees from managing charities if they are found to have breached their duties or acted against the interests of the charity.

Ex gratia payments are payments made without any legal responsibility or obligation on behalf of a charity. These payments require special consideration as they may contradict the strict rules governing charitable funds which state that all funds must be used solely for charitable purposes only. If a charity decides to make an ex gratia payment then it should seek advice from the CC7 which will assess whether the payment will be in accordance with existing legislation and whether it would benefit the intended beneficiaries of the charity's resources.

A charity may have broken one of several different rules including those laid down by both UK and EU laws that protect people's rights, such as equality laws or data protection laws. In cases where a breach has been identified, then CC7 may need to intervene to protect vulnerable beneficiaries or rectify any damage caused by unlawful behaviour on behalf of a particular organisation.