The Charity Commission, backed by Welsh Government, has launched the Revitalising Trusts Programme in Wales to unlock up to £12 million of dormant charitable funds in Wales. The programme is urging trustees of inactive charities to come forward for support to put their charitable funds to good use.
The Charity Commission and Community Foundation Wales will support trustees to release inactive funds, redistributing these to good causes across the country through Community Foundation Wales. Alternatively, the Commission will support trustees to breathe new life into the charity, for example by changing their charitable purpose.
Charity trustees who find it hard to recruit new trustees, spend the charity's income or assets, identify beneficiaries, or find time to run the charity should contact Revitalising Trusts for support. This includes charities who have not spent any money in the last five years, or who have spent less than 30% of its income in the last five years.
Trustees may have already received a letter from the Commission encouraging them to seek support to spend dormant funds. The programme is urging all trustees to consider if the Revitalising Trusts programme could help their charity fulfil its potential.
Tracy Howarth, Assistant Director of Casework at the Charity Commission, said:
In the current economic climate, following the pandemic and during a cost-of-living crisis, it's more important than ever that charitable funds are being used to their full potential, to help improve lives and strengthen communities.
We know trustees have the best intentions, but it's sometimes harder to transform this momentum into long-term action, or charities find they have run their course. Through Revitalising Trust Wales, we want to help trustees put the hard-fundraised money to good use, to make a real and positive difference to those who need it most.
If you think your charity could benefit from support to spend its funds, please do
