Governance
Public benefit
Formal definition
Public benefit is the legal requirement that a charity’s objects must be for the benefit of the public or a section of the public, as defined in the Charities Act.
What this actually means for you
Everything your charity does must clearly link back to its charitable objects and benefit the public, rather than providing undue private benefit. In practice, this is how public benefit should be applied in your charity.
Example: When launching a new service, trustees must confirm that it meets the public benefit requirement and report on this annually in the Trustees Annual Report.
Related guides and whitepapers
Read deeper guidance and implementation detail connected to this term.
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