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58-648: The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) is a British charity whose stated purpose is to avoid unwanted pregnancy by advocating and providing high quality, affordable services to prevent or end unwanted pregnancies with contraception or by abortion . BPAS was founded in 1968 in Birmingham as the Birmingham Pregnancy Advisory Service. On the day that the Abortion Act 1967 came into force, Saturday 27 April 1968,

116-627: A Board of Taxation inquiry to consult with charities on the bill. However, due to widespread criticism from charities, the government abandoned the bill. Subsequently, the government introduced the Extension of Charitable Purpose Act 2004 . This act did not attempt to codify the definition of a charitable purpose but rather aimed to clarify that certain purposes were charitable, resolving legal doubts surrounding their charitable status. Among these purposes were childcare, self-help groups, and closed/contemplative religious orders. To publicly raise funds,

174-714: A CHY number from the Revenue Commissioners, a CRO number from the Companies Registration Office , and a charity number from the Charities Regulator. The Irish Nonprofits Database was created by Irish Nonprofits Knowledge Exchange (INKEx) to serve as a repository for regulatory and voluntarily disclosed information about Irish public benefit nonprofits. Charitable organizations in Nigeria are registerable under "Part C" of

232-628: A charity in Australia must register in each Australian jurisdiction in which it intends to raise funds. For example, in Queensland, charities must register with the Queensland Office of Fair Trading . Additionally, any charity fundraising online must obtain approval from every Australian jurisdiction that mandates such approval. Currently, these jurisdictions include New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, and

290-927: A clinic in Barcelona, Spain . A report filed by the Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, in September, 2005 was critical of some aspects of BPAS counselling, but concluded that, in the matter of BPAS staff referring (in the broad sense, not the strict medical definition) women with late-term pregnancies to the Ginemedex clinic, BPAS had not broken any laws. The report stated unequivocally that BPAS's ability to provide abortion and reproductive counselling and services (within its mandate) had not in any way been compromised, and that no changes in funding should result. It further stated however, that protocol for late-term abortion counselling

348-575: A complex set of reliefs and exemptions from taxation in the UK. These include reliefs and exemptions in relation to income tax , capital gains tax , inheritance tax , stamp duty land tax , and value added tax . These tax exemptions have led to criticisms that private schools are able to use charitable status as a tax avoidance technique rather than offering a genuine charitable good. The Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 subjects charities to regulation by

406-409: A disproportionate amount of their income to pay the salaries of their leadership. Financial figures (e.g. tax refund, revenue from fundraising, revenue from the sale of goods and services or revenue from investment) are indicators to assess the financial sustainability of a charity, especially to charity evaluators . This information can impact a charity's reputation with donors and societies, and thus

464-755: A donor insemination service from its premises at 11 to 13 Charlotte Street, London W1. PAS held a treatment licence under the Act establishing the HFEA and continued to carry out artificial inseminations under its auspices. Unusually at the time, PAS operated a 'non-discrimination policy' which resulted in most of the patients of the PAS Donor Insemination Service being women without a male partner i.e. single women or female couples. PAS never achieved high pregnancy rates with its donor insemination service, its average pregnancy rate being less than 8%. With

522-468: A few donors it did reach rates of nearly 13% but with most donors the rate was considerably less. The reason for these low success rates was largely due to the method of fertilisation used. In 1996 PAS risked insolvency and merged with the BPAS. It ceased treatments in early 1997. The clinic at Charlotte Street continued to collect and process sperm samples from donors until November of that year. The BPAS sold

580-516: A growing philosophical debate between those advocating for state intervention and those believing that private charities should provide welfare. The political economist, Reverend Thomas Malthus (1766–1834), criticized poor relief for paupers on economic and moral grounds and proposed leaving charity entirely to the private sector. His views became highly influential and informed the Victorian laissez-faire attitude toward state intervention for

638-618: A list of charitable purposes in the Charitable Uses Act 1601 (also known as the Statute of Elizabeth), which had been interpreted and expanded into a considerable body of case law. In Commissioners for Special Purposes of Income Tax v. Pemsel (1891), Lord McNaughten identified four categories of charity which could be extracted from the Charitable Uses Act and which were the accepted definition of charity prior to

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696-572: A long tradition in Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Charities provided education, health, housing, and even prisons. Almshouses were established throughout Europe in the Early Middle Ages to provide a place of residence for the poor, old, and distressed people; King Athelstan of England (reigned 924–939) founded the first recorded almshouse in York in the 10th century. During

754-425: A register of charities that have completed formal registration (see below). Organizations applying must meet the specific legal requirements summarized below, have filing requirements with their regulator, and are subject to inspection or other forms of review. The oldest charity in the UK is The King's School, Canterbury , established in 597 AD. Charitable organizations, including charitable trusts, are eligible for

812-430: A way that proposed clauses related to abortion could not be debated. From the early 1980s BPAS carried out donor insemination initially using fresh sperm which was produced by donors at the required time of the insemination. Sperm donation treatments provided by BPAS were anonymous and the identity of donors was protected. In the mid-1980s, following concerns about HIV , sperm which had been frozen and thawed by BPAS

870-613: Is a specific type of charity with its primary purpose being to alleviate suffering in the community, whether due to poverty, sickness, or disability. Examples of institutions that might qualify include hospices, providers of subsidized housing, and certain not-for-profit aged care services. Charities in Canada need to be registered with the Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency . According to

928-511: Is operated by the Ministry of Social and Family Development . The legislation governing charitable activities and the process of obtaining charitable organization status is regulated by Ukraine's Civil Code and the Law of Ukraine on Charitable Activities and Charitable Organizations. According to Ukrainian law, there are three forms of charitable organizations: The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine

986-551: Is the main registration authority for charitable organization registration and constitution. Individuals and legal entities, except for public authorities and local governments , can be the founders of charitable organizations. Charitable societies and charitable foundations may have, in addition to founders, other participants who have joined them as prescribed by the charters of such charitable associations or charitable foundations. Aliens (non-Ukrainian citizens and legal entities, corporations, or non-governmental organizations) can be

1044-476: Is the most common form of organization within the voluntary sector in England and Wales. This is essentially a contractual arrangement between individuals who have agreed to come together to form an organization for a particular purpose. An unincorporated association will normally have a constitution or set of rules as its governing document, which will deal with matters such as the appointment of office bearers and

1102-536: Is very easy to set up and requires very little documentation. However, for an organization under the statute of loi 1901 to be considered a charity, it has to file with the authorities to come under the label of "association d'utilité publique", which means "NGO acting for the public interest". This label gives the NGO some tax exemptions. In Hungary , charitable organizations are referred to as "public-benefit organizations" ( Hungarian : közhasznú szervezet ). The term

1160-686: The Charities Act 2006 : Charities in England and Wales—such as Age UK, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ( RSPB ) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( RSPCA )  – must comply with the 2011 Act regulating matters such as charity reports and accounts and fundraising. As of 2011 , there are several types of legal structures for a charity in England and Wales: The unincorporated association

1218-768: The Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 . Under the law, the Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria , being the official Nigerian Corporate Registry, is empowered to maintain and regulate the formation, operation, and dissolution of charitable organizations in Nigeria. Charitable organizations in Nigeria are exempted under §25(c) of the Companies Income Tax Act (CITA) Cap. C21 LFN 2004 (as amended) , which exempts from income tax corporate organizations engaged wholly in ecclesiastical, charitable, or educational activities. Similarly, §3 of

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1276-485: The Electoral Commission in the run-up to a general election. Section 1 of the Charities Act 2011 provides the definition in England and Wales: The Charities Act 2011 provides the following list of charitable purposes: A charity must also provide a public benefit. Before the Charities Act 2006 , which introduced the definition now contained in the 2011 Act, the definition of charity arose from

1334-576: The Enlightenment era , charitable and philanthropic activity among voluntary associations and affluent benefactors became a widespread cultural practice. Societies, gentlemen's clubs , and mutual associations began to flourish in England , with the upper classes increasingly adopting a philanthropic attitude toward the disadvantaged. In England, this new social activism led to the establishment of charitable organizations, which proliferated from

1392-500: The Magdalen Hospital to rehabilitate prostitutes . These organizations were funded by subscriptions and operated as voluntary associations. They raised public awareness about their activities through the emerging popular press and generally enjoyed high social regard. Some charities received state recognition in the form of a royal charter . Charities also began to take on campaigning roles, championing causes and lobbying

1450-893: The Polish Historical Society , and the Polish chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation . The legal framework in Singapore is regulated by the Singapore Charities Act (Chapter 37). Charities in Singapore must be registered with the Charities Directorate of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports . One can also find specific organizations that are members of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), which

1508-595: The Value Added Tax Act (VATA) Cap. V1 LFN 2004 (as amended) , and the 1st Schedule to the VATA on exempted Goods and Services goods zero-rates goods and services purchased by any ecclesiastical, charitable, or educational institutions in furtherance of their charitable mandates. A public benefit organization ( Polish : organizacja pożytku publicznego , often abbreviated as OPP) is a term used in Polish law . It

1566-481: The local government . Charities at the time, including the Charity Organization Society (established in 1869), tended to discriminate between the "deserving poor", who would be provided with suitable relief, and the "underserving" or "improvident poor", who was regarded as the cause of their woes due to their idleness. Charities tended to oppose the provision of welfare by the state, due to

1624-469: The 'abortion pill' treatment in their own homes. BPAS argued that such a change would have brought UK practice into line with best clinical practice, and with practice in countries such as the USA, Sweden, and France; and that it would have dramatically improved the experience of early medical abortion for women. The judge in this case did not accept the definition of 'treatment' proposed by BPAS, but confirmed that

1682-741: The Australian Capital Territory. Numerous Australian charities have appealed to federal, state, and territory governments to establish uniform legislation enabling charities registered in one state or territory to raise funds in all other Australian jurisdictions. The Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC) commenced operations in December 2012. It regulates approximately 56,000 non-profit organizations with tax-exempt status, along with around 600,000 other NPOs in total, seeking to standardize state-based fund-raising laws. A Public Benevolent Institution (PBI)

1740-706: The BPAS held a storage licence until the end of 1997. In central London, the Pregnancy Advisory Service (PAS), also carried out treatments using donor sperm (vaginal inseminations in which the donor's semen is deposited at the entrance to the cervix, technically known as intracervical insemination ) before the passing of the Act. Established primarily to facilitate abortions after 1968 with a clinic in Rosslyn Road, Twickenham and premises in Fitzroy Square, London, this organisation operated

1798-477: The Canada Revenue Agency: A registered charity is an organization established and operated for charitable purposes. It must devote its resources to charitable activities. The charity must be a resident in Canada and cannot use its income to benefit its members. A charity also has to meet a public benefit test. To qualify under this test, an organization must show that: To register as a charity,

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1856-716: The Charities Act (2009) legislated the establishment of a "Charities Regulatory Authority", and the Charities Regulator was subsequently created via a ministerial order in 2014. This was the first legal framework for charity registration in Ireland. The Charities Regulator maintains a database of organizations that have been granted charitable tax exemption—a list previously maintained by the Revenue Commissioners . Such organizations would have

1914-713: The Secretary of State for Health has the power to approve women's homes as a 'class of place' where certain abortion drugs could be taken. In 2008 BPAS, along with other organisations in the Voice for Choice network , called for improvements to the abortion law during the Parliamentary debate over the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill. The government guillotined discussion of the HFE Bill in such

1972-475: The advent of the Internet, charitable organizations established a presence on online social media platforms and began initiatives such as cyber-based humanitarian crowdfunding , exemplified by platforms like GoFundMe . The definition of charity in Australia is derived from English common law, originally from the Charitable Uses Act 1601 , and then through several centuries of case law based upon it. In 2002,

2030-453: The charity's financial gains. Charitable organizations often depend partly on donations from businesses. Such donations to charitable organizations represent a major form of corporate philanthropy. To meet the exempt organizational test requirements, a charity has to be exclusively organized and operated, and to receive and pass the exemption test, a charitable organization must follow the public interest and all exempt income should be for

2088-573: The client list of PAS to the London Women's Clinic (LWC) in 1997. This comprised the names of mainly female couples and single women and from that date the LWC adopted an open policy for 'choice mothers' (women without a male partner). From January 1998 for a short time the LWC operated a donor insemination clinic known as the 'Charlotte Unit' and some of the former donors from PAS transferred there. However, LWC did not perform ICI inseminations, so with

2146-688: The consent of the donors and in compliance with general directions issued by HFEA which covered such cases at the time, the BPAS sold its remaining stored donor sperm and that of PAS to fertility clinics outside the UK for use in donor treatments. In late 2004, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph presented a video to the British government ( Health Secretary Dr John Reid and Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson ) showing BPAS counsellors referring women whose pregnancies were too advanced for legal abortions in Britain (past 24 weeks ) to

2204-520: The development of social housing , and Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) exemplified the large-scale philanthropy of the newly rich in industrialized America. In Gospel of Wealth (1889), Carnegie wrote about the responsibilities of great wealth and the importance of social justice. He established public libraries throughout English-speaking countries and contributed large sums to schools and universities. A little over ten years after his retirement, Carnegie had given away over 90% of his fortune. Towards

2262-699: The end of the 19th century, with the advent of the New Liberalism and the innovative work of Charles Booth in documenting working-class life in London , attitudes towards poverty began to change. This led to the first social liberal welfare reforms , including the provision of old age pensions and free school-meals. During the 20th century, charitable organizations such as Oxfam (established in 1947), Care International , and Amnesty International expanded greatly, becoming large, multinational non-governmental organizations with very large budgets. With

2320-472: The federal government initiated an inquiry into the definition of a charity. The inquiry proposed a statutory definition of a charity, based on the principles developed through case law. This led to the Charities Bill 2003 , which included limitations on the involvement of charities in political campaigning, an unwelcome departure from the case law as perceived by many charities. The government appointed

2378-401: The first Model Dwellings Company  – one of a group of organizations that sought to improve the housing conditions of the working classes by building new homes for them, all the while receiving a competitive rate of return on any investment. This was one of the first housing associations , a philanthropic endeavor that flourished in the second half of the nineteenth century, brought about by

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2436-705: The first patients had their consultations in the front room of the then Chairman, Dr Martin Cole . At that time, patients had to travel to London for termination, but a clinic was opened in Birmingham 18 months later. In addition to providing abortion counselling and treatment at over 40 centres across England, Wales and Scotland (over 93% of clients have their abortion treatment funded by the NHS), BPAS also provides emergency contraception , vasectomy and sterilisation, and vasectomy reversal services. BPAS's South London Clinic

2494-500: The founders and members of philanthropic organizations in Ukraine. All funds received by a charitable organization and used for charitable purposes are exempt from taxation, but obtaining non-profit status from the tax authority is necessary. Legalization is required for international charitable funds to operate in Ukraine. Charity law in the UK varies among (i) England and Wales , (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland , but

2552-693: The fundamental principles are the same. Most organizations that are charities are required to be registered with the appropriate regulator for their jurisdiction, but significant exceptions apply so that many organizations are bona fide charities but do not appear on a public register. The registers are maintained by the Charity Commission for England and Wales and by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator for Scotland. The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland maintains

2610-560: The government for legislative changes. This included organized campaigns against the mistreatment of animals and children, as well as the successful campaign in the early 19th century to end the slave trade throughout the British Empire and its extensive sphere of influence. (However, this process was quite lengthy, concluding when slavery in Saudi Arabia was abolished slavery in 1962.) The Enlightenment era also witnessed

2668-696: The growth of the middle class . Later associations included the Peabody Trust (originating in 1862) and the Guinness Trust (founded in 1890). The principle of philanthropic intention with capitalist return was given the label "five percent philanthropy". There was strong growth in municipal charities. The Brougham Commission led to the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which reorganized multiple local charities by incorporating them into single entities under supervision from

2726-609: The middle of the 18th century. This emerging upper-class trend for benevolence resulted in the incorporation of the first charitable organizations. Appalled by the number of abandoned children living on the streets of London , Captain Thomas Coram set up the Foundling Hospital in 1741 to care for these unwanted orphans in Lamb's Conduit Fields, Bloomsbury . This institution, the world's first of its kind, served as

2784-523: The organization has to be either incorporated or governed by a legal document called a trust or a constitution. This document has to explain the organization's purposes and structure. Most French charities are registered under the statute of loi d'association de 1901, a type of legal entity for non-profit NGOs. This statute is extremely common in France for any type of group that wants to be institutionalized (sports clubs, book clubs, support groups...), as it

2842-425: The perceived demoralizing effect . Although minimal state involvement was the dominant philosophy of the period, there was still significant government involvement in the form of statutory regulation and even limited funding. Philanthropy became a very fashionable activity among the expanding middle classes in Britain and America. Octavia Hill (1838–1912) and John Ruskin (1819–1900) were important forces behind

2900-507: The poor. During the 19th century, a profusion of charitable organizations emerged to alleviate the awful conditions of the working class in the slums . The Labourer's Friend Society , chaired by Lord Shaftesbury in the United Kingdom in 1830, aimed to improve working-class conditions. It promoted, for example, the allotment of land to laborers for "cottage husbandry", which later became the allotment movement. In 1844, it became

2958-534: The precedent for incorporated associational charities in general. Another notable philanthropist of the Enlightenment era, Jonas Hanway , established The Marine Society in 1756 as the first seafarers' charity, aiming to aid the recruitment of men into the navy . By 1763, the Society had enlisted over 10,000 men, and an Act of Parliament incorporated it in 1772. Hanway also played a key role in founding

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3016-613: The public good as described by the law, and it should demonstrate sufficient transparency in its activities, governance, and finances. Moreover, data has shown that this evidence is pertinent and sensible. Polish charitable organizations with this status include Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego , the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity , KARTA Center , the Institute of Public Affairs , the Silesian Fantasy Club ,

3074-467: The public interest. For example, in many countries of the Commonwealth , charitable organizations must demonstrate that they provide a public benefit . Until the mid-18th century, charity was mainly distributed through religious structures (such as the English Poor Laws of 1601 ), almshouses , and bequests from the rich. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam incorporated significant charitable elements from their very beginnings, and dāna (alms-giving) has

3132-432: Was introduced on 1 January 1997 through the Act on Public Benefit Organizations. Under Indian law, legal entities such as charitable organizations, corporations, and managing bodies have been given the status of " legal persons " with legal rights, such as the right to sue and be sued, and the right to own and transfer property. Indian charitable organizations with this status include Sir Ratan Tata Trust . In Ireland,

3190-453: Was introduced on 1 January 2004 by the statute on public good activity and volunteering . Charitable organizations of public good are allowed to receive 1.5% of income tax from individuals, making them "tax-deductible organizations". To receive such status, an organization has to be a non-governmental organization , with political parties and trade unions not qualifying. The organization must also be involved in specific activities related to

3248-415: Was one of the first recipients of the Department of Health 'You're Welcome' award in March 2009, for providing high standards of health care to young people. BPAS gained substantial media attention in early 2011, when the charity went to the High Court seeking a legal re-definition of 'treatment' under the terms of the Abortion Act, which would have enabled women to have administered the second drug used in

3306-583: Was sorely lacking, and that the government and interested agencies must develop said protocol with all possible speed. Charitable organization The legal definition of a charitable organization (and of charity) varies between countries and in some instances regions of the country. The regulation , the tax treatment, and the way in which charity law affects charitable organizations also vary. Charitable organizations may not use any of their funds to profit individual persons or entities. However, some charitable organizations have come under scrutiny for spending

3364-422: Was used instead of fresh sperm. This enabled it to be quarantined and the donors re-tested. BPAS was known to be a clinic which would provide donor insemination to lesbians. BPAS continued to store donor sperm and to carry out treatments until the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) came into being in 1993. Although it never carried out treatments under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act,

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