Federation Of Family History Societies

Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

The Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) is a new legal form for charities - the first incorporated legal form designed specifically with the needs of charities in mind. It will be available only to charities and will add to the existing range of forms that charities can use.

The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) and the Charity Commission sought responses to a consultation on the detailed legal framework for CIOs from those who will use the CIO model and those who will work with CIOs.

There is very little up to date information available. The last posting on the Office of the Third Sector website is dated 30 January 2009.
See http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/consultations/completed_consultations/cio.aspx

Not surprising when you realise there are only 3 people working on the team handling their introduction.

The Charities Commission’s own site was last updated in March 2009 . At that time I said

“…………As part of the process, the Office of the Third Sector issued draft Regulations for consultation. At the same time, the Commission issued draft model constitutions for CIOs for consultation. ……..The Charity Commission and the Office of the Third Sector are currently considering the consultation responses and a report on the results will be available on the Office of the Third Sector's website by the end of April 2009…..”

When I contacted the office in July 2009 for an update, I was told that this has not happened due to the high level of responses, which were very helpful. They are being  used to make a considerable number of changes to the draft form of legislation they had prepared in 2008. All being well the awaited report will be published in September 2009 and CIOs ought to be incorporated for the first time in April 2010.

David Lambert
Hon. Legal Adviser