Applying to become a charity
To help us make decisions on whether your organisation should be granted charitable status you must complete and send us paper copies of the following documents:
- Charitable status application form
- Charity trustee declaration form - this assures us that the prospective charity trustees are aware of their responsibilities and are not disqualified from acting as charity trustees
We also need:
- a copy of your constitution or founding document : this sets out the purposes for which your organisation was set up, the form it will take and what it can do
- a recent statement of accounts: this requirement may not apply if you are in the process of setting up your organisation
- a document detailing your organisation’s activities or intended activities i.e. business plan
To help you complete your application form please read our guidance document.
Information for companies wishing to register as a charity: changes to the Companies Act 2006
If your intended company has not yet incorporated you should submit draft Articles of Association with your application for charitable status.
Model versions of the new style Memorandum and Articles of Association can be found at the following websites:
If your company is incorporated you should send the existing Memorandum and Articles to us. These will form the basis of our assessment of charitable status. However, you should be aware that if we require any amendments to the Memorandum and Articles the format may need to be changed to meet the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
For more information about the changes to the Companies Act 2006 please contact Companies House at:
Helpline: 0303 1234 5008
Email: enquiries@companies-house.gov.uk.
The application process
Please send completed applications to:
OSCR
2nd Floor
Quadrant House
9 Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY
If your application is incomplete, undated or unsigned we will contact you within 10 working days. Once we have received all of the information we need from you we will provide you with a reference number and a contact name. OSCR aims to process applications for charitable status within three months of receiving the information. However, this process can take longer where the application is more complex and more information is needed.
We will use your application forms and supporting documents to assess your organisation against the charity test contained in the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.
To meet the charity test, your organisation must:
- have one or more charitable purposes and no non-charitable purposes
- provide or intend to provide public benefit in Scotland or elsewhere.
Organisations applying for charitable status must meet the charity test to be successful. Read our meeting the charity test guidance for more information on what your organisation needs to do to meet the charity test.
Successful applications
If you are successful in your application we will:
- send you a notice advising your organisation is recognised as a Scottish charity
- give your organisation a charity number (SC0******)
- enter your organisation onto the Scottish Charity Register.
Failed applications
If your application fails we will send you notice that will:
- explain why your organisation cannot be a charity
- provide details of how you can ask for a review of our decision.
Customer feedback
OSCR is committed to delivering an effective and high quality of customer service. To ensure we are doing so, service delivery surveys are sent out to charities which have applied for charitable status or have been involved in a consents issue. If you have a comment on customer service in relation to charitable status or consents please complete and return our customer survey.
