Donor due diligence guide
How to check a UK charity before donating
A useful charity check starts with official sources, not search snippets, social posts, adverts, or payment pages. This guide shows the public-record steps to take before donating, awarding a grant, commissioning work, or sharing a fundraising campaign.
Start with identity
- Search the Charity Commission public register by charity number where possible, then by exact name
- Check whether the charity record, working name, website, contact details, trustees, and registered status match the organisation asking for support
- Treat adverts, emails, social posts, short links, QR codes, and payment pages as unverified until they connect back to the official charity record
- Keep the source URL and access date with the donation, grant, procurement, or partnership note
Read the public-record context
- Review the latest income, expenditure, accounts, annual-return history, reserves, and filing dates before relying on headline totals
- Read what the charity says it does, who it helps, where it operates, and whether that matches the donation or partnership purpose
- Look for regulatory actions, inquiry material, or official notices on the register before making a public claim
- Use several years of accounts where available because one-off grants, capital projects, restricted funds, or emergency appeals can distort a single year
Check the route for money or data
- Verify that donation pages, bank details, platform profiles, Gift Aid wording, email addresses, and phone numbers come from the charity's official channels
- Understand whether money flows directly to the charity, through a fundraising platform, through PayPal Giving Fund, through a payment processor, or through an event or campaign organiser
- Check fees, payout timing, receipts, refunds, Gift Aid handling, privacy notices, safeguarding context, and complaints routes before sharing personal data
- For large gifts, grants, restricted donations, sponsorships, procurement, or safeguarding-sensitive work, get professional advice and record the decision owner
Escalate concerns carefully
- Do not label a charity, fundraiser, trustee, or campaign as unsafe or fraudulent from incomplete public information
- Collect evidence first: official-register record, source URLs, screenshots, dates, payment references, correspondence, and platform details
- Use the appropriate route: charity contact, platform support, bank or card provider, GOV.UK complaint route, regulator route, or professional adviser
- Update or correct any public statement if the official source later shows the concern was misunderstood or resolved
Official sources
Official source
Charity Commission public register
Search charity number, name, trustees, finances, regulatory actions, and public filings.
Official source
Charity Commission full register download
Use the public extract for repeatable research and large-scale charity data checks.
Official source
Charity Commission on GOV.UK
Official regulator organisation page for England and Wales, services, guidance, contact routes, and updates.
Official source
Complain about a charity
Official GOV.UK route for understanding when and how to complain about a charity.
Related tools
Interactive tool
UK charity due diligence checker before donating or partnering
Check the public-source work that should happen before donating to, funding, commissioning, or partnering with a UK charity. The tool supports research only and is not a fraud, safety, quality, impact, or donation recommendation rating.
Common questions
FAQ
What is the safest first step before donating to a UK charity?
Start with the Charity Commission public register. Search by charity number where possible, then compare the official record with the website, payment route, fundraising page, email address, and any campaign claims.
FAQ
Does a charity website prove that a donation page is official?
No. Treat websites, adverts, social posts, QR codes, bank details, and payment links as unverified until they connect back to the official charity record or another trusted official channel.
FAQ
What if a charity is not found in this site's lookup tool?
This site's lookup tool searches only the selected imported sample. An absent result is not evidence that the charity is unregistered or inactive; search the official Charity Commission register before drawing conclusions.
FAQ
Can filing delays prove a charity is unsafe?
No. Filing dates are public-record signals that need context. Check the official register, several years of filings, charity correspondence, and relevant professional advice before relying on them in a decision.
Decision notes
- The Charity Commission public register describes registered charities in England and Wales and includes what the charity does, trustees, finance information, and actions taken by the Commission.
- This guide is not legal, financial, safeguarding, fraud, or donation advice. It is a public-source checklist for deciding what to verify before relying on a charity or fundraising route.
- A missing or confusing website signal is not proof of wrongdoing. Use official records and appropriate escalation routes before making reputational claims.
- For fast checks, use the linked due diligence checker and keep the result with the source URLs and dates you reviewed.