Charities are highly effective and efficient organisations, however, we are continually striving to improve. Charities wish to recruit high quality staff to enable us to pursue our charitable objectives.

In the UK today there are over 500,000 voluntary organisations – fewer than 200,000 of these are registered charities. This can lead to some confusion about what counts as a charity, how charities work and how they are regulated.

Cancer Research UK has been involved in a number of initiatives which both try to highlight the great work being done by the charity sector while, at the same time, ensuring its effective regulation.

Cancer Research UK is regulated by the Charity Commission

We and all registered charities are regulated by the Charity Commission, which acts as regulator and registrar for charities in England and Wales. The charity sector has also worked with Government to ensure legislation is up-to-date with charitable activity. Along with other charities, we have responded to the Government's self-regulation initiatives by participating in consultations across a number of key policy areas, such as the reintroduction to Parliament of the Charities bill.

We follow charity sector body codes of practice

As members of the key sector bodies, we work with them to further improve the effectiveness and reputation of the sector. Key sector bodies we work with include:

• The Institute of Fundraising
  The Institute of Fundraising is the professional body for fundraising, working to develop, promote and champion excellence in fundraising. The Institute of Fundraising sets the Codes of Fundraising Practice, by which Cancer Research UK abides.



• Fundraising Standards Board
  Cancer Research UK is a member of the Fundraising Standards Board, and is committed to the highest standards in fundraising practice. As such, we aim to adhere to the Fundraising Standards Board's Fundraising Promise and the Codes of Fundraising Practice, as established by the Institute of Fundraising.



• The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
  The NCVO is the umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England, and works to support the voluntary sector and to create an environment in which voluntary organisations can flourish.

We support charity initiatives to improve public understanding of the sector

We have also supported a number of charity sector-wide initiatives to improve public understanding about how fundraising works.

• www.charityfacts.org
  This website, the first of its kind, provides a wealth of information to donors dispelling myths about fundraising and charitable giving. It is an independent source of information about fundraising techniques and explains how charities fundraise and why.



• As part of the ImpACT coalition (Improving Accountability, Clarity and Transparency), we are working to make the sector more transparent and accountable. The coalition brings together key representatives from the charity sector and aims to engage organisations across the sector to work together to become ever more transparent and accountable.