Debates in Charity Law

Charitable organisations are essential in society, generating billions of pounds in revenue, but they are not immune to scandals. This book offers a modern take on charity law, exploring policy debates and offering proposals for reform. It highlights the tension between charity law's conservative history and the need to adapt to social change, and the perspective of a good-faith regulator concerned with maximising the usefulness of charities. It will be of interest to academic researchers, students, nonprofit employees, and volunteers.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Charitable organizations play a vital role in society, generating billions of pounds in revenue worldwide. However, the law governing nonprofit organizations is constantly evolving, reflecting the changing nature of society. From independent schools to food banks, these organizations operate within a broad policy space and are not immune to scandals. When they come under public scrutiny, regulators must respond to high-profile cases. In this book, a team of internationally recognized charity law experts offers a modern perspective on a rapidly changing policy field. Through the concept of policy debates, the book moves the field forward, providing a valuable reference point for developing scholarship in charity law and policy. Each chapter explores a policy debate, highlighting the fault lines in play and offering proposals for reform. Two important themes are explored in this edited collection. First, there is a policy tension in charity law between its conservative history and the need to keep up with social change. This tension is particularly evident along key fault lines, such as the extent to which a body of law developed before the advent of legislated human rights can adapt to a rights-based world and the extent to which independent schools, historically closely linked with charity, deserve their generous tax breaks. The second theme explores the law from the perspective of a good-faith regulator, concerned with maximizing the usefulness of charities. From the need to reform old organizations to the need to ensure that charities enjoy the right amount of regulatory freedom in a world of payment-by-result contracts, the book critically charts the policy justifications for regulatory intervention and the costs that such intervention entails.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509974276