Legal Support for the Charity and Not-for-Profit Sector

Charities and not-for-profit organisations play an essential role in our communities, delivering services, driving change, and supporting those most in need. At Harrowells, we are proud to work with a wide range of charitable and voluntary organisations, providing legal support that is both practical and purpose driven.

Operating a charity comes with a unique set of legal and governance challenges—from regulatory compliance and employment matters to safeguarding, funding, and trustee responsibilities. Our team understands the pressures and sensitivities involved, and offers clear, commercially aware legal advice to help you deliver your mission with confidence.

We advise both established charities and start-ups, as well as community interest companies (CICs), not-for-profits and social enterprises. We tailor our approach to your structure, size and sector.

Clients we work with include:

• Charities and charitable trusts
• CICs and social enterprises
• Voluntary and community organisations
• Educational, religious and health-based charities
• Trustees, boards and leadership teams

How we can help

Our cross-disciplinary team brings together experts in charity law, employment, governance, contracts and property, enabling us to provide comprehensive and sector-specific support.

• Charity formation, registration and constitutional advice
• Governance and trustee duties
• Employment contracts, handbooks and HR policies
• Managing volunteers and safeguarding responsibilities
• Disciplinary issues, grievances and staff disputes
• Redundancies, restructures and TUPE transfers
• Fundraising compliance and commercial participation agreements
• Property matters, including leasing, acquisitions and shared spaces
• Commercial contracts and service delivery agreements
• Regulatory and Charity Commission compliance

We know that every charity is different, and so is our approach. Whether you're navigating a complex employment issue, reviewing governance arrangements or looking to expand your services, we’ll work with you to protect your organisation and support your success.