Charities & Not-for-Profit Affordable, Practical Compliance
From community halls to charity shops — affordable GDPR compliance, health and safety, fire safety, HR support, trustee guidance and accredited staff and volunteer training for charities, CICs, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations across the UK.
Compliance Services for Charities
Click each service to see how RADCaT supports your charity, CIC or not-for-profit organisation.
GDPR & Donor Data Protection
Charities handle highly sensitive personal data — donor contact details and giving history, beneficiary records (often including vulnerable individuals, children or people with health conditions), volunteer databases, Gift Aid declarations, fundraising mailing lists and legacy pledges. A breach of this data triggers ICO investigation and can devastate donor trust. We provide GDPR compliance audits, privacy notices for donors and beneficiaries, fundraising consent management under PECR, data retention policies, data sharing agreements with partner organisations and staff/volunteer training on data handling.
Explore GDPR ServicesHealth & Safety for Charities
Whether you operate from a community centre, charity shop, office, warehouse, outdoor activity centre or multiple locations, you have the same health and safety duties as any employer — plus a duty of care to volunteers and service users. We provide workplace risk assessments, event risk assessments for fundraising activities, lone worker assessments for community outreach staff, manual handling assessments and develop proportionate safety policies that meet your legal obligations without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
Explore H&S ServicesFire Safety
Fire risk assessments for charity premises, community buildings, charity shops, church halls, day centres, residential accommodation and event venues. Many charity buildings are older properties with specific fire safety challenges — historic building constraints, limited escape routes, shared occupancy, diverse user groups including children and vulnerable adults. We assess your premises, develop practical evacuation procedures, train fire marshalls and ensure you meet the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 without expensive over-specification.
Explore Fire SafetyHR & Volunteer Management
Charities often employ a mix of paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers and freelance contractors — each with different legal status and obligations. We provide employment contracts for paid staff, volunteer agreements, DBS checking procedures, safeguarding policies, grievance and disciplinary procedures, TUPE advice for contract transfers and day-to-day HR guidance. We also advise on the legal distinction between employees, workers and genuine volunteers to avoid costly misclassification.
Explore HR ServicesTrustee Governance & Compliance
Charity trustees have personal legal responsibility for ensuring their organisation complies with health and safety, data protection, employment law and Charity Commission requirements. Many trustees are unaware of the extent of their personal liability. We provide trustee compliance briefings, governance health checks, risk register development, conflict of interest policy frameworks and annual compliance reports that give your board confidence that the charity is meeting its legal obligations across every area.
Discuss Trustee SupportEvent & Fundraising Compliance
Fundraising events — from charity runs and galas to sponsored walks, fêtes, bake sales and outdoor adventure challenges — carry specific health and safety and data protection obligations. We provide event risk assessments, public liability guidance, crowd management advice, outdoor activity safety plans, first aid provision requirements and GDPR-compliant participant registration and sponsorship data collection processes. We help you run safe, successful events that protect participants and your charity's reputation.
Explore Event SafetyEquality, Safeguarding & Inclusion
Charities working with vulnerable adults, children, people with disabilities or disadvantaged communities have specific safeguarding obligations beyond standard employment law. We help you develop safeguarding policies, safer recruitment procedures, DBS checking frameworks, whistleblowing procedures, equality and diversity policies and deliver awareness training for staff, volunteers and trustees covering the Equality Act 2010, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and Charity Commission safeguarding expectations.
Explore SafeguardingTraining for Your Charity Team
Affordable courses for staff and volunteers — at our centre, at your premises or via e-learning. Charity rates available.
GDPR for Charities
Donor data, beneficiary records, fundraising consent, mailing lists and breach reporting for charity staff and volunteers.
Fire Awareness
Charity premises fire risks, evacuation for diverse user groups, fire marshall duties and community building safety.
First Aid
First aid for charity settings. Event first aid, working with vulnerable people and community-based emergencies.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. Recognising abuse, reporting procedures and safer recruitment.
Equality & Diversity
Inclusive practice, protected characteristics, unconscious bias and the Equality Act 2010 for charity teams.
Manual Handling
Safe lifting for charity shop staff, warehouse volunteers, event setup teams and community outreach workers.
Mental Health Awareness
Supporting beneficiaries and colleagues. Recognising mental health issues, signposting and self-care for charity workers.
H&S Awareness
General health and safety for charity staff and volunteers. Hazard awareness, incident reporting and lone working.
GDPR for Charities
Donor data, beneficiary records, fundraising consent, mailing lists and breach reporting for charity staff and volunteers.
Fire Awareness
Charity premises fire risks, evacuation for diverse user groups, fire marshall duties and community building safety.
First Aid
First aid for charity settings. Event first aid, working with vulnerable people and community-based emergencies.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. Recognising abuse, reporting procedures and safer recruitment.
Equality & Diversity
Inclusive practice, protected characteristics, unconscious bias and the Equality Act 2010 for charity teams.
Manual Handling
Safe lifting for charity shop staff, warehouse volunteers, event setup teams and community outreach workers.
Mental Health Awareness
Supporting beneficiaries and colleagues. Recognising mental health issues, signposting and self-care for charity workers.
H&S Awareness
General health and safety for charity staff and volunteers. Hazard awareness, incident reporting and lone working.
A Typical Charity Compliance Journey
Here's how we help a typical charity achieve affordable, proportionate compliance.
Charity Compliance Health Check
We review your current compliance — GDPR, health and safety, fire safety, HR documentation, safeguarding policies, trustee governance and volunteer management. We identify every gap and every risk area, prioritised by urgency.
Budget-Friendly Action Plan
A clear, proportionate roadmap that addresses the most critical compliance gaps first — always mindful of your budget. We focus on essentials that protect your charity, your trustees and your beneficiaries without over-engineering solutions you don't need.
GDPR & Data Compliance
Privacy notices for donors and beneficiaries, fundraising consent mechanisms, data retention schedules, data sharing agreements with partner organisations, breach procedures and staff/volunteer training on handling sensitive personal data.
Policies & Documentation
Health and safety policy, fire risk assessment, safeguarding policy, volunteer agreements, employment contracts for paid staff, equality and diversity policy, whistleblowing procedure and trustee compliance framework — all tailored to charity operations.
Staff & Volunteer Training
GDPR awareness, fire safety, first aid, safeguarding, equality and diversity and manual handling — delivered at charity rates, at your premises or our centre. Short, focused sessions designed for mixed teams of paid staff and volunteers.
Ongoing Affordable Support
Annual compliance reviews, policy updates, trustee briefings, new volunteer induction support, event risk assessment guidance and priority telephone advice — keeping your charity compliant year-round without straining your budget.
Charity Compliance FAQ
What compliance does my charity legally need?
Charities have the same legal obligations as commercial businesses: UK GDPR compliance for all personal data (donor, beneficiary, volunteer, staff), health and safety risk assessments, fire risk assessments for your premises, employer's liability insurance if you have paid staff, employment contracts from day one for employees, and compliance with the Equality Act 2010. Additionally, charities must meet Charity Commission governance requirements, and trustees have personal liability for compliance failures. RADCaT's charity compliance health check identifies exactly what you need.
Are trustees personally liable for compliance failures?
Yes. Charity trustees have personal legal responsibility for ensuring their organisation operates within the law. If the charity fails to comply with health and safety, data protection or employment law, individual trustees can face enforcement action, personal fines, disqualification from acting as a trustee and, in serious cases, criminal prosecution. This applies to all trustees — including volunteer board members who may not realise the extent of their personal exposure. RADCaT provides trustee compliance briefings and annual governance reports to protect your board.
What GDPR does my charity need for donor data?
Charities processing donor data need privacy notices explaining how you use personal data, lawful basis for each processing activity (typically legitimate interest or consent), PECR-compliant consent for fundraising emails and calls, Gift Aid record management, data retention schedules, data sharing agreements with partner charities or payment processors, staff and volunteer training on data handling, and procedures for subject access requests and data breaches. The ICO is actively enforcing GDPR in the charity sector — several major charities have received significant fines for fundraising data misuse.
Do you offer charity-rate pricing?
Yes. We understand that charities operate on tight budgets and that every pound spent on compliance is a pound not spent on your mission. We offer charity-rate pricing across all our services — typically 20-30% below our standard commercial rates. We also offer flexible payment options, phased implementation plans and prioritised approaches that address your most critical compliance gaps first within your available budget. Contact us for a free compliance health check and charity-rate quote.
How do you handle compliance for volunteers?
Volunteers have a different legal status to employees, but your charity still has a duty of care. We help you develop volunteer agreements (not contracts — the legal distinction matters), DBS checking procedures for roles involving vulnerable people, volunteer induction programmes covering health and safety, data protection and safeguarding, and clear policies on volunteer expenses, insurance cover and supervision arrangements. We also advise on the legal boundary between genuine volunteering and employment to avoid costly misclassification.
Can you help with safeguarding compliance?
Yes. We help charities develop safeguarding policies aligned with Charity Commission expectations, safer recruitment procedures, DBS checking frameworks, designated safeguarding lead (DSL) role descriptions, whistleblowing procedures and reporting processes. We deliver safeguarding awareness training for staff, volunteers and trustees covering recognising signs of abuse, responding to disclosures, reporting obligations and record keeping. Essential for any charity working with children, young people or vulnerable adults.
Do you support CICs and social enterprises?
Yes. Community Interest Companies (CICs), social enterprises, community groups and not-for-profit organisations all benefit from our services. While governance structures differ from registered charities, the underlying compliance obligations for health and safety, data protection, employment law and fire safety are the same. We tailor our support to your specific organisational structure, whether you're a registered charity, CIC, charitable company, unincorporated association or community benefit society.
Ready to Make Your Workplace Safer?
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation site visit. We'll review your charity's compliance, identify gaps and recommend affordable, proportionate solutions.