Charitable trust

A charitable trust (or charity) is a trust organized to serve private or public charitable purposes.

Oversight

Some charities are referred to as foundations. Charitable trusts are usually non-profit organisations or registered with the government of a country. The charity is then required to report its activities (especially financial ones) to the government, usually on an annual basis. There is normally an obligation to register a non-profitable charitable organisation, as the public is entitled to some oversight of organisations that wish to act for the public good. In the United States, because of the principle of separation of church and state, churches and other religious organisations are often exempt from this legal requirement, although they are often overseen by a church hierarchy. In the United States, there are complex tax law differences between private and public charities. The use of the word "foundation" in an organization's name does not impart any legal benefit, generally speaking.

Related Topics:
Foundations - Trust - Non-profit organisation - Government - Separation of church and state - Churches

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In many countries the charity sector is fast growing. Charities often take over services that used to be provided by the state, such as health, old age and unemployment, as the state finds it increasingly difficult to fulfill its traditional social responsibility.

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