Charity & Not For Profit

Shared values and deep expertise.

Like any organisation, not-for-profits need to achieve their purposes and be financially sustainable. It’s just that their purposes and motivations are very different.

We’ve been at the heart of the sector for decades and understand the complex structures, governance, management and commercial issues and challenges you face.

We apply our commercial skills, legal expertise and specialist sector know-how to help you set up new initiatives. To support you into, and out of, commercial deals. To help avoid disputes and guide you through them when they arise, through the thickets of regulation. To help you campaign for the outcomes you seek. We’ll also help to manage your reputation.

Working with you

Our employment lawyers have helped to define the legal position of volunteers. Our real estate lawyers are as adept with trusts for ancient buildings as they are with modern office leases. Our finance team leads on social investment. Our public law team will fight your corner in a judicial review or campaign for change.

We understand the sensitivities and pressures of reputation management when you’re under scrutiny. Our dispute resolution team can help resolve and avoid your issues sensitively. And if it comes to a complicated regulatory investigation, we have the experience to steer you through.

As a B Corporation, we believe there’s more to doing business than just making a profit. Our values and our own purpose inform our decisions as a business and they help to shape the advice we give to purpose-driven organisations like yours.

Explore

Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 21 July

Our weekly round-up of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Charity Commission The Committee of Privileges has published a report considering the actions of the Charity Commission in relation to parliamentary privilege and two reports laid …
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Faith-based charities and regulatory engagement: prevention and response

The regulatory landscape Regulatory action by the Charity Commission is increasing. There were 18% more regulatory concern cases, 25% more statutory inquiries and just under 60% more inquiry powers used in the Commission’s most recent financial period than its previous one. Common themes for the Commission opening investigations are governance failures, safeguarding issues, conflicts of …
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Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 14 July

Our weekly roundup of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Charity Commission Annual report and accounts The Charity Commission has published its annual report and accounts for 2025 to 2026. In his foreword, Chief Executive Officer …
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Innovate for Impact: Managing IT supplier relationships: Risks, red flags and reducing the impact of disputes

What makes an IT supplier relationship succeed – or fail? At our recent event, Innovate for Impact: Empowering Charities through Technology, panellists explored the challenges organisations face when delivering technology projects and managing relationships with IT suppliers. While the projects discussed varied widely, a number of recurring themes emerged: misaligned expectations, underestimated complexity, supplier dependency …
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Innovate for Impact: How technology can empower charities to drive positive change

At our recent Innovate for Impact: Empowering Charities Through Technology event, panellists discussed how charities are using technology in practice to improve services, better understand the needs of their communities and support their wider objectives. The discussion explored both the opportunities and challenges presented by new technologies, with speakers drawing on their own experiences of …
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“Bates Wells have a strong team of people who are not only highly qualified and experienced but also approachable and work pragmatically to find a way forward.”

Charity, Chambers 2024

“Bates Wells break issues down, simplify, and explain complex matters. The advice is sound, professional, and solid.”

Charity, Chambers 2024

“The team are all marked by their excellent communication skills and confident knowledge of the law. You get real quality advice from friendly and understanding members of the team.”

Charity, Chambers 2024

‘Bates Wells has unrivalled knowledge of the charity sector and is the go to firm in the space of social investment and blended finance.’

Charity, Legal 500 2024

‘This team is not only excellent at understanding charities and not-for-profits, they are at the forefront of the fast evolving field of social investment and purposeful business.’

Charity, Legal 500 2024
Meet our team

Our charity solicitors give practical advice on the full spectrum of charity and commercial law – from drafting commercial contracts, to advising on grants, to handling the most complex, high profile and sensitive cases.

View our charity services

Visit our Spotlight hub to watch our panels on demand, and explore our resources.

Spotlight – the annual Bates Wells charity conference