Models to Draw On

Examples of Charitable Sector Standards

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The following are some of the many guidelines and best practice standards developed by charitable and philanthropic organizations.  They reflect due diligence practices that protect charitable assets to be used solely for charitable purposes.

UPDATED: Compliance Toolkit Aims to Inform and Protect UK Charities

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An online toolkit was launched on Nov. 10, 2009 to help United Kingdom trustees protect their charities from harm and abuse. Produced by the UK Charity Commission, the first chapter from the Compliance Toolkit: Protecting charities from harm provides information about relevant terrorism laws, identifies risks from terrorism or other financial crimes and encourages best practices of self monitoring for charities.  The remaining sections will be released in 2010 and 2011. 

A Comparison on Due Process Rights of Drug Kingpins and Charities Accused of Supporting Terrorism

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This article, and the chart supporting it, shows that due process procedures used in asset forfeiture proceedings for accused drug traffickers provide more protection than procedures afforded charities accused of supporting terrorism. These asset forfeiture procedures may be a model for developing new rules for charities.

Accreditation Program for U.S. Muslim Charities Reduces Fear of Giving

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An accreditation program for American Muslim charities hopes to address donors' fears of government reprisal that has lead to deceased donations. Partnering with the Better Business Bureau, Muslim Advocates started the Muslim Charities Accreditation Program (MCAP) in August 2008 to help charities comply with federal regulations and financial rules. On Aug. 25, 2009, Muslim Advocates announced three American charities were the first to complete the program and receive accreditation. 

The UK Charity Commission: Focus on Problem Solving, Program Beneficiaries

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In the United Kingdom (UK) the Charity Commission, an independent regulator for charities in England and Wales, uses a vastly different approach to the issue of charities and counterterrorism than the U.S. In March 2009 the Charity and Security Network interviewed David Walker, Head of Compliance Outreach and Development and Sarah Jane Digby, Regional Manager sub-Saharan Africa International Programs, in the Commission’s London office. Here is what we learned.