How do the principles of public benefit relate to fee-charging charities?
The principles of public benefit set out in Charities and Public Benefit have relevance for all charities, regardless of whether or not they charge fees for their services or facilities. Principles 2b and 2c: although most of the principles of public benefit apply to all charities equally (the considerations are the same whether or not fees are charged), principle 2b (the opportunity to benefit must not be unreasonably restricted by ability to pay any fees charged), and principle 2c (people in poverty must not be excluded from the opportunity to benefit) do have particular relevance for fee-charging charities. ‘People in poverty’ does not just include people who are destitute but also people who cannot satisfy a basic need without assistance. The context and aims of each organisation, such as the country in which it operates, are also important in deciding who ‘people in poverty’ are in a specific case and whether those people are excluded from the opportunity to benefit. See section F
