Complaint Procedure (Large Charity)

This Complaint Procedure (Large Charity) is designed for a charity of substantial size. However, a smaller charity may also use and adapt it unless it finds that it is unnecessarily complex or otherwise unsuitable for it in which case it can instead use the procedure for making complaints to a small charity Complaint Procedure (Small Charity). Either form can also be adapted for use by any other type of non-profit organisation.

The Guidance Notes - Complaint Procedures in this Sub-folder provides background and further guidance about charity complaint procedures.

This Complaint Procedure is drafted with the aim of helping charities to implement the Charity Commission’s recommendation to maintain such a complaints procedure, but each charity’s needs and circumstances will be different – what is suitable for one may not be suitable for another. Therefore, whichever template a charity uses, it should consider carefully if and how it should be modified to ensure that what it puts in place in its particular organisation is suitable and that it will work well in practice. Any part of the Procedure can and should be modified if it is not suitable.

This template assumes that complaints are to be handled by the individual who supervises the person who caused the occurrence/omission complained of, e.g. a volunteer who supervises other volunteers, or a local staff manager of a service or activity about which the complaint is made. If, however, there is someone better placed to field the complaint, or the person complained about is at a higher level in the organisation, the Complaint Procedure can be amended accordingly. The procedure also assumes that if the complaint is not resolved at the initial stage, it can then be escalated by the complainant to someone more senior, e.g. a senior manager, or one or more of the members of the trustee board.

This template is intended for use by charities registered with the Charity Commission. If a charity is registered in Scotland or Northern Ireland, it should take specific legal advice as to adoption of a complaints procedure. This template is in open format. Either enter the requisite details in the highlighted fields or adjust the wording to suit your purposes.

Optional phrases / clauses are enclosed in square brackets. These should be read carefully and selected so as to be compatible with one another. Unused options should be removed from the document.

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