{"id":80439,"date":"2017-04-05T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-05T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=71c0cd70e3742f703e7bccdeb34a7402"},"modified":"2017-04-05T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-04-05T05:00:00","slug":"press-release-new-charity-investigation-the-alternative-animal-sanctuary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=80439","title":{"rendered":"Press release: New charity investigation: The Alternative Animal Sanctuary"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a statutory inquiry into The Alternative Animal Sanctuary, registered charity number 1111406.<\/a> The inquiry was opened on 2 March 2017.<\/p>\n

The Lincolnshire-based charity offers permanent care to abandoned and neglected animals across England and Wales, and facilitates adoption where possible.<\/p>\n

The Commission initially engaged with the charity in November 2016 as part of a proactive project focusing on a sample of charities contracting with third-party fundraising agencies. After examining the charity\u2019s arrangement with a fundraising agency, the Commission has serious concerns about the charity\u2019s apparent overreliance on the agency and the rate of return to the charity. Further regulatory concerns have been established regarding the significantly high costs and fees of the agreement, the trustees\u2019 original decision to enter into the agreement and the ongoing management of the arrangements by the trustees.<\/p>\n

The Commission took action to obtain and examine copies of the charity\u2019s mailing material which is used to solicit donations under the agency agreement. This has raised further concerns regarding the transparency of the mailing material. The Commission is concerned that the public is unaware of the proportion of donations that is consumed by the costs and fees associated with the agreement against what is used on caring for abandoned and neglected animals.<\/p>\n

The inquiry will examine the administration, governance and financial management of the charity, in particular the extent to which the trustees have:<\/p>\n