The Charity Commission will not be “weaponized” by people and organizations fighting “culture wars”, its chair Orlando Fraser is expected to say.
Fraser is expected to make the comments in an address to charity leaders in London today to unveil the commission’s new five-year strategy.
“I will not allow the commission to be misused or weaponized by any military forces involved in combating these.” [culture] “It’s war,” he plans to say.
“Whether it’s driven by powerful interests in politics, the media, or the industry itself.”
This comes after Helen Stephenson, outgoing CEO of the Charity Commission, recently said: Culture wars are having a ‘severe’ impact on many charities.
“We will not tolerate abuse of the committee.”
Fraser is expected to say the reason the regulator is emphasizing independence “so strongly” in its new strategy is because it believes it will be of paramount importance in the coming years.
He is expected to say that British society has “fewer universally shared values and norms than in previous decades” and that people have less trust in institutions.
He plans to say that while philanthropy can help bring people together, it can also lead to culture wars.
“They could become embroiled in a fierce public battle for the soul of our country. These discussions help highlight the important work of charities.
“But there are risks when charities find themselves on the brink of what has become known as the culture wars.
“I will not allow the Commission to be misused or weaponized by any military forces involved in these wars. Whether it is done or not.
“Without a doubt we will be in contentious areas. There will be divisive and controversial issues. That is the nature of our work and that we will not be able to support charities in our society. is specific to the role it plays.”
“Promote respect, tolerance and kindness”
When regulators engage in these discussions, they will aim to respond in a way that “seeks to promote respect, tolerance and kindness,” Fraser said.
“And we expect the charities we regulate to do the same, responding with purposeful generosity to any attacks they may face along the way.
“We first want to contribute to sustaining a democratic, pluralistic and tolerant culture that enables a broad and diverse philanthropic sector to flourish.”
The Charity Commission’s new strategy sets out five key priorities to 2029.