Glossary
What is a charity number?
A charity number is the unique registration number a charity receives from its regulator: the Charity Commission for England and Wales (six or seven digits), OSCR in Scotland (SC plus six digits) or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (NIC numbers). Funders use it to check the register.
Also called: registered charity number, charity registration number.
A charity number is the registration number a charity receives from its regulator. In England and Wales the Charity Commission issues a six- or seven-digit number, in Scotland OSCR issues numbers in the form SC followed by six digits, and in Northern Ireland the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland issues NIC numbers. Charities in England and Wales with income under £5,000 need not register, and excepted and exempt charities do not appear on the register.
Why it matters when applying. The number is the key to a charity's public record. A funder types it into the register and sees the charity's name and address, trustees, "work and aims" and finances, including the accounts it has filed, which is why due diligence checks start there. It is also how open data identifies organisations: in 360Giving records a charity appears as GB-CHC- plus its number, an org-id, so every grant it has received can be found by number.
For prospect research the number works both ways. Enter your own charity number into OpenGrant's peers lookup and it finds organisations with similar registered purposes and shows which funders have published grants to them. Enter another charity's number into GrantNav and you see its published funders, which is the method in how to find out who funds a charity.
Example. A fictional CIC with no charity number can still apply to National Lottery Awards for All England, which accepts constituted community organisations and CICs, but not to a trust whose criteria say "registered charities only". The CIC's Companies House number, written as GB-COH- plus the number, serves as its identifier in open data.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a charity number to apply for grants?
- Not for every funder. National Lottery Awards for All and most community foundations accept constituted groups with a bank account and two unrelated committee members. Many large trusts fund registered charities only. Each scheme's eligibility section says which, and our guide to grants without registered charity status lists the patterns.
- Where do I find a charity's number?
- On the register for its nation. The Charity Commission register at gov.uk covers England and Wales and can be searched by name, number or where the charity operates. OSCR keeps the Scottish Charity Register and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland keeps the Northern Ireland register. Registered charities must also show the number on their website and documents.