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<p>Think tanks which have opted for charitable status must ensure they abide by the
rules that apply to all charities under charity law. Charities can undertake political
activity but only in pursuit of their charitable purposes, and only to the extent
that the political activity remains subsidiary to the charity’s purpose and does not
become an end in itself. Charities must not participate in any party-political activity,
or support a political party or candidate. The Charity Commission sets this out clearly
in its guidance on campaigning and political activity which was published in 2008.</p><p><a
href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/speaking-out-guidance-on-campaigning-and-political-activity-by-charities-cc9"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/speaking-out-guidance-on-campaigning-and-political-activity-by-charities-cc9</a></p><p>Most
charitable think tanks carry out their charitable purpose well. There are many examples
where important contributions have been made in a responsible manner and in line with
the law. Where charities, including charitable think tanks, do not operate in line
with the law, or where they cross the line in terms of political activity, the Charity
Commission, as the independent charity regulator and as tasked by Parliament, has
the legal responsibility to hold charities to account under charity law and deal with
those matters proportionately on behalf of the public.</p><p>The Government encourages
greater transparency as a matter of good practice, but it is not a legal requirement
for charities to publicly disclose the identity of individual donors. Donor anonymity
is an important consideration in ensuring people have the confidence to donate to
charitable causes they care about.</p>
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