Commercial Legal Advice for Charities and Not-for-Profit Organisations

Practical commercial advice that helps charities understand their legal obligations, manage commercial risk and make informed decisions that support their purpose.

Request a Call Back Contact Us

Contact Us

Let us know how we can help and a member of the DTM Legal team will get in touch.
Contact Us

Charities and not-for-profit organisations increasingly operate in complex commercial environments. Whether generating income, entering important contracts, working with commercial partners or developing new services, strong legal and commercial foundations are essential to protecting the organisation and supporting its long-term objectives.

DTM Legal provides practical commercial advice to charities, charitable companies, charitable incorporated organisations, foundations, social enterprises and other not-for-profit organisations. We help trustees and senior management teams understand their legal obligations, manage commercial risk and make informed decisions that support the organisation’s charitable purposes.

Our Charity & Philanthropy team is led by Alison Brennan, a Partner in DTM Legal’s Corporate and Commercial team. Alison’s experience in both charity law and commercial matters enables her to provide advice that reflects the regulatory, governance and operational considerations affecting organisations within the sector.

Working collaboratively with specialists across DTM Legal, we provide coordinated support covering commercial agreements, corporate structures, funding, property, employment, intellectual property and disputes.

Contact Us

Corporate and Commercial Legal Services for Charities

Our Charity & Philanthropy and Corporate and Commercial solicitors advise charities and not-for-profit organisations on:

  • Commercial Contracts and Agreements
  • Corporate Finance and Business Investment
  • Business Reorganisations
  • Franchising, Agency and Distribution
  • IT, Digital Services and E-Commerce
  • Intellectual Property
  • Funding and Security Arrangements
  • Company Secretarial Services
  • Companies House Identity Verification
  • Succession Planning and Exit Strategies
  • Collaborative Working and Partnership Arrangements
  • Trading Subsidiaries and Income-Generating Activities

Why Instruct DTM Legal?

Charities require commercial advisers who understand that their decisions must be considered within a wider framework of charitable purposes, trustee duties, regulatory obligations and stakeholder expectations.

Our solicitors provide practical advice that helps charities pursue commercial opportunities while protecting their assets, reputation and long-term sustainability.

We take the time to understand the organisation’s objectives, governance structure, funding arrangements and appetite for risk. This enables us to provide advice that is proportionate to the transaction and tailored to the realities of operating within the charity sector.

Our Charity & Philanthropy practice is led by Alison Brennan, whose experience in charity law and complex commercial matters allows her to identify the issues that can arise where commercial activity and charitable obligations overlap.

We provide:

  • Clear and pragmatic commercial advice
  • Support tailored to charities and not-for-profit organisations
  • Advice that reflects the organisation’s purposes and governance duties
  • Assistance with drafting and negotiating commercial agreements
  • Support with restructures and collaborative arrangements
  • Advice on protecting charitable assets and intellectual property
  • A coordinated service drawing on expertise from across DTM Legal

Get in Touch

Whether your organisation is entering a new commercial arrangement, expanding its activities, developing a trading subsidiary or reviewing an existing contract, DTM Legal can provide practical advice tailored to the charity and not-for-profit sector.

Contact Alison and the Charity & Philanthropy team by calling 01244 354 800 or via email at alison.brennan@dtmlegal.com.

Key Contact
Head of Compliance and Service Delivery
DTM Legal
5/5
350+Reviews

Request a Consultation

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Key Considerations for Charities and Not-for-Profit Organisations

Read our Key Considerations guide to understand some of the points a solicitor may wish to discuss when responding to your enquiry. It can help you prepare the relevant information and make your initial conversation more productive.

View Key Considerations
DTM Legal
5/5
350+Reviews

Charity & Philanthropy Team

Alison Brennan, Head of Compliance and Service Delivery Photographed outside DTM Legal in Liverpool
Alison Brennan

Head of Compliance and Service Delivery
Richard Thomas, Head of Business Recovery photographed outside DTM Legal in Liverpool
Richard Thomas

Head of Business Recovery

Frequently Asked Questions

Commonly asked questions relating to commercial legal support for charities.

Charities can undertake commercial activities, but the appropriate structure will depend on the nature and scale of the activity and how closely it relates to the organisation’s charitable purposes.

In some circumstances, it may be appropriate to conduct the activity through a separate trading subsidiary. Legal and tax advice should be obtained before launching a significant new commercial venture.

Not every arrangement is legally required to be documented in a formal written contract, but a clear agreement is strongly advisable where the parties have important responsibilities or the arrangement involves significant funding, services, assets or risk.

A written contract can clarify what each party must do, how payments will be made, how liability will be allocated and what will happen if the relationship ends.

 

Trustees should consider whether the arrangement supports the charity’s purposes, provides an appropriate benefit to the organisation and exposes its assets or reputation to acceptable levels of risk.

They should also consider any conflicts of interest, the organisation’s financial position, the terms offered by the other party and whether professional advice is required. The reasons for the decision should be properly recorded.

 

Yes. Our Charity & Philanthropy team works with specialists across DTM Legal to provide support on corporate structures, property, employment, disputes, intellectual property, funding and other legal issues affecting charities and not-for-profit organisations.

What our Clients Say

See what our customers have to say about their experience

Review Solicitors Stars
5/5 350+Reviews
Anonymous
01/10/2023
The DTM Legal LLP are one of our charity’s most valued legal skill donors. We can rely 100% on DTM Legal’s support. They are always quick to respond and very efficient and thorough in their work. They set out the parameters to which they are able to offer pro bono support and have a personable approach, which puts the charities at ease, during what can be stressful situations.
Dianne Parrish
26/05/2026
Alison and her colleagues at DTM Legal have provided legal support and peace of mind for a wide range of organisations consistently over many years. Expertise, solutions and guidance delivered promptly with clarity.
Anonymous
01/10/2023
Our initial key contact has been such a pleasure to work with, Alison Brennan. Alison always responds to email requests promptly and, wherever possible, will offer to help either directly, if the skills request is within her area of expertise, or she will facilitate support from her colleagues in other departments, within the DTM Legal practice. Our charities are always very happy with Alison, Kate and their respective teams’ support.

Related Insights