Abstract:
Internationally, there has been a steady increase in the number of countries instigating charity regulation. Public interest theory suggests that regulation increases organisational transparency, protects (or encourages) a competitive market, and leads to a distribution of resources which is in the public interest. While these arguments may explain charity regulation, the cost of compliance can be an issue for small and medium-sized charities. Therefore regulators tend to take a light-handed approach to small and medium charities' information provision. This seminar discusses the impact of light-handed enforcement on small and medium charities' reporting, analysing the financial reporting practices of these charities registered with the New Zealand Charities Commission against the Charities Act requirements. I also discuss how the regulators activities might impact future reporting practices of charities.
