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We’re often asked why Brave Starts is a Community Interest Company (CIC) rather than a registered charity. It’s a good question, and one we grappled with when we first incorporated in 2020.
Founded by psychologist Lucy Standing and sustainability expert Harris Karim, both determined to enable longer, healthier working lives, Brave Starts began with a dual mission:
1. To campaign for better opportunities for later-career job-seekers.
2. To support this same group to explore their next work steps, navigate challenging recruitment practices and make a positive change.
A question was whether this mission constituted a charitable purpose; one of a set of 12 legally-defined purposes which deliver a public benefit. The answer is yes, and no.
Our campaigning activities, the most recent at the House of Lords, are squarely aimed at increasing the opportunities open to those wanting or needing to make a change later in their working lives. We lobby both public and private sectors to embrace the proven value of experienced workers and halt the practice of tagging people as “overqualified”, harder to manage or to satisfy. This discrimination needs addressing urgently; there is a clear wide-ranging public benefit, and therefore a charitable purpose.
But what about those individuals who seek help to navigate a bumpy career or make a much-needed change? We didn’t want to limit access to our research, community and guidance solely to those who ‘fit’ a charitable purpose such as discrimination or financial hardship. We recognised the unpredictable impact of the economy and technology on the workplace, and that pressures on more experienced workers today could quickly change or extend to others we hadn’t initially contemplated. We also felt that our members would not “expect charity” and would instead be looking for reliable and unbiased guidance for a reasonable fee.
There was also the question of finance and structure. Starting with two part-time volunteer co-founders meant that the cost, administration and governance requirements of becoming a charity felt undesirable, and even unmanageable at the time. A CIC needs to pass and continually fulfil a community interest test, which suited our aim of being a not-for-profit addressing a social need, whilst giving us the agility we required.
Fast forward to today and this CIC status is still fulfilling its purpose. We’re fortunate to attract expert advisors who guide us as trustees would, and we freely partner with charities, corporates and public sector organisations. While we choose not to apply for grant funding, given that it is often linked to highly-defined and time-bound objectives, most funders accept applications from CICs, and that option remains open.
Operating as a CIC, with the flexibility it offers, means membership is open to all. We can add new events, workshops and resources to address changing needs while serving a broad range of members, whatever their situation.
