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Case Study On Oxfam

Analytical framework of the fundraising and campaigning sides of Oxfam’s business:

Legal: The operations and activities of charities in the UK are regulated by the Charities Act, 2006. All charities in the UK are required to keep annual records, prepare annual accounts and make the accounts available to the public on request. Therefore Oxfam must keep detailed records of its income and expenditure from trading and campaigning activities. Since Oxfam is a charity with assets in excess of £2.8 million, its accounts must be audited by a registered auditor. Recently, changes in the legal and regulatory framework in which charities operate, were brought about through the enactment of the Charities Act 2006, partly by amending provisions in the Charities Act 1993. The aim was to reduce the bureaucratic red tape, improve accountability and modernize certain provisions that dated back some 400 years. The main provisions of the new Act deal with the definition of the requirements to qualify as a charity, alterations to the requirements for registering charities and the establishment of a Charity Tribunal to hear appeals from decisions of the Charity Commission that were previously handled by the High Court. The Act also introduced a new form of incorporation; the Charitable Incorporated Organization (CIO) designed specifically for charities that will allow trustees to form a company without needing dual registration with both the Charity Commission and Companies House.

Ecological: One of Oxfam’s aims is to relieve poverty but its efforts are being increasingly undermined by changes in the world’s climate. In many parts of the world effects of climate change like increased flooding, droughts, or rising sea level rises are hurting the poor who are dependent on predictable weather patterns. The negative impact of climate change on food and crops can mean no food and no earnings which makes it more difficult for Oxfam to achieve its aim of ensuring the right to life and...