Key Metrics
20.79
Heat Index-
Impact LevelMedium
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Scope LevelNational
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Last Update2025-08-06
Key Impacts
Positive Impacts (2)
Negative Impacts (1)
Event Overview
Regulatory scrutiny intensifies on nonprofit governance structures following internal conflicts over strategic direction. The case highlights vulnerabilities in trustee oversight and accountability mechanisms within internationally operating charities, particularly those with high-profile affiliations. Mandatory reforms emphasize strengthening decision-making protocols and ensuring compliance with fiduciary responsibilities.
Collect Records
Charity Commission Concludes Case into Sentebale Dispute, Issues Regulatory Action Plan
The Charity Commission has concluded its compliance case into Sentebale, a charity working with children and young people in Southern Africa. The investigation focused on governance weaknesses following an internal dispute among the charity’s trustees and founding patrons, specifically involving the chair of trustees Dr Sophie Chandauka, other trustees, and patron Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. The dispute arose after trustees tried to implement a new fundraising strategy in the United States in 2023.
The Commission found that confusion regarding role descriptions and internal policies was the primary cause for the charity’s management weaknesses. This lack of clarity amplified tensions, resulting in a public dispute and the resignation of several trustees and both founding patrons. The regulator criticised all parties for allowing the disagreement to become public and determined that the failure of the trustees to resolve conflicts internally severely harmed the charity’s reputation and could undermine public trust in charities more broadly.
After conducting interviews and reviewing all submitted evidence, the Commission found no evidence of bullying. However, it concluded there was mismanagement due to unclear delegations to the chair and lack of proper processes for internal complaints. The Commission issued Sentebale a Regulatory Action Plan to address these governance weaknesses and expects future patron roles to be clearly defined in writing.
The regulator highlighted that pandemic-related strategic and financial difficulties contributed to the tensions. The regulator urges trustees of all charities to ensure robust governance and internal dispute resolution policies in order to avoid similar issues.