**INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Charity Incorporated Organisation no 1026699** ## REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES ## FOR THE YEAR TO 31 DECEMBER 2020 |**Report of the Trustees**|**2**| |---|---| |Reference and administrative details|2| |Objectives and Activities|3| |Achievements and Performance|4| |Financial Review|4| |Statement Of Trustees’ Responsibilities|5| **INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Charity Incorporated Organisation no 1026699** ## Report of the Trustees The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year to 31 December 2020. ## Reference and administrative details The Charity transitioned from a Charitable Company (no 1026699) into a Charity Incorporated Organisation in October 2020. ## **Registered Office:** Essex Hall, 1-6, Essex Street, London, WC2R 3HY ## **Contact details** The Charity can be contacted through its administrator at hq@iarf.net or +31641744951. ## **Trustees** The Charity had three Trustees between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020: 1. Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake, a resident of Japan, who also served as the Treasurer, 2. Ms. Janhvi Gupte, a resident of India, who also served as the Vice-President, 3. Mr. Robert Ince, a resident of England, who also served as the President. Trustees have no beneficial interests in the Charity. ## **Constitution** International Association for Religious Freedom is a Charity Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales. The Association was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 25 May 1900. The company is governed under its Constitution. Under the Constitution, the Trustees are aided by an advisory council referred to as the International Council. The Council will consist of eleven members: the President, Vice President, Treasurer and eight ordinary members representing North America, Europe and Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, the RFYN (the IARF’s youth network), the IARLW (the International Association of Liberal Religious Women, IARF’s sister organisation) and one extra member from any region elected by the General Meeting. In accordance with the will of the General Meeting, the Trustees will follow ## **INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Charity Incorporated Organisation no 1026699** the recommendations of the Advisory Council unreservedly, except in case of a clear conflict with UK law or the Constitution. ## **Organisation** The Council during the year included the Trustees named above including a President, Vice President and Treasurer, as well as 8 other members representing North America, Europe and the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia, as well as the RFYN (the IARF’s youth network) and the IALRW (the IARF’s sister organisation of liberal religious women) who meet at least once a year to administer the charity. This meeting incorporates the annual general meeting and was held via video conference in September. The General Meeting meets at the time of the World Congress every 3 or 4 years, appoints a new Council and passes resolutions. The last World Congress prior to these accounts was held in Washington DC. The General Meeting resolved then for the organisation to transition into a Charity Incorporated Organisation. The process was finalised in October 2020 as 96% of the organisation’s members approved the new Constitution. ## **Risk Management** The trustees confirm that the major risks faced by the charity have been reviewed and procedures have been established to manage those risks. ## Objectives and Activities 1. The Association’s activities are the promotion of the following for the benefit of the public: 2. Religious life in which freedom of conscience is essential 3. Understanding among peoples and respect in all areas of culture and religion 4. Co-operation among groups and individuals seeking justice, peace and an 5. ecological and faithful way of life 6. Aid for religious communities that are poor and oppressed We review our aims, objectives and activities each year. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous 12 months. The review looks at the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people we are set up to help. The review also helps us to ensure our aims, objectives and activities remain focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. ## **INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Charity Incorporated Organisation no 1026699** ## Achievements and Performance The transition to Incorporated Charity Organisation has made the operation of the organisation less cumbersome and more transparent, and enabled it to focus on growth-oriented goals such as adopting a new Membership Policy and developing new programmes fully espousing the advancements in digital communication, which is the primary goal set for the following year by the Trustees. The Trustees are enthusiastic about the progress that has been made so far, including in the areas of communication and information sharing, such as regular publication of quality newsletters by the Association and its branches in various regions; of IARF’s UN work conducted by the Association’s Main Representative, the Rev. Dr. Esther R. Suter, as well as other representatives, such as the Rev. Wytske Dijkstra, that led to increasing the Association’s presence and influence on UN fora. ## Financial Review ## **Income and Expenditure** The total incoming resources were 8742 GBP. There was an overall deficit, net of gains on currency and before unrealised investment losses. The Trustees wish to ensure that our commitment to ongoing work continues whilst making more effort to secure additional income streams in future years. Financially, the situation remains challenging with many international interfaith groups struggling to find sponsors and to raise money to support new initiatives. The Trustees have decided to depart from the previous grant-making mode of operation and adopt an approach focused on advocacy, building relationships and cooperation within the organisation, new programmes utilizing the quickly developing digital tools of communication, such as online conferences, meetings, exchanges, ## **Reserves Policy** The investment of reserves was considered at the 2020 meeting of Council. The present level of reserves has been deemed to be sufficient for the present level of activities. ## Statement Of Trustees’ Responsibilities The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards. ## **INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Charity Incorporated Organisation no 1026699** The trustees are required to: 1. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 2. observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; 3. make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 4. state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; 5. prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation. The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Robert Ince, President 30 October 2021 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES 026G99 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from 11112020 3111212020 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestrlcted funds Restrlcted funds Endowment funds Total funds Last year to the nearest tothe nearest £ to the neawest£ the nearest £ to the nearest£ A1 Recei Men)bershi Donation ts fees 7,742 1,000 7,742 1.000 8.742 U.742 Sub total(Gross income forARJ A2 Asset investment sales, See tsble . Sub total Total récgipts 8,742 8,742 A3 Payments Employment linel. tsxes) Bank ¢hargg5 TeiifayJcomputer Pnnvposl Govèrnancè 15.887 15.887 101 25 15 25 1.000 1.000 Sub total 17,028 17,028 A4 Asset and Investmènt purchases, (see table) Sub total Tofalpaym8nts 17,028 17.028 Net of recglpts/(paymonts) A5 Transfers between fund$ A6 Cash funds 18St year end Cash fvnds thls yoar gnd . 8,286 8.286 3,378 4,908 3,378 4908 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period CCXX R1 accounts ISSI 1710512022 Unrestricted funds to nèarèst£ Restri¢ted funds to nèarést £ Endowment funds to nèarè#t£ Categories Details B1 Cash funds 4,908 Total cash funds 4,908 lagreebslances with ieceirtsand paY￿￿ts ac£0￿￿tI$ll Unrestrlcted funds Restrlcted lunds Endowment funds Details to neare5t£ to nearest £ to neare$t£ Fund to whlch Sswt bglong$ Unreslricte Details Nevrton tsrO￿h In￿[￿9 Fund lor Chsrib8S Cost lopllonall Currentvalue B3 Invèstmènt assèts 21V.946 N￿On SRI Fund for Charities GreeleyAward 4&265 Fund to which a45Et belonys Details Cost loptionall Curr8ntvslu loptionall B4 Ass&ts r&talnad for th8 charity's own use Fund to whlch liability relatW6 Unrestricted Amount duo loptyonall 10.494 When due loptlonall Details Loansfrom Member Organis?lions B5 Liabiliti¢$ 31 Dec•mb•r 2fj21 SvJned by one orlwo trustees on beha of all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of approval CCXX R2 accounts ISSI 1710512022 Yoshinobu MIYAKE 2022105117 CCXX R3 accounts ISSI 1710512022