Governance for Charities

When was the last time you reviewed your charity's governance? Indeed have you ever reviewed it?

From the charity's perspective, not only are trustees often uncertain of their roles and responsibilities, they are now faced with a barrage of press stories which have damaged the goodwill that the sector has traditionally had with the public. How do you as trustees and your executive team work together to ensure that does not happen? How do charities get the right strategy in place? How do they ensure their charity's governance is effective because getting governance in charities right is absolutely vital?

Lessons from these bad news stories are many and from my experience of working with charities there is much for all charities to do, no matter what their size.

Do any of these problems seem familiar?

• lack of reserves
• lack of trustee skills in the purpose of the charity
• no real long term strategy
• weak governance
• lack of ability to react to reputational damage
• lack of financial control
• lack of understanding of the risks they face
• lack of a working connection between the trustees and the executive team and in recent years
• The Pandemic and the impact of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have had on the sector.

In addition, both trustees and the executive team are having to cope with a continually evolving Charities SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) which impacts on charities of all sizes, particularly in dealing with the Trustee or Governance Report. There is more emphasis now on explaining the risks that you incur and how you deal with them; your reserves policy, how it is calculated and why at the levels stated; how you reward your staff; how you have performed in the year (both good and bad news); how you are trained and your future plans.

When was the last time you looked at your constitution?

You are being held to account not only by charity law but by your own governing document and when was the last time you checked if it was fit for purpose?

I have had over 35 years’ experience in helping charities address all these points and more from carrying out:

• training for charities including trustee training tailored to meet the needs of the individual charity
• strategic planning for charities
• risk management for charities
• reviewing governing documents
• reviewing committee structures
• board effectiveness reviews
• mentoring Chairs of Trustees
• facilitating trustee and executive team away days
• reviewing policies and procedures
• reviewing risk registers
• reviewing reserve policies
• reviewing investment policies
• reviewing financial reporting
• loan feasibility reviews.
• mediation between trustees and between trustees and their executive team.
• turnaround and restructuring of charities
• charity mergers
• help setting up a charity and
• alternatives to setting up a charity

I start the process by undertaking a top level governance review which includes a review of all relevant documentation and interviewing key people in the charity as a result of which a report is produced with recommendations as to the steps that the charity needs to take next to strengthen governance procedures.

I can assist you in formulating your charity's strategy and with my fellow directors of our sister company intheroundadvisors.com also have access to a network of advisors on matters such as Fundraising, HR Policies, employment issues, legal problems, property problems etc.

I work with charities all over the country from my Leicestershire base but principally in the Midlands and London.

For a free initial consultation, call me on 07896 894 711 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I am happy to meet in person or via zoom or other video platforms, whichever is most convenient to you.