Contributors

Being a charity trustee can be hugely rewarding, but it comes with real responsibility.

Trustees’ Week is an opportunity to celebrate the nearly one million people across the UK who volunteer their time and expertise to help charities achieve their purposes and make a difference.

At Womble Bond Dickinson, our Charities Team, led by Partners Jo Coleman and Emma Moody, advises charities, educational institutions and not-for-profit organisations on the legal and governance challenges they face. Many of our team are trustees too, giving us first-hand experience of the opportunities and responsibilities that come with the role.

So, to mark Trustees’ Week, and drawing on the Charity Commission’s Essential Trustee (CC3) and the Charity Governance Code, here are our top 10 tips for charity trustees.

1. Keep your charity’s purposes at the heart of everything you do

Trustees should understand their charity’s purposes and make sure its activities are directed towards furthering those purposes for the public benefit. This is one of the six core duties identified in CC3 and is reflected in the Organisational purpose principle of the Charity Governance Code.

Periodically step back and ask whether what the charity is doing still clearly supports its charitable purposes. Consider updating them if not.

2. Know your governing document

Your charity’s governing document is its rulebook. Trustees should be familiar with the provisions covering matters such as trustee appointments, meetings, decision-making, powers and trustee benefits.

This ties directly into the CC3 duty to comply with your charity’s governing document and the law. The Charity Governance Code similarly expects trustees to have a good understanding of their governing document, purposes and how the charity delivers public benefit.

When did you last review your charity’s governing document? Trustees’ Week is a great opportunity to check that it remains fit for purpose.

3. Always act in your charity’s best interests

Being a trustee means putting the interests of the charity first. Trustees should approach decisions objectively and consider what will best enable the charity to achieve its purposes.

Acting in the charity’s best interests is itself one of the six core duties identified by the Charity Commission.

For significant decisions, make sure the minutes record the principal factors considered and why the board reached its decision.

4. Identify and manage conflicts of interest

Conflicts are a normal part of charity governance, but they need to be identified and managed properly. Trustees should declare relevant interests and follow their governing document and conflicts policy when deciding whether a trustee can participate in a discussion or decision.

The Charity Governance Code specifically expects trustees to identify and manage conflicts so that the charity and its aims come first in decision-making.

The Charity Commission updated its conflicts of interest guidance in April, so now is a timely opportunity to refresh your understanding and check your charity’s approach.

5. Look after the charity’s money and resources

Financial responsibility belongs to the whole trustee board, not only the treasurer or finance committee. Trustees should understand the charity’s financial position, monitor expenditure and ensure appropriate financial controls are in place.

This reflects the CC3 duty to manage the charity’s resources responsibly and the Code's broader Managing resources and risks principle.

Make finance everyone’s business. Ensure all trustees understand the charity’s financial position and feel confident asking questions, rather than leaving financial oversight solely to the treasurer or finance committee. Train your trustees in financial governance.

6. Understand and manage risk

Good governance does not mean avoiding all risk. Trustees should understand the principal risks facing their charity and make informed, proportionate decisions about how those risks are managed.

The Charity Governance Code expressly brings together the management of resources and risks, encouraging boards to consider these issues as part of effective governance.

Make risk a living part of board discussions rather than simply reviewing the risk register once a year.

7. Exercise reasonable care and skill

Trustees are expected to bring appropriate care and skill to their role. This includes giving enough time and thought to important decisions, reading papers, asking questions and seeking appropriate professional advice where necessary.

Acting with reasonable care and skill is one of the six key duties set out in CC3.

Come prepared. Read your board papers, ask questions and give important decisions the time and scrutiny they deserve. Do not just leave it to one or two trustees to ask questions.

8. Invest in your board

An effective board needs the right mix of skills, experience and perspectives. Trustees should think about recruitment, succession planning, induction and ongoing learning rather than waiting until a vacancy or governance problem arises.

Board effectiveness is one of the eight principles of the current Charity Governance Code. The Code also now has a specific principle addressing equity, diversity and inclusion.

Consider carrying out a periodic board skills audit and governance review. Help the board be good at what they do by investing in continuous learning and development.

9. Remember that delegation does not remove responsibility

Trustees can and often should delegate day-to-day functions to staff, committees and professional advisers. However, trustees retain ultimate responsibility for governing the charity and directing how it is managed and run.

Good delegation therefore requires clear authority, reporting arrangements and appropriate oversight by the board.

10. Keep governance under review

Good governance is not a one-off exercise. Charities change, boards change and the environment in which they operate changes.

The current Charity Governance Code contains eight universal principles and 41 outcomes and recommends an "apply or explain" approach. This makes it a useful framework for periodically assessing whether the charity's governance remains appropriate to its size, activities and risks.

Importantly, the Code is not itself a regulatory requirement. It is designed as a practical tool to sit alongside trustees' legal duties and the Charity Commission's guidance.

Give your governance an MOT. Use the Charity Governance Code to periodically review what is working well and where there may be room for improvement.

Final thoughts

Good trusteeship is about more than compliance. It means keeping your charity’s purposes front and centre, understanding its finances and risks, managing conflicts, asking the right questions and regularly checking that its governance remains fit for purpose.

To explore the latest legal and financial developments affecting the sector, join us for our upcoming events:

  • Charities in Focus 2026: Legal & Financial Reporting Seminar, in collaboration with Saffery, on Tuesday 1 December, 12:00 to 14:00, at WBD's Leeds office. The in-person seminar will cover WBD’s legal review of 2026 and Saffery’s update on charity financial reporting, followed by a light networking lunch. Register here.
  • Charities Review of 2026 Webinar, on Tuesday 8 December, 12:00 to 13:00 will take a deep dive into changes to charity law in 2026. Register here.

For event enquiries, please contact [email protected]. If you would like to discuss your charity’s governance or any of the issues covered in this article, please contact our Education, Charity and Not-for-Profit team.

Further guidance

This article is for general information only and reflects the position at the date of publication. It does not constitute legal advice.