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Articles tagged “Governance and Trustees” Clear filters
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How to recruit charity trustees: A practical guide
Recruiting trustees is one of the most important tasks a charity undertakes. The board sets the tone, provides oversight, and ultimately holds responsibility for the organisation’s purpose and direction. Despite this…
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The Charity Audit and Risk Committee checklist
Audit and Risk Committees help their charity's function according to good governance, accounting, auditing and risk management standards. The audit committee should regularly assess its own effectiveness and the adequacy…
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We should review our governance – where do we start
Charity governance has been firmly in the spotlight in recent times. Financial pressures, restructures and, at times, serious failings have highlighted the strain boards are under. While that can feel unsettling, it also…
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Welcome to the charity sector
Starting your first role in the charity sector is exciting, but can feel overwhelming. Whether you're in finance or a trustee position, you're entering a field shaped by purpose, regulation, and accountability. Our…
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Good charity governance: Going beyond the tick box
By Arlene Clarke, Senior Risk and Assurance Manager, Sayer Vincent It’s unlikely that anyone in the charitable sector will have missed the recent governance issues at Oxfam. Indeed, it’s quite possible that you’ve…
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Directors & Officers / Trustees Liability Insurance
D&O and Trustees Liability - a KEY COVER for charitable organisations. As a trustee or director of a charitable organisation, you make decisions every day that affect people, money, reputation, and outcomes. Even where…
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Why financial governance must matter to all trustees
At the heart of being a charity trustee is passion, a belief in the cause and a commitment to making a difference, but passion alone isn’t enough. Effective trusteeship also requires close attention to financial…
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In conversation with David Holdsworth, CEO of the Charity Commission for England and Wales
Recently, in support of Volunteers’ Week, Stone King had the pleasure of hosting CEO of the Charity Commission for England and Wales (“the Commission”), David Holdsworth, at The Goldsmith’s Centre in central London. The…
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Trustee recruitment: time to review your policies
The Charity Commission has updated its guidance ‘ Finding and appointing new trustees (CC30) ’. The guidance has been updated to reflect good practice in trustee recruitment and to ensure compliance with legal…
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Case study: Room for future improvement found amid the impeccable
Background Milestones Trust supports adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs to live their best lives. The Chair of Trustees is Don Nordberg, an Associate Professor in Corporate Governance, so, as you…
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Charities, trading subsidiaries and financial distress - what do you need to know?
What are the implications of insolvency in a trading subsidiary for a parent charity, and how can trading subsidiaries be impacted if their parent charity experiences financial distress? Key features of a charity's…
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What do trustees do when no one knows.
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How to succeed as a small charity trustee
Charity Digital explore the challenges facing trustees at small charities, the main skills the role requires, and the best ways for trustees to support small charities... Taking on a trustee role at a small charity can…
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Leases - key points for charity tenants to consider
There are several considerations that charities must keep in mind when entering into a new lease as a tenant. Charity trustees and managers should ensure that all necessary steps have been taken before approving a lease…
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Does whistleblowing protection extend to a charity trustee?
Introduction This was the question for the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in the case of MacLennan v The British Psychological Society (the BPS) . Background Mr MacLennan was a member of the BPS and had concerns about…
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What trustess need to know if your charity is in financial distress
What do you need to know if your charity faces financial distress? Understanding trustee responsibilities and key practical steps. Charities are, unfortunately, continuing to experience situations in which their finances…
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Celebrating National Trustees Week 2024
This week is National Trustee Week in the UK. According to the Charity Commission there are 923,876 trustees in England and Wales and a further 184,000 in Scotland. Unfortunately, it is estimated that there are around…
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Scrabble without the rules – It all spells creativity
The 13th April was National Scrabble Day, and to play his part in the celebration, David Saint shared an activity he sometimes uses in awaydays to get the creative juices flowing. Some individuals – and perhaps even more…
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Revolutionising Charity Governance - A great CEO insight to Admincontrol' s Board Portal offering for Charities.
Mark Bishop, CEO of Dynamic Earth, implemented the Admincontrol board portal as one of his first decisions when he started in his position. This has revolutionised their governance, making it more effective, secure, and…
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CCLA co-files shareholder resolution at Amazon’s 2024 AGM
CCLA co-files shareholder resolution calling for Amazon to appoint a reputable third-party to produce a gap analysis of their practice vs their labour standards policy.
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Welcome to Admincontrol' s Board Evaluation Tool
Admincontrol' s Board Evaluation is developed through years of experience with evaluating boards and optimising board performance. Download Board Evaluation One Pager.pdf
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How to recruit trustees for your charity
This free guide, sponsored by Rathbones, seeks to demystify the process and promote the practice of open recruitment for charity boards. How to recruit trustees for your charity guide includes: real-life case studies…
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Good governance
This time last year I was in the middle of a national speaking tour on governance for a network of food banks. Guided by the questions and discussions that came out of that time, I thought I would distill the most…
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The spectre of personal criminal liability for charity trustees
A summary of the key takeaways from a recent webinar on the spectre of personal criminal liability for charity trustees. During the recent Trustees’ Week the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission said that one of the…
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What does the Bible say about being a charity trustee?
By Kate Nicholas The Bible is full of wisdom for charity executives, but what about being a charity trustee or running a board? Well, I suspect the writers of the Charity Governance Code knew their scripture, or at least…
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How charities can bridge the gap in Black and Asian representation on trustee boards
By Malcolm John, founder of the campaign organisation Action for Trustee Racial Diversity and a trustee of the Association of Chairs The aim of Action for Trustee Racial Diversity (ATRD), which I started some four years…
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Personal criminal liability for charity trustees - is this possible?
This week – 6 to 10 November - is Trustees’ Week, a time to celebrate the achievements of nearly one million trustees across the UK who give their time, and bring commitment, experience and expertise to charities to help…
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Beware the experts!
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Top tips for charity Chief Executives on board effectiveness
The Board of Trustees is fundamental to the success of any charitable organisation but keeping it running smoothly can be a challenge. Many things can sabotage board effectiveness: lack of direction, inexperience…
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Trustee training
As a trustee, ensuring good governance is essential to the ongoing success of your charity. Our free trustee training videos support you with just that, providing an essential overview of all elements of charity…
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The essential guide to the company secretary role for charities
The company secretary role is key to ensuring good governance in any sized charity. The fundamental governance responsibilities are often shared between the company secretary, governance officer, CEO or finance director…
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Incorporating a sports club
Amateur sports clubs come in all shapes and sizes. Your club might be a community amateur sports club (CASC), a charity, or have no special status. It also might be an unincorporated association, a company or charitable…
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Stone King’s Julian Blake joins influential advisory panel
Julian, a Partner in Stone King’s Charity team, is delighted to have been invited to join the VCSE Crown Representative’s Advisory Panel. Convened by Claire Dove CBE, the VCSE Crown Representative, the Panel brings…
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Protecting your trustees and senior leaders
Did you know that senior management, directors and trustees can all be held personally liable? In fact, claims can be brought against your organisation and individuals for a range of reasons including: Actual instances…
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Castlefield receives Good Business Charter accreditation
Castlefield is proud to be accredited by the Good Business Charter (GBC) following our application to join in 2022. The GBC is an initiative of the Good Business Foundation, a non-profit making charity organisation…
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Directors’ duties prior to insolvency: the creditor duty
The general rule of thumb is that directors owe their duties to act in the interests of the company and its members as a whole or, where the company has a purpose other than the benefit of its members, the duty is to act…
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Better information for all charity trustees in order to drive better decision-making
With great power comes great responsibility. " This advice given to a young Peter Parker by his uncle is a pithy summary of a charity trustee’s lot: like Spider-Man, charity boards are there to make a positive…
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Supreme Court confirms creditor duty in BTI v Sequana
The Supreme Court has handed down an important ruling (BTI -v- Sequana) on whether company directors owe a duty to consider or act in accordance with the interests of the company’s creditors when the company becomes…
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Podcast series: Journey through a contract, Episode 8 - Anti bribery
Anti Bribery Episode 8 of our Journey Through a Contract features Maeve Honey and Emma Lusty from our commercial team, with the duo discussing Anti Bribery. Maeve and Emma touch on the Bribery Act 2010, whether a…
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Butler-Sloss, what are the implications for trustees?
A landmark judgement from the High Court has brought more clarity on trustees' rights and responsibilities when considering a responsible approach to investment. Here we explore the implcations of the case, with insights…
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Becoming an effective board webinar
An effective Board is essential for any sized charity. This webinar is beneficial to anyone who is a trustee, senior staff member or governance manager of a charity. James Sinclair Taylor and Sukanya Ransford explore…
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How to form the most effective board for your charity
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Clarity provided for charitable trustees’ duties and powers when making investment decisions
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The recipe for good financial governance
An effective charity is a well governed charity. In this blog we look at some of the challenges around good financial governance, the ingredients of effective financial governance and tips on better engaging trustees…
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Inspiring the charity trustees of the future
In conversation: Emma Watson , head of financial planning and advisory services at Rathbones and Penny Wilson, CEO of Getting on Board, discuss the rewards and challenges of being a charity trustee. With a long history…
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Quilter Cheviot's educational programme for charities
As part of our educational programme for charities, we have created a series of webinars. The webinars are designed to help trustees through this period of uncertainty by covering a range of topics. We will be joined by…
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Why board diversity boosts resilience
Fiona McAuslan of Getting on Board tells the story of how one charity’s journey to a more diverse board has led to transformational change.
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How to form the most effective board for your charity (1)
“Charities are the eyes, ears and conscience of society. They mobilise, they provide, they inspire, they advocate and they unite.” [1] Charities are essential to our everyday lives because they level the playing field…
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A Guide to Charity Investment
With our Guide to Charity Investment we outline what the role of a trustee entails, along with giving you some pointers as to how you can fulfil your legal obligations and see your organisation prosper and achieve its…
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Achieving effective governance in partnerships in International NGOs
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How to be a good trustee during a period of rapid change
Fleur Holden, Partner By the time you are reading my article, events in the external social and economic environment will have moved on considerably. The current pace of change means that as fast as we are thinking about…
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Good Governance in Minutes
Trustees must act in the best interest of the charity. One of the most effective ways to demonstrate this is through minute taking. The " Charities and Meetings " guidance published by the Charity Commission contains a…
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The Charity Chair – Some Practical Considerations
The role of a charity’s Chair of Trustees is often crucial in setting the tone, standard and good practice within the charity. But there are many myths about what powers Chairs have; often assuming that Chairs have…