The Blog
1. Your charity’s governing document matters
Your governing document is both your charity’s Bible and its Highway Code. If your charity is doing something different, your charity trustees can be way off track before realising they have set a foot wrong. Check it out regularly, at least once a year, and stay legal.
2. Adopt the charity trustee Governance Code
This Code of Governance is a practical tool to help charity trustees develop high standards of governance. It carries the …
You are a charity trustee. In your trustee nightmare, you are successively chair of trustees of each of these famous, now perhaps notorious, national charities:
- Oxfam
- Save the Children
- The Presidents Club
- Age UK
- Help for Heroes
- Kids Company
Each of these charities has encountered major problems including, variously:
- allegations of sexual exploitation
- breaches of confidentiality
- gross financial irregularity
- a media onslaught
Some nightmares! How would …
The well-known national charity Scope is adopting a radical new strategy. It includes a 40% reduction in the charity’s income and shedding 60% of its employees.
There are lessons here for every charity and every charity trustee - lessons in being radical.
Scope - The story so far
Founded as The National Spastics Society in October 1951 with the aim of improving and expanding services for people with cerebral palsy, in 1963 it merged with the British Council for the …
Charity disputes are all too common, and this is not a well-known tenet of charity management, but it is one I know to be true: behind almost every charity dispute lies a failure of governance.
Avoiding charity disputes
How to avoid charity disputes altogether:
- be warned
Be warned and be careful - charities are potential powder kegs for disputes. I say this because people are attracted to be charity trustees, members of charities or charity volunteers by altruism and …
If your charity experiences major fraud or another serious problem, the Charity Commission has statutory powers and obligations to take action.
I confess that I am shocked to say I am currently working with no fewer than three charities, who have reported serious problems to the Charity Commission, and requested regulatory actions from the Commission, and are receiving no response at all.
The powers of the Charity Commission
In theory, the Charity Commission has ample statutory authority to deal with …
Can your charity staff sack the trustees?[/caption]
You might think your charity's employees can't kick out your board of trustees. Decisions made by your charity’s trustees will always trump those made by members of staff, right?
Unfortunately, that is not always the case. It really matters how your charity’s constitution is written. If you're not careful, your charity's constitution may allow the tail to not just wag the dog, but sack the dog.
A true story …
Do you need to worry?
As a charity trustee, you have legal responsibility for your charity’s management and administration.
Failure to comply with the requirements of the Fundraising Preference Service could result in your charity being reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office and it could be fined up to £500,000.
So yes, you do need to make sure your charity’s fundraising is in the clear!
Large charity / small charity
If yours is a larger charity, spending over £100,000 on …
As in other organisations, charities and charity trustees can both end up in court.
You may find yourself on the receiving end of someone else’s claim. But what if you are considering taking your case to court?
Disputes with third parties
Your charity’s disputes may be:
- contractual issues with suppliers
- employment issues
- boundary disputes
- regaining legal possession of a property
- contesting a charity’s right to property under a will
- actions for personal injury
- a multitude of other possible issues
New blog posts
- Your charity's reputation - no amnesty for charity trustees
- Kids Company Charity Trustees are vindicated - but what about charity governance?
- Your Charity's CEO - Mainstay or Over-stay?
- Charity trustees - be inspired by Helen Taylor Thompson
- Charity minutes matter - ask Marie Stopes International
- Don’t let coronavirus / COVID-19 de-rail your charity governance
- Succession planning for your charity trustee board
- Who's in charge of a charity? The answer may not be who you think...
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Contact Geoffrey Hand
Geoffrey Hand
8 Gladstone Street, London SE1 6EY
Telephone: +44 (0)7914 005327
email: enquiries@geoffreyhand.co.uk