Volunteering and governance

The Charity Commission’s essential guide for trustees outlines what’s required of a charity trustee, including your responsibilities to your charity.

Refresh your knowledge with the Charity Commission's 5-minute guides.

The Charity Governance Code represents a standard of good governance practice to which all charities should aspire.

The Charity Commission’s guidance for charity trustees about serious incidents: how to spot them and how to report.

Legal rules for trustees when deciding whether to accept, refuse or return a donation.

The Charity Commission’s principles that charity trustees should follow to make sound decisions and fulfil their legal responsibilities.

How to set up and use your new 'Charity Commission Account' to access online services on behalf of your charity (if registered in England and Wales).

The Charity Commission’s guidance for charity trustees on what they need to consider when fundraising from the public.

Setting up and then delivering John Ellerman Foundation’s Board Shadowing Scheme has taken some time. We first started thinking about the idea of a Board Shadowing Scheme in 2021. We eventually launched in February 2024. This gap wasn’t due to a lack of interest in the work, but more so due to our desire to ensure that as a small team and Board we had the capacity and capabilities to deliver a Board Shadowing Scheme that was meaningful and impactful. If we had rushed, we risked this being a one-off diversity initiative that could be tokenistic and performative.

Ensuring your charity’s trustees have the right balance of skills and experience will go a long way towards bolstering governance.