Thinking about being a charity trustee, volunteer, or supporter? Here are four key points to research about charities registered in Scotland.
Over 1 million people in Scotland volunteer with a charity or other voluntary sector organisation. This support ranges from being a charity trustee to helping at a local sports club.
If you are considering becoming a trustee, volunteering, or supporting a charity already, it's worthwhile doing some simple due diligence on your charity of choice. As a trustee, this is especially important because your role comes with legal obligations.
Four areas to check with Scottish charities:
- Status Check the Scottish Charities Register at oscr.org.uk to confirm the charity is registered. You'll also find a wealth of other information there, such as whether it's incorporated (which affects trustees' personal liability position) and whether it's up to date with submitting its accounts.
- Financial prudence You'll also be able to find the charity's annual accounts on the Scottish Charities Register. These should provide a clear picture of how well it's balancing its income and spend. If it has a deficit, try to understand the reasons behind that.
- Benefit and impact A charity's annual report and other communications should describe the benefits and impact it's delivering – this will give you an insight into the charity's strategic priorities and activities, which further its charitable purposes.
- Values and reputation Finally, look for a good fit with your own values and profile. This could involve anything from checking online for good (or bad) news stories, to chatting informally with trustees or staff.
Trustees also have a role to play
If you're already a charity trustee, it's worthwhile viewing these points from the opposite perspective: not just whether you are compliant with charity law, but whether your governance, reporting, and demonstration of impact are creating the right impression?
Our governance healthchecks and trustee training can help you make a start with this.
