For your charity to succeed in the current landscape, you need to look after your trustees
New rules for charities came into force this summer, affecting the publication of their annual accounts, the information they gather about trustees, and the criteria for automatic disqualification of trustees (among other technical changes). They’re the latest in a series of regulatory changes for charities in Scotland.
How to keep pace with change?
We know from talking to charities of all sizes that keeping up with these changes can be seem daunting – especially at a time of spiralling costs and demand for services. In the backdrop of an ever-increasing regulatory regime, trustee recruitment and retention is a fine balance.
However, your charity’s ability to deliver its purpose and ambitions depends on having effective and informed trustees. This can entail a host of qualities, such as having great ideas about fundraising or being expert about your charities’ activities, but it also involves understanding their compliance and legal obligations. This is a ‘must have’ not a ‘nice to have’.
Whether it is an individual’s first foray into trusteeship, or a more seasoned board member, the importance of initial education and regular refreshers on the fundamentals of trustee duties and effective governance cannot be underestimated.
So, how to get them match-fit for the current environment?
Tailored support for trustees
In general, the most accessible option for charities is to offer your board (and executives) practical trustee training. This can be tailored to your activities, budget, location, board calendar and their own preferences and experience.
This summer’s regulatory changes would certainly be a good topic to cover in that training – particularly since they relate to issues with real potential significance for trustees: the requirements of OSCR’s new trustee register and the amendments to automatic trustee disqualification. Other recent regulatory changes are relevant too, including new director verification rules with Companies House and refinements to Disclosure in Scotland.
For many trustees, it will also be beneficial to go more widely into legal and good governance issues.
In a landscape featuring so many challenges, this support could make an existential difference to your charity, boosting your trustees’ confidence and effectiveness and your own potential for success.
Legal and governance essentials
At Lindsays, we customise our training to suit each charity, with the overall aim to help trustees and executives protect their charities’ finances, operations, and reputation. This commonly include the legal basics around:
- The essentials of being a good trustee and governance frameworks
- Financial management and understanding charity accounts
- Annual reporting requirements
- Handling conflicts of interest or internal disputes
- When to notify OSCR about a serious incident, or how to respond an OSCR inquiry
We also provide training on specific legal issues that could affect your charity, always keeping the training accessible, practical and suited to the needs of your own team. These could include employment law and HR matters, data protection (including how to handle data breaches), fundraising regulations, or property issues.
