Guidance Notes

This guidance note offers to a charitable company limited by guarantee an outline of the information that should be considered when dealing with the change of charity secretary.

Within many boardrooms, especially those responsible for charities where trustees are unpaid, it can be challenging to be assured that the entity is being run properly and meeting its strategic goals. In fulfilling their legal duties, trustees must seek information from the senior management team to assure themselves that the charity is being run in a sustainable, professional and intended manner in furthering its charitable objects.

This guidance was originally drafted amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, when the impact of global lockdowns was most acutely felt.

This guidance aims to equip governance professionals and boards to make virtual meetings as effective as possible, whilst being cognisant of any practical and legal issues which may arise.

This guidance offers practical suggestions and some legal reflections on existing UK company and insolvency laws and associated regulation.

This guidance note seeks to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of merging with another charity and covers the legislative issues around charities registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales.

The issue of executive pay in the charity sector (and other parts of the economy) regularly attracts the attention of the media and sector commentators. Regardless of views as to what is deemed to be an appropriate level of remuneration for senior leaders in diverse and complex organisations as those found in the charity sector, there is an expectation that charities should be transparent about how they spend their resources. This includes the level of remuneration paid to senior staff members.

The Charity Governance Code recommends that trustees ‘consider the benefits and risks of partnership working, merger or dissolution if other organisations are fulfilling similar charitable purposes more effectively and/or the charity’s viability is uncertain’.

This guidance note seeks to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of collaboration and merging with another charity and covers the legislative issues around charities regulated by the Charity Commission in England and Wales.