Your Role as a Trustee

The main responsibility of the trustees of a charity is to make sure that their organisation is run properly; works within the rules stated in its governing document and does not break the law.

Their roles include:

• Know and understand what is said in the governing document and make sure their charity does not do work which falls outside it
• Understand the policies and procedures required to run their charity and make sure they have them and that they are kept up-to-date
• Make sure that proper financial records are kept and that money is managed properly
• Make sure that annual accounts and reports are sent to the Charity Commission
• Understand their responsibilities as employers and make sure they know what they have to do
• Make sure that the chair, secretary and treasurer understand what they have to do and support them in these roles
• Oversee and make decisions for the long term good of the charity
• Act in a responsible way and understand that it is they not their employees that are responsible for the proper running of the charity

For more information contact:

Charity Commission
www.charity-commission.gov.uk
0845 300 0218

ACAS
www.acas.org.uk
08457 47 4747