header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
11 March 2016 / Bethan Walsh
Issue: 7690 / Categories: Features , Charities
printer mail-detail

Getting things in order

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
001_nlj_7690_walsh

Bethan Walsh provides advice to improve a charity’s governance in just one year

Good governance is essential to any organisation but especially for charities. Reviewing a charity’s governance can be a daunting task and it is often ignored until a significant oversight occurs. Adopting a proactive approach to governance review can save costs, time and stress in the long run. This month-by-month guide offers a starting point in getting to grips with reviewing a charity’s governance.

Month 1: undertake a simple internal governance health check

  • What is the governing document, eg deed, rules or memorandum and articles of association?
  • Who are the trustees?
  • What are the other interests of the trustees?
  • What is the role of the chairperson and other individual trustees?
  • What reports are presented to the board of trustees?
  • What board sub-committees exist?
  • How often are new trustees appointed or elected?
  • What skills does the organisation need on the board?
  • Is everyone on the board clear about what is expected of them?
  • How does the board delegate matters?

Month 2: review answers

Review the answers and list matters that

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Hogan Lovells—Lisa Quelch

Hogan Lovells—Lisa Quelch

Partner hire strengthens global infrastructure and energy financing practice

Sherrards—Jan Kunstyr

Sherrards—Jan Kunstyr

Legal director bolsters international expertise in dispute resolution team

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team

NEWS
Read All
Legal notice: Notice under the Trustee Act 1925

NOTICE UNDER THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925

HERBERT SMITH STAFF PENSION SCHEME (THE “SCHEME”)

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
Emergency lawyers on call as international regulatory actions soar
Law firm HFW is offering clients lawyers on call for dawn raids, sanctions issues and other regulatory emergencies
NLJ this week: Employment law’s fine margins
From gender-critical speech to notice periods and incapability dismissals, employment law continues to turn on fine distinctions. In his latest employment law brief for NLJ, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School reviews a cluster of recent decisions, led by Bailey v Stonewall, where the Court of Appeal clarified the limits of third-party liability under the Equality Act
NLJ this week: Promises broken on non-molestation orders?
Non-molestation orders are meant to be the frontline defence against domestic abuse, yet their enforcement often falls short. Writing in NLJ this week, Jeni Kavanagh, Jessica Mortimer and Oliver Kavanagh analyse why the criminalisation of breach has failed to deliver consistent protection
NLJ this week: Assisted dying under the legal microscope
Assisted dying remains one of the most fraught fault lines in English law, where compassion and criminal liability sit uncomfortably close. Writing in NLJ this week, Julie Gowland and Barny Croft of Birketts examine how acts motivated by care—booking travel, completing paperwork, or offering emotional support—can still fall within the wide reach of the Suicide Act 1961
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll