Charity Governance Reviews are really important. Your beneficiaries, funders, staff, regulator and other key stakeholders including the general public expect and demand very high governance standards.

It’s all about providing reassurance to demonstrate that your charity is properly managing the resources entrusted to it. And that you and your board are using them effectively for your charitable purposes.

Yet as a trustee, when was the last time you actually reviewed your governance arrangements? I mean really took a step back and benchmarked your charity in detail against the Charity Governance Code principles? And did you do it collectively as a team?

Often trustees take it for granted that their governance is in order by relying on reassurances from the Chair. Or they defer to a trustee who “knows about” governance. Or they rely on satisfactory reserves or the external auditors or independent examiners. And yet these reassurances alone do not satisfy meeting good governance standards. The Charity Governance Codes go much deeper.

Read our Board Meetings – Top Tips here.

What is Charity Governance?

Charity Governance is often defined as, “the way in which charities are directed and controlled”.

The Charity Governance Code principles provide the benchmarks against which to assess your own governance standards and arrangements.

So to understand if your charity is meeting the Charity Governance Code principles, your board needs to undertake a governance review.

Charity Commission (Regulator)

You will also be very aware that the Charity Commission/Regulator has extensive powers to investigate when something goes wrong. This includes their authority to investigate trustee actions (or inactions) and use their enforcement powers to address any problems.

So how do you know that your governance arrangements are strong enough if you don’t actually review them regularly?

Now your board can not only review your governance but you can also check the effectiveness of your board with our Charity Governance Review Tool. You will generate your own personalised Governance Report and SMART Action Plan which will enable you to practically address any gaps over a timeframe that suits your board and staff.

For more details on how the Charity Governance Review Tool can help you deliver on good governance, check it out here.

Best practice suggests you undertake regular governance reviews – at least annually, with an external review every 3 years for larger charities.

We offer two types of governance review for charity boards:

1. Self-assessment governance – a review where your board takes full independent control of the governance assessment process by using our unique online Charity Governance Review Tool.
2.  Assisted Governance assessment – a review that also uses the Charity Governance Review Tool however we support this by facilitating the completion of it with the board and senior management.

Now your board can review both your governance and the effectiveness of your board with our Charity Governance Review Tool.

You will generate your own personalised Governance Report and SMART Action Plan that will enable you to practically address any gaps over a suitable timeframe.

For more details on how the Charity Governance Review Tool can help you deliver on good governance, check it out here.

Our governance reviews not only assess your governance standards. They also practically help you to identify ways to enhance how effective your charity board is at:

1. achieving your charity objectives
2. managing policies and procedures
3. managing funds, costs, staff and other resources
4. managing risk and ensuring effective control
5. ensuring openness and accountability
6. engaging effectively with stakeholders
7. meeting equality, diversity and inclusion objectives

The Chair should take the lead in governance reviews and with the other trustees use our solution as it is a great online team exercise for the board and senior management.

Read: Charity Governance Reviews – how?

Check out our unique and innovative solution to completing a charity governance review – the Charity Governance Review Tool.

It’s online and enables your board to benchmark itself effectively and comprehensively against the Charity Governance Code Principles under 7 key sections.

Watch our short explainer video to see how the Charity Governance Review Tool will add real value to your charity quickly and effectively.

Complete your Governance Review in 5 easy steps using our unique online tool:

1. Organise a board or a sub-committee meeting (face to face or online)

2. At the meeting, share the Charity Governance Review Tool questionnaire screen and answer the questions in all seven sections

3. Generate your completely personalised Governance Report and SMART Action Plan

4. Name and save your Governance Report and SMART Action Plan

5. Complete the SMART Action Plan with priorities (H/M/L), responsibilities and timeframes and provide clear supporting documented evidence where you already meet the standards

And then you can implement the agreed actions (at your own pace) to improve your governance and your board effectiveness!

Choose which of our two alternative governance review services you prefer. Either you take full control directly as a board or we can provide assisted support with facilitation.

Read more about the Charity Governance Review Tool here.

We recognise that not all charities are the same size. Many smaller charities don’t have any staff and turnover is usually below £100,000 or equivalent.

Any size of charity can use our Charity Governance Review Tool, you just choose the relevant responses and actions.

(And if you aren’t VAT registered, we pay the VAT for you!).

If you want to check it out first, then try our Free Preview here.

To discuss how you can make your charity governance reviews more effective Contact us here.

Your guarantee

Remember, we offer a 100%, no quibble money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied at any time. We will send you a refund straight back to your bank account. Even if you’ve used the tool as many times as you want – we’re that confident that it will add value to your organisation.