Getting to grips with Charity Governance

A summary of my week…

I’ve received a variety of requests this week including:

· Can a Parish Council take over as trustee for a Community Association as the charity is losing a number of trustees?

· A local Community Interest Company is looking at the option to convert to a Charity and would like to understand the pros and cons.

· New trustees inheriting existing governance and are trying to get to grips with it and understand what it all means.

· Two local organisations looking to set up charities.

I don’t know everything!

With 8 years’ experience of working with the voluntary sector some requests for advice and support around governance still baffle me.

I’ve learnt that it’s not possible to know everything, but knowing how and where to look for the answer offers me some reassurance, which I’m able to pass on to the people I’m working with.

I’ve also learnt that the organisations asking for the help are grateful for the support we offer and whether we know the answer there and then or not.

Helping people is a great feeling!

Helping people get to grips with their governance is good feeling as it will help them move forward with their planning and development.

I spoke with a new trustee this week who had never seen the governing document for the charity she was part of.

She was worried about her lack of knowledge, but through a couple of conversations over the phone, she went away feeling much more knowledgeable and more in control of what needed to be done.

It’s a great feeling knowing you’ve helped someone!!