Trustee Meetings guides
Guides for charity trustees.
Plain-English answers to the questions small-charity trustees ask us most — no jargon, no lectures.
Ready to adopt a policy? Browse our free charity policy templates.
Meetings & minutes
How often should charity trustees meet? What the rules require (2026)
How often should charity trustees meet? No legal minimum in most cases — but your governing document rules. What the Charity Commission expects, explained.
Last reviewed 17 July 2026
Charity trustee action log: free template and how to use it (2026)
Free charity trustee action log template (UK): the columns, a worked example, and how to run the log in your board meetings so actions actually get done.
Last reviewed 17 July 2026
How to Chair a Charity Meeting: The Six-Moment Chair's Script
How to chair a charity trustee meeting: keep time, stop dominance, draw out quiet trustees, with a six-moment chair's script to use in the room.
Last reviewed 14 July 2026
What should charity minutes include? A trustee's checklist (2026)
The 7 things every UK charity board's minutes should cover, plus a free template to fill in tonight. Plain English, from a non-practising solicitor.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
Charity trustee meeting agenda template: the annotated version (2026)
A ready-to-send charity trustee meeting agenda — each item explained: why it exists and how long it should take. Free template, plain English.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
Quorum for charity trustee meetings: the rule, and what to do if you're short
What quorum means for UK charity trustees, the Charity Commission's fallback number, and a free decision guide for when you can't make it tonight.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
How to run a charity board meeting: a step-by-step guide for the chair (2026)
The before/during/after run-sheet for chairing a UK charity board meeting — what to send when, what CC48 says, and a free day-by-day checklist.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
Charity meeting minutes template (UK, free) — copy it and start writing tonight
A full, free charity trustee meeting minutes template you can copy tonight — no form, no sign-up. Built around CC48. Plain English.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
Charity board pack: what a small charity actually needs to include
Not a 100-page corporate pack. The minimum-viable board pack for a small charity's trustees — agenda, minutes, finance snapshot, one-page papers.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
The new trustee
Trustee welcome pack: what to include, with a free contents template (2026)
What goes in a charity trustee welcome pack? The Charity Commission's own contents list, a copyable checklist, and the steps that are legally required.
Last reviewed 17 July 2026
New charity trustee induction checklist: what to give (and get) in the first 3 months
A free printable checklist for inducting a new charity trustee — who provides each document, by when, and why it matters. Plain English.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
Your first trustee board meeting: what to expect (and a night-before checklist)
New charity trustee? Here's exactly what happens at your first board meeting, plus a free night-before checklist — what to read, bring, and say.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
Duties & compliance
The trustees' annual report: what a small charity actually has to say
Every registered charity must write one, whatever its income. Here's exactly what must be in it, what small charities are excused, and the paragraph most boards get wrong.
Last reviewed 11 August 2026
Charity Commission annual return 2026: a trustee's walkthrough
What your charity has to send, when it's due, and the sections you'll work through — including the 13-policy tick list. Plain English, with free policy templates.
Last reviewed 11 August 2026
What policies does a charity need? Full UK list & free templates
Every policy a UK charity could need — which are legally required, which the Charity Commission expects, and where to download free, reusable templates.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Volunteer policy for charities: what to include + free template
What a charity volunteer policy should cover, how to stop a volunteer agreement becoming a contract, and a free template for small charities.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity safeguarding policy: what it must include + free template
Does every charity need a safeguarding policy? Yes — the Charity Commission expects one. Every section yours must include, plus a free Word template.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity Risk Management Policy & Risk Register: Free Template
What a charity risk management policy and risk register must include: CC26 categories, 1–5 scoring, a worked example and a free template.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity Reserves Policy: How Much to Hold + Free Template
What a charity reserves policy must include, how to set a justified target (not just 3-6 months), and a free Word template for small charities.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity Health and Safety Policy: Guide + Free Template
When a written health and safety policy is legally required for your charity, whether volunteers count towards five employees, and a free Word template.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity Grievance Policy: What to Include + Free Template
What a charity grievance policy must cover under ERA 1996 and the Acas Code, who hears grievances about the CEO, plus a free Word template.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity Disciplinary Policy: Free Template & Complete Guide
What a charity disciplinary policy must include, how the ACAS Code applies to small charities, and a free Word template to adopt at your next meeting.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity Data Protection Policy: Guide + Free Template
What UK GDPR really requires of charities, what a data protection policy must include, and a free Word template for small charities.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity Conflict of Interest Policy: Free Template & Guide
What a charity conflict of interest policy must include under CC29, with a free template and guidance on declarations and the register of interests.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity Complaints Policy: What to Include + Free Template
What a charity complaints policy must include, the legal position, fundraising rules and escalation routes — plus a free template for small charities.
Last reviewed 20 July 2026
Charity outcome reports: what the law requires and what funders expect (2026)
Charity outcome reports explained: what the law requires in your annual report, what funders expect at the end of a grant, and the 2026 threshold changes.
Last reviewed 17 July 2026
SORP 2026 for trustees: what changed, when it applies, and does it affect you?
SORP 2026 explained in plain English: the new tiers, the exact start date, and a free decision path to check if it applies to your charity.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
Charity conflicts of interest register: free template and how it works (2026)
The three moments charity trustees declare a conflict of interest, plus a free register template to copy tonight. Plain-English Commission guidance.
Last reviewed 2 July 2026
Grants & funding
How to choose grant funders for your charity (and which to skip)
How UK charities pick grant funders worth applying to, with a free four-question fit test and a free shortlist tool.
Last reviewed 14 July 2026
What UK charity trustees must decide, approve and minute about grants
What charity trustees must decide, minute and approve about grants — delegation, objects, restricted funds, conditions and conflicts.
Last reviewed 14 July 2026
How to write your first grant application: a small charity's guide
How small UK charities write a first grant application — what funders assess, an honest budget, and what to do if the answer is no.
Last reviewed 14 July 2026