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
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