Resources / Charity trustee meeting agenda template
Charity trustee meeting agenda template
A good agenda is a decision-making machine, not a list of topics. The template below runs a focused 90-minute board meeting. Adapt the timings, keep the bones.
The template
| # | Item | Time | Why it's there |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome, apologies & quorum check | 2 min | Decisions taken inquorate can be void. Count before you decide anything. |
| 2 | Declarations of interest for today's business | 3 min | CC29: conflicts are managed at the point of decision, not just annually. |
| 3 | Minutes of the last meeting — approve | 5 min | Approved minutes are the charity's legal record. |
| 4 | Actions outstanding | 10 min | Owner and status only — rescue what's stuck, don't re-discuss. |
| 5 | Finance report | 15 min | Position vs budget, cash, reserves vs policy, anything unusual. |
| 6 | Decisions required (each with a paper) | 35 min | The heart of the meeting. One page per decision: what, why, options, recommendation. |
| 7 | Risk & safeguarding check-in | 8 min | Anything moved? Any incidents or concerns since last time? |
| 8 | Deadlines ahead | 5 min | Filings, renewals and reviews due before the next meeting — each with an owner. |
| 9 | Any other business (notified in advance) | 5 min | AOB ambushes produce bad decisions. Ask for items ahead of the meeting. |
| 10 | Date of next meeting & close | 2 min | Never leave without the next date in diaries. |
Three rules that make it work
- Papers a week ahead. If the pack arrives the night before, the meeting becomes a reading session.
- Decisions are framed as decisions. "Update on the roof" invites chat; "Approve roof repair quote B at £4,800" invites a decision.
- Minutes capture the decision, the reasons and the owner — enough that a trustee who wasn't there understands what was agreed and why.
Worked example — item 6 done well: "6.2 Storage lease renewal (paper B, Treasurer). Decision sought: renew for 24 months at £310/mo (option 2). Rationale: 12-month option costs 18% more per month; exit clause at 12 months retained. Decision: approved unanimously. Owner: Treasurer to sign by 31 July."