Resources / What charity trustees should do each month, quarter and year
What charity trustees should do each month, quarter and year
Most governance failures aren't dramatic. They're a review date that slipped, an action nobody owned, a filing that arrived late. The fix isn't more paperwork. It's a steady rhythm. Here is the one we recommend for a charity with a typical board of four to twelve trustees.
Every month
- Check the action log. Every action from the last meeting has an owner and a date. Chase anything overdue before it becomes agenda item one.
- Glance at the money. The treasurer (or whoever holds the numbers) confirms the bank position and anything unusual. Responsibility for the charity's resources sits with every trustee, not the treasurer alone (CC3, duty to manage resources responsibly).
- Log anything that happened. A complaint, an incident, a near-miss with money: write it down when it happens, not when it's needed.
Every quarter (usually your board meeting)
- Hold a proper trustee meeting: quorate, minuted, with declarations of interest at the top (CC48; your governing document sets the quorum).
- See real financial information: management accounts or a live view, compared with budget.
- Review the risk register. Have any of the top risks moved? Does each still have an owner and controls?
- Approve last meeting's minutes and record decisions with their reasons.
- Check upcoming deadlines: annual return, accounts, insurance renewal, policy reviews due in the next quarter.
Every year
- File on time: the annual return and accounts (deadline: 10 months after your financial year end). Late filing is shown publicly on the register.
- Renew declarations: every trustee declares their interests (or nil) and confirms they are not disqualified from acting.
- Review the essentials: reserves policy, safeguarding policy and financial controls, each with an owner and a next-review date.
- Check purpose: minute a short discussion confirming this year's activities furthered the charitable objects.
- Look at the board itself: skills, terms ending, succession, induction for anyone new.
- Arrange external scrutiny early. Independent examiners book up before year-end.
A worked example
The Hazelmere Community Trust (income £180k, 7 trustees, FY ends 31 March) meets on the second Tuesday of January, April, July and October. The secretary sends the pack a week ahead. April's meeting always carries: annual declarations, reserves policy review, and appointing the independent examiner. October's carries: draft accounts review, so filing in January is a formality, 10 weeks early.
Scope: registered charities in England and Wales. Filing dates differ for charitable companies (Companies House) and for Scotland (OSCR) / Northern Ireland (CCNI).