Guidance

It's your decision: charity trustees and decision making (CC27)

Principles that charity trustees should follow to make sound decisions and fulfil their legal responsibilities.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Details

When making decisions for your charity, you and the other trustees must:

  • act within your powers
  • act in good faith and only in the interests of the charity
  • make sure you are sufficiently informed
  • take account of all relevant factors
  • ignore any irrelevant factors
  • manage conflicts of interest
  • make decisions that are within the range of decisions that a reasonable trustee body could make

This guidance explains these principles in more detail and how to follow them, particularly when making significant or strategic decisions. It also explains how to record the decisions you make.

This guidance applies to trustees of all charities in England and Wales - registered, unregistered or exempt. This includes corporate charity trustees.

Published 10 May 2013
Last updated 14 June 2023 + show all updates
  1. Guidance updated to reflect changes introduced by the Charities Act 2022.

  2. First published.