General meetings

A general meeting is a meeting of a charity’s membership as set out in its governing document. Not all charities have a membership or hold general meetings.

Where it is required, a general meeting is a formal meeting where members carry out their duties. Duties of members are usually set out in the governing document. 

A general meeting might take the form of an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, or a general meeting called by some other term, as set out in the charity’s governing document. At a general meeting, members might:

• Receive reports from trustees about progress in meeting the charity’s purposes and ask questions about progress or future plans
• Take important decisions such as the election of new trustees or approve changes to the governing document.

There are specific rules set out in law governing the general meetings of a company.