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The Code of Good Governance

Best practice for governing a voluntary or community organisation

The Code of Good Governance

The Code sets out best practice for governing a voluntary or community organisation. It is not mandatory but organisations that comply with the Code are invited to state this in their Annual Report and other relevant published material, and pledge their support for the Code by signing up to the Governance Hub's online charter.

Smaller organisations with limited resources and with few or no staff are invited to focus on the principles set out in the Code, and to state their compliance with the principles rather than the detail of the Code.

Download a summary of the Code or a full copy of the Code 

Key Principles of Good Governance

Board leadership

Every organisation should be led and controlled by an effective Board of Trustees which collectively ensures delivery of its objects, sets its strategic direction and upholds its values.

More on Board leadership 

The Board in control

The trustees as a Board should collectively be responsible and accountable for ensuring and monitoring that the organisation is performing well, is solvent, and complies with all its obligations.

More on the Board in control 

The high performance Board

The Board should have clear responsibilities and functions, and should compose and organise itself to discharge them effectively.

More on the high performance Board

Board review and renewal

The Board should periodically review its own and the organisation's effectiveness, and take any necessary steps to ensure that both continue to work well.

More on Board Review and renewal 

Board delegation

The Board should set out the functions of sub-committees, officers, the chief executive, other staff and agents in clear delegated authorities, and should monitor their performance.

More on Board delegation 

Board and trustee integrity

The Board and individual trustees should act according to high ethical standards, and ensure that conflicts of interest are properly dealt with.

More on Board and trustee integrity

Board openness

The Board should be open, responsive and accountable to its users, beneficiaries, members, partners and others with an interest in its work.

More on Board openness 

The Code and Diversity

Underlying each of these is the additional principle of equality - that of ensuring equity, diversity and equality of treatment for all sections of the community. This is fundamental to the work of all voluntary and community sector organisations; rather than creating a separate Equality' section, the principle has been used to inform all sections of the Code.

More on diversity.

 

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