Research and analysis

Charity trustee research 2021: web version

Published 15 July 2021

Applies to England and Wales

This report was prepared by Yonder, on behalf of the Charity Commission.

This report brings together findings from both a quantitative survey of trustees and in depth qualitative interviews with trustees.

It is the first time that Yonder and the Charity Commission have carried out detailed qualitative research with trustees on their experiences and attitudes towards their role.

Executive summary

The pandemic has had a diverse impact on charities, depending on their size and ways of working

The pandemic has meant different things to different charities, though most have had to adapt in some way, and many say coronavirus (COVID-19) has placed their charity under financial pressure.

A majority of trustees say their charities halted some or all services or activities during the pandemic. A quarter of the smallest charities (with incomes of less than 拢10k) halted all services or activities, whilst around one in six of all charities started new activity to respond to the crisis. Over a third moved some of their services or activities online, with a fifth adapting how they worked in other ways.

Access to general emergency funding and furlough was also uneven - half of the largest charities made use of these sources of support, but fewer smaller charities did. Nearly a quarter of charities drew on their reserves.

While many trustees point to pressures thrown up by the pandemic, some cite benefits. In qualitative conversations, some trustees indicated that moving to meeting via video conferencing technology has made it easier to meet more frequently and make faster decisions.

Trustees say they are confident in their roles and mostly understand their responsibilities, but often do not take a formal approach to measuring activity

Most trustees say their charity has been forced to adapt due to COVID-19 (often by moving activities online), but they remain focussed on delivering on their purposes and the vast majority remain confident in their roles.

Decisions are made collectively with other trustees, and they are rarely concerned about how this process works. While trustees make decisions with their charity바카라 사이트檚 purpose firmly in mind, they often do not have a systemic or formal approach to reviewing performance against the stated purpose or to behaving in a way that is ethical.

Instead, they view these as basic requirements that are intrinsic to the role and implicit in all they do.

Trustees share the same outlook as the public when it comes to impact and behaviour

Approaches to measuring and demonstrating impact are equally varied, though trustees share the same expectations as the public: that having an impact and doing so in an ethical and transparent way is fundamental to being a charity trustee.

Most trustees also explicitly recognise the importance of taking public expectations into account, and feel a sense of collective responsibility to uphold the sector바카라 사이트檚 reputation.

Here, they think the Commission plays an important role. While they are very confident in the Commission바카라 사이트檚 handling of wrongdoing and harm, they are less sure about its ability to uncover it in the first place (though still more confident than not).

Most trustees we interviewed do not feel an urgent need for more guidance from the Commission, but financial matters are an area of variable confidence

Confidence with financial matters or regulatory paperwork responsibilities is an apparent dividing line within the trustee population. Some 바카라 사이트� often with backgrounds in business or accounting 바카라 사이트� are comfortable with these tasks and cannot see a need for further assistance, whilst others find them too complex. Consequently, smaller charities often develop systems in which one or two confident individuals take on responsibility for such matters.

We know from our research among the public that perceptions about stewardship of funds are critical to public trust in the charity sector. It is therefore vital for the future success of the sector that charity trustees are equipped to handle financial responsibilities.

The Commission바카라 사이트檚 guidance is helpful to those who use it, but there is potential to make it more accessible to the broader trustee base

The Charity Commission바카라 사이트檚 guidance is used infrequently, but praised by most of those who do use it. It is most commonly used a) when people first become trustees and b) to get to grips with specific, complex issues.

Some trustees perceive the Commission바카라 사이트檚 advice to be too general and so look elsewhere for more detailed advice tailored to their charity or their specific need. They are more likely to turn to other trustees, the internet, and friends or family members.

To improve on its current guidance, trustees suggest that the Commission should consider presenting information in different formats, offering simple training on financial duties, signposting what is relevant based on charity size, and using simpler language.

Impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 has had a range of impacts on the vast majority of charities, with differing experience based on charity size.

COVID-19 has had a range of impacts on charities, mostly in moving activities online

Adaptations and moving online

Changes in response to COVID-19	Percentage of trustees who said their charity had made the change
Moved trustee meetings online	67%
Moved services or activities online	38%
Changed our activities because of restrictions or changing needs	28%
Changed how we deliver activities or services (other than moving online)	20%
Started new activities to help directly with the crisis	17%
Formed new partnerships or joint working arrangements	8%

Ceased activities

Changes in response to COVID-19	Percentage of trustees who said their charity had made the change
Stopped some services or activities	43%
Stopped all activities	16%
Were unable to have trustee meetings	13%

Accessed new funding or reserves

Changes in response to COVID-19	Percentage of trustees who said their charity had made the change
Used reserves to continue to operate	23%
Used furlough or emergency funding (other than government 拢750m fund)	19%
Found new sources of funding	14%
Accessed the government바카라 사이트檚 拢750m fund	7%

No change to usual activities

14% of respondents said their charity had made no change to its usual activities.

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淚n what ways, if any, has your charity had to change and adapt in response to the COVID-19 crisis?바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

By income, larger charities are more likely to have faced disruption though smaller charities are more likely to have stopped all activity

Adaptations and moving online by charity income

Changes in response to COVID-19	拢0 to 拢10,000	拢10,000 to 拢100,000	拢100,000 to 拢500,000	More than 拢500,000
Moved trustee meetings online	47%	71%	87%	95%
Moved services or activities online	24%	36%	51%	63%
Changed our activities because of restrictions or changing needs	18%	29%	36%	43%
Changed how we deliver activities or services (other than moving online)	9%	18%	30%	39%
Started new activities to help directly with the crisis	6%	17%	29%	36%
Formed new partnerships or joint working arrangements	2%	7%	13%	18%

Ceased activities by charity income

Changes in response to COVID-19	拢0 to 拢10,000	拢10,000 to 拢100,000	拢100,000 to 拢500,000	More than 拢500,000
Stopped some services or activities	34%	47%	55%	50%
Stopped all activities	25%	16%	6%	3%
Were unable to have trustee meetings	19%	14%	8%	3%

Accessed new funding or reserves by charity income

Changes in response to COVID-19	拢0 to 拢10,000	拢10,000 to 拢100,000	拢100,000 to 拢500,000	More than 拢500,000
Used reserves to continue to operate	14%	28%	29%	35%
Used furlough or emergency funding (other than government 拢750m fund)	1%	14%	35%	51%
Found new sources of funding	5%	15%	22%	27%
Accessed the government바카라 사이트檚 拢750m fund	3%	7%	9%	17%

No change to usual activities by charity income

Charity income	Percentage of trustees who said their charity made no change to usual activities
拢0 to 拢10,000	20%
拢10,000 to 拢100,000	14%
拢100,000 to 拢500,000	10%
More than 拢500,000	8%

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淚n what ways, if any, has your charity had to change and adapt in response to the COVID-19 crisis?바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

Most trustees say they have felt the pressure of the impact of COVID-19

Many trustees say their charities have been under increasing financial pressure, with many losing income due to COVID-19. One in five (19%) have made use of the furlough scheme or other emergency funding. 7% benefitted from the 拢750 million coronavirus funding for frontline charities.

In qualitative conversations, some trustees are concerned for the future survival of their charity if the impact of COVID-19 continues, suggesting that fundraising has become harder while demand in some areas has become greater.

Most believe public opinion of charities may have changed because of the pandemic. Some say the public may view charities as more important than ever, particularly given the rise in visibility of charities who have been delivering vital services (for example, food banks).

Others have had to significantly alter the methods they use to deliver impact, due to restrictions on face-to-face contact. In qualitative conversations, trustees refer to meeting via video conference technology (for example, Zoom), with some indicating that this has made it easier to meet more frequently and make faster decisions.

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淚t바카라 사이트檚 just driven up the need and it바카라 사이트檚 driven down our opportunity to make money.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲e had an issue this year. Because of COVID-19, we were late in reporting our statutory accounts.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚f things get worse financially and COVID-19 goes on for a long time, we may come to the point where we have to think about winding up if we can바카라 사이트檛 cover our expenses, and then we might need more help, but we hope we바카라 사이트檙e not going to get to that stage.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淪ince COVID-19 a lot of reliance came on charities to do the work, for example support those without an income, so I think it바카라 사이트檚 made a big impact.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淥ver Zoom, of course, has meant we can have more meetings and decide things quickly, which has been quite a good result for us. Having 1 meeting every 3 months in London isn바카라 사이트檛 ideal, where it could cost us 拢500 for a meeting, because we live all over the country, whereas we can do it on Zoom for virtually nothing.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淣ow we바카라 사이트檙e tending to meet more often on Zoom for shorter periods.바카라 사이트�

Trustee confidence in managing charities

Overall confidence in managing or governing charities is high among trustees.

Confidence is weakest when it comes to financial matters and conflicts of interest. Trustees suggest the need for more training and advice here.

Most trustees are 바카라 사이트榲ery confident바카라 사이트� in their role. Trustees of the smallest charities are slightly less confident.

While trustees across all charity sizes are confident in their roles, trustees of larger charities are more likely to be 바카라 사이트榲ery confident바카라 사이트�. Often, this is due to prior exposure to the charity sector or to professional environments more generally.

Trustees at smaller charities appear less likely to have had directly relevant experience in charity management, and so are slightly more likely to say they are only 바카라 사이트榮omewhat바카라 사이트� or 바카라 사이트榥ot very바카라 사이트� confident.

They are also acutely aware of the difference between running a small charity and a large charity, and like any communications relating to charity governance to recognise that difference.

Charity income of trustees surveyed	Very confident	Somewhat confident	Not very confident	Not confident at all
All	56%	42%	2%	0%
拢0 to 拢10,000	54%	43%	2%	0%
拢10,000 to 拢100,000	56%	41%	2%	0%
拢100,000 to 拢500,000	58%	42%	0%	0%
More than 拢500,000	65%	34%	1%	0%

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淗ow confident are you in helping to manage or govern your charity in your role?바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淢y confidence is about a 9 and a half out of 10, because of my background. I know the health and social care sector really well, having worked in a big charity before.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚바카라 사이트檓 very new to it. Some of the details that have to go into the annual report seem rather abstruse, to be honest.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚 became a trustee when I retired from teaching. I wasn바카라 사이트檛 very confident at first because I hadn바카라 사이트檛 done this sort of thing before. There바카라 사이트檚 this enormous discrepancy between large charities and small charities like ours.바카라 사이트�

Trustees are overwhelmingly comfortable with their responsibilities as trustees

Trustees were asked to read pairs of statements. For example, 바카라 사이트淚 find the responsibilities for my charity overwhelming바카라 사이트� and 바카라 사이트淚 am comfortable with the responsibilities I have for the charity바카라 사이트�.

They then answered on 0 to 10 scale. 0 to 4 meant they agreed with the first statement, 5 meant they were neutral and 6-10 meant they agreed with the second statement.

The questions were about:

• responsibilities
• time
• regulations burden

Responsibilities

Statement	Percentage of respondents who agreed with the statement
I find my responsibilities for the charity overwhelming	7%
Neutral	6%
I am comfortable with the responsibilities I have for the charity	87% (up 3% on 2020)

Time

Statement	Percentage of respondents who agreed with the statement
I feel like I don바카라 사이트檛 have enough time to properly carry out everything I need to in my role	11%
Neutral	9%
I feel like I have time to properly carry out everything I need to in my role	80% (up 9% on 2020)

Regulations burden

Statement	Percentage of respondents who agreed with the statement
There are too many unnecessary rules and regulations for trustees to comply with	10%
Neutral	10%
The rule and regulations trustees have to comply with are important, and are not too much of a burden	80% (up 4% on 2020)

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淧lease read the following pairs of statements. In each case, please indicate which statement you agree with, using a 0 10 scale on which 0 means you completely agree with statement A, and 10 means you completely agree with statement B.바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

In qualitative conversations, trustees rarely feel like they are overburdened or that being a trustee takes up too much time. Compared with 2020, more trustees feel that they have time to properly carry out everything they need to in their roles.

However, the amount of time they spend on trustee responsibilities does vary significantly, from a day per month to several hours per week. While the majority are comfortable, 7% still find their responsibilities overwhelming and 11% feel they don바카라 사이트檛 have enough time.

Most say board meetings typically occur monthly.

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淏eing a trustee is not particularly onerous. I find it rewarding. I got involved as a trustee because my son benefitted from their services, and this was an opportunity of giving something back.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚 probably spend around 4 hours a day and I find it easy.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚 spend around 4 hours a week and its not a problem finding the time.바카라 사이트�

This overwhelming sense of confidence is echoed in qualitative conversations.

Most trustees say they feel very confident in their ability to carry out their role

Many have a sense of pride in their responsibilities and enjoy dedicating time to being a trustee.

Indeed, all interviewees claim to feel fairly or very confident in their own ability and clearly outline what they perceive to be their key responsibilities as a trustee, including ensuring the charity is adhering to its purpose.

Many say they draw on skills from previous careers, such as accountancy, and actively recruit trustees to the Board with complementary skillsets.

Newer trustees admit that being a trustee requires a significant commitment to learning rules and regulations, often learning on-the-job, but nevertheless feel confident they are able to do so. Broadly, confidence grows with length of service and number of positions held.

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淚 feel pretty confident, I know where to go and find out how to do things. The formal part is fairly straightforward.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚바카라 사이트檓 very new to it as I바카라 사이트檝e only just started being a trustee, but as clerk of the Area Meeting, I바카라 사이트檝e received trustees바카라 사이트� reports on a monthly basis and I know, more or less, what they do.바카라 사이트�

Trustees find areas such as financial management more challenging

Confidence varies when it comes to financial management and conflicts of interest

Financial management is an area that not all trustees feel confident in. Typically, in smaller charities, one trustee has more experience of or a background in finance and those responsibilities fall to them. Others disengage from the process.

Most say they have not dealt with conflicts of interest, and whilst they understand the basics, feel it is an area they would need guidance on if an issue were to arise.

We know from other research among the public that perceptions about stewardship of funds are critical to public trust in the charity sector. It is therefore vital for the future success of the sector that charity trustees are equipped to handle financial responsibilities.

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淚n any board meeting I바카라 사이트檝e been to, as soon as you mention finances you can see half the table just gloss over or totally turn off. As soon as you say 바카라 사이트榝inance바카라 사이트�, people say 바카라 사이트業 just don바카라 사이트檛 understand바카라 사이트�.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淭hat바카라 사이트檚 not my strength, but I바카라 사이트檓 incredible lucky - all the way through, I바카라 사이트檝e had superb treasurers with financial backgrounds and that바카라 사이트檚 made it a lot easier.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚 think a lot of money is potentially wasted by trustees not really having sufficient financial understanding.바카라 사이트�

Collective responsibility and public expectations

Most trustees continue to feel a sense of collective responsibility and generally recognise the risks of dismissing public expectations.

They tend to be confident in the Commission바카라 사이트檚 handling of wrongdoing and harm, but are less sure about its ability to uncover it.

A majority of charity trustees tend to think that the way charities fulfil their purpose is as important as whether they do fulfil it or not

Statement	Percentage of respondents who agreed with the statement
The way our charity goes about meeting its charitable purpose is as important as whether it fulfils that charitable purpose or not	66% (71% in 2020 survey)
Neutral	16% (13% in 2020 survey)
It is more important that our charity fulfils its charitable purpose than how it goes about doing so	18% (17% in 2020 survey)

Most trustees also tend to think that they have a collective responsibility to uphold the reputation of the sector more generally

Statement	Percentage of respondents who agreed with the statement
As a registered charity we have a collective responsibility to uphold the reputation of charity more generally	61% (64% in 2020 survey)
Neutral	12% (11% in 2020 survey)
As a registered charity our only responsibility is to uphold the reputation of our own organisation	27% (25% in 2020 survey)

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淧lease read the following pairs of statements. In each case, please indicate which statement you agree with, using a 0 10 scale on which 0 means you completely agree with statement A, and 10 means you completely agree with statement B.바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

Qualitatively, trustees recognise that standards of conduct and behaviour are vital to protect the reputation of charities

Behaviour and standards

Trustees in larger charities often operate to strict codes of conduct that are explicitly written into charity policy.

Trustees of smaller charities also recognise the importance of standards of behaviour and conduct, primarily because of the sense of responsibility they have with regards to their beneficiaries. However, they are less likely to have formal practices in place relating to behaviour and conduct.

There is a lack of consensus as to whether charities should be held to higher standards of conduct and behaviour than other organisations. Many feel private businesses should be held to similar standards and be expected to contribute to their wider communities. Others feel charities are already held to high expectations, often operating with fewer resources and funds than private businesses.

Collective responsibility

Many feel acutely aware of the impact the misbehaviour of one charity can have on the reputation of others, primarily through observing the impact of high-profile scandals on public opinion.

Registration is seen as a privileged and special status which should be appreciated by those responsible for running charities.

It is thought that the responsibility, however, does not solely lie with individual charities; some say collective responsibility only adds to the importance of the Charity Commission바카라 사이트檚 ability to uncover and deal with charity wrongdoing or harm

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淚t바카라 사이트檚 just about setting an example in everything we do.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚 think that charities should be held to a high standard of behaviour because they바카라 사이트檙e benefitting from being registered.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淭here are industry scandals that tend to bring down the name of everybody.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淵es, we wouldn바카라 사이트檛 be able to operate as a charity without being registered by the Charity Commission.바카라 사이트�

Most trustees continue to say they have a clear understanding of how public expectations should shape their work, but a fall vs 2020

Statement	Percentage of respondents who agreed with the statement
I have a clear understanding about how public expectations ought to shape the way charities go about doing what they do	58% (67% in 2020 survey)
Neutral	25% (16% in 2020 survey)
I am unclear about how public expectations ought to shape the way charities go about doing what they do	17% (17% in 2020 survey)

Trustees are more likely than in 2020 to show consideration for public expectations

Statement	Percentage of respondents who agreed with the statement
Where charities fall short of public expectations it is usually because charities don바카라 사이트檛 spend enough time and trouble understanding those expectations and trying to meet them	46% (39% in 2020 survey)
Neutral	30% (25% in 2020 survey)
Where charities fall short of public expectations it is usually because the public doesn바카라 사이트檛 understand the complexities and difficulties involved	23% (36% in 2020 survey)

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淧lease read the following pairs of statements. In each case, please indicate which statement you agree with, using a 0 10 scale on which 0 means you completely agree with statement A, and 10 means you completely agree with statement B.바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

Trustees recognise the importance of public opinion, but question whether the public really comprehends how charities operate

Some say the public does not appreciate the complexities of running a charity

Many trustees feel the public does not understand how charities operate or how complex charity operations may be, focussing solely on the end output. Moreover, some are concerned that the public may generalise the behaviour of all charities based on their views of one or two, which can lead to disproportionate public reaction to stories concerning the malpractice of individual charities.

Nevertheless, they place importance on charities understanding and considering public expectations because the consequences of not doing so would mean a weakened charity sector. They think this applies to their direct supporters and the public at large.

Many smaller charities are locally focussed; they feel a responsibility to reflect the views of their local community or beneficiaries in their work.

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淚 think the public should be more aware of the work charities do and how they operate. When there are articles of wrongdoing, the public automatically have a different view of charity. I think that needs to be balanced.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲e take public expectations into account by maintaining the highest possible standards of integrity and honesty.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲e are very concerned about public expectations.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚t바카라 사이트檚 important because one bad charity tars the reputation of everybody.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淵ou should look and hear what people are saying. We are very responsive at working with our local community for what they need and don바카라 사이트檛 need.바카라 사이트�

The views of the public and charity trustees largely align, particularly when it comes to collective responsibility, standards, and the regulator

When presented with a series of opposing statements, both the public and trustees favour the same statement every time 바카라 사이트� on no issues are they polarised. The issues tested include the way a charities fulfil their purpose, collective responsibility, standards of behaviour, CEO pay, the regulator바카라 사이트檚 role, and whether charitable endeavour is open to all.

While there is little disagreement overall, trustees are more likely than the public to think that the way a charity goes about meeting its purpose is as important as whether it fulfils it, and are more likely to think that charitable endeavour is something that anyone can undertake. On the other hand, the public is slightly more likely than charities to think that it is wrong that some charity CEOs are paid the same as some private sector CEOs.

Most trustees feel very confident in their own ability to protect their charity from wrongdoing and harm

Trustee confidence in their ability to protect their own charity and its beneficiaries from wrongdoing and harm	2021	2020
Very confident	62%	53%
Somewhat confident	36%	44%
Not very confident	1%	3%
Not confident at all	0%	0%

Trustee respondents this year are more confident than last year in the Commission바카라 사이트檚 tackling of wrongdoing

Trustee confidence that instances of wrongdoing and harm once uncovered will be dealt with appropriately by the Charity Commission	2021	2020
Very confident	53%	46%
Somewhat confident	42%	44%
Not very confident	4%	9%
Not confident at all	1%	2%

Trustee confidence in the Charity Commission바카라 사이트檚 ability to uncover wrongdoing and harm when they occur in charities	2021	2020
Very confident	28%	19%
Somewhat confident	57%	56%
Not very confident	13%	22%
Not confident at all	2%	3%

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淗ow confident are you in each of the following?바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

Trustee decision making

When making decisions, trustees feel confident in their (often informal) approaches and mostly understand that trustee responsibility is collective

Upholding the charity바카라 사이트檚 purpose is seen as second nature and implicit in all trustees do; many do not have a formal approach to reviewing their activity against it.

Trustees do not always see themselves as collectively responsible 바카라 사이트� there is room to reinforce trustees바카라 사이트� collective duties on certain issues

This table shows who trustees think is responsible different tasks.

Different tasks in a charity	The Board of Trustees jointly	The Chair	Staff or managers	The Secretary	The Treasurer	Other or don바카라 사이트檛 know
Ensuring that all the charity바카라 사이트檚 activities help to achieve the purposes for which it was set up	93%	3%	2%	1%	0%	0%
Ensuring the charity바카라 사이트檚 governing document, polices and procedures are fit for purpose and being followed	83%	8%	2%	5%	1%	2%
Making sure the charity바카라 사이트檚 resources are kept safe, properly used and accounted for	80%	4%	2%	2%	11%	1%
Checking and approving the charity바카라 사이트檚 annual accounts and trustees바카라 사이트� report	77%	7%	1%	1%	11%	3%
Managing conflicts of interest so that they don바카라 사이트檛 wrongly influence trustee decisions	73%	22%	1%	2%	0%	2%
Keeping up to date with relevant Charity Commission guidance	72%	9%	4%	9%	4%	3%
Making sure the charity sends the right information to the Commission at the right time	52%	15%	5%	14%	11%	2%

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淚n your charity, who do you think is ultimately responsible for each of the following?바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

Most, but not all, say they make important decisions collectively (in line with their duty). There is room for further improvement

Who makes the important decisions in your charity?	Percentage of respondents who chose this group or role
The trustees collectively	78%
An executive committee or sub-committee	12%
The CEO or senior staff	4%
The Chair	3%
Other	3%

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淲ho makes the important decisions in your charity?바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

Trustees feel confident in their ability to come to collective decisions

There is no single way that trustees approach collective decision-making, although all qualitative interviewees agree that they are able to work together with the Board to make important decisions where necessary.

Some simply rely on debate and discussion to resolve disagreements when they arise, whereas others have more formal voting systems in place.

Most feel confident in their processes.

The ability to work together and make decisions is seen as an important quality when recruiting new trustees.

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淲e have a voting system. We have 4 meetings a year, quarterly meetings and you can vote on which way things can go. Generally, we tend to agree on it, although Zoom of course has meant we have more meetings and decide things quickly which has been quite a good result for us.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲e used to recruit friends, but now we don바카라 사이트檛 and we interview people. We바카라 사이트檙e amiable and we all get on as trustees.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淥n both my Boards, the relationships are pretty good and people know what they바카라 사이트檙e doing.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲e have minutes, decision-making is made on a voting basis and all ideas and suggestions are considered.바카라 사이트�

Charity Commission guidance

The Charity Commission바카라 사이트檚 guidance is used infrequently, but praised by most of those who do use it

Suggestions for improvement include different formats, training on financial duties, signposting of what is relevant based on charity size, and simpler language.

Trustees frequently turn to other trustees and the internet for help and guidance, but only rarely to the Charity Commission

Source	Several times a year	About once a year	Less than once a year	Never
A colleague or another trustee	46%	25%	22%	8%
Looking on the internet	34%	21%	19%	25%
A friend or family member (expert)	12%	17%	25%	46%
The Charity Commission	10%	19%	27%	44%
Another charity or advisory body	10%	14%	13%	63%
A friend or family member (non-expert)	6%	7%	16%	70%

Aside from these sources, trustees say they have used professionals such as accountants or lawyers, local council staff and auditors.

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淨. In the past, when you have been unsure about how to go about something in your role, how often have you used any of the following sources to seek help or guidance?바카라 사이트� Base 2,713.

Nearly all qualitative participants are aware the Commission provides help and guidance for trustees, but most do not use it regularly

Trustees are mostly aware that there is help and guidance available on the Commission바카라 사이트檚 website.

Most have used guidance at some point, typically very early on in their role. Many recall reading guidance on how to apply to become a charity or filling in an annual return, and other basic but important duties.

Most speak highly of the guidance they have used in the past and felt it enhanced their knowledge and understanding.

However, most do not use guidance regularly.

Other common sources of help and guidance are fellow trustees or charities of a similar nature. This is particularly applicable for trustees of smaller charities looking to learn from shared experience. Colleagues or specialised organisations are seen to offer more practical or personalised help than can be found in Commission guidance.

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淚 have been onto the website a couple of times. I was actually quite surprised to find there was really good guidance on how to deal with ex-gratia payments and the reporting issues.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淭he Charity Commission website and the material made available was very useful in guiding us through the process of [applying to be a charity]. The majority of stuff however isn바카라 사이트檛 applicable to us because we바카라 사이트檙e so small.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚 certainly would have used the guidance when I joined, but not since.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚 probably used it when I joined, but I haven바카라 사이트檛 had any notifications from the Commission since about any changes.바카라 사이트�

Among those who had used it, the Charity Commission바카라 사이트檚 help or guidance was considered helpful

Source	Very helpful	Fairly helpful	Not very helpful	Not helpful at all
Another charity or advisory body	63%	32%	3%	2%
A colleague or another trustee	59%	40%	1%	0%
The Charity Commission	48%	47%	5%	1%
A friend or family member (expert)	40%	54%	5%	1%
Looking on the internet	29%	61%	9%	1%
A friend or family member (non-expert)	20%	62%	16%	2%

Note: survey question was 바카라 사이트淵ou said you had used the following sources for help or guidance. How helpful did you find them?바카라 사이트� Base 2,503.

Some trustees praise the Commission바카라 사이트檚 guidance for providing detailed explanations of responsibilities

Most feel the guidance is useful, albeit admitting that they had not used it recently.

Some praise the Commission바카라 사이트檚 guidance for providing clear explanations of trustee duties, particularly in areas that might be more complicated or technical.

Others found it helpful when they were new to the role and required an understanding of their basic responsibilities.

However, wider research suggests there is work to do to ensure the guidance is perceived to be comprehensible and actionable amongst trustees.

Quotes from research

바카라 사이트淵ou can drill down through links to get where you want to, and some of the help provided by the Charity Commission is very detailed, very helpful.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚 found it to be very helpful to look at the Charity Commission leaflet on ex-gratia payments which has case studies.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲hen we run into issues, we use the guidance and it points us in the right direction.바카라 사이트�

The Customer Survey shows signs that improvements to guidance and other services have had an effect

The 2021 Customer Survey showed improvements in perceptions of the Charity Commission바카라 사이트檚 customer service for a range of different types of customers.

When prompted, around a third suggest some of the Commission바카라 사이트檚 services have improved, and qualitatively some noted that there had been greater use of plain English and clear headings within guidance.

Separately, the Guidance Survey showed that those who had read the new 5 minute guides responded positively, with the vast majority saying they were easy to understand and two thirds recommending them to other trustees.

Group	Percentage who said the Commission바카라 사이트檚 customer service is 바카라 사이트榞ood바카라 사이트�	Changes from 2020
Volunteer	78%	+7%
Trustee, board or committee member	74%	+5%
Chair	74%	+5%
Professional advisor	73%	+6%
Treasurer	72%	+6%
Other	72%	+16%
Member of staff	56%	+7%

Note: survey question from the Customer survey was 바카라 사이트淥verall, how would you rate the Charity Commission바카라 사이트檚 customer service?바카라 사이트� Base size 2019: Chair 293, Treasurer 275, Trustee, board of committee member 423, Member of staff 457, Professional advisor 37, Volunteer 92, Other 113. Base size 2020: Chair 314, Treasurer 287, Trustee, board of committee member 478, Member of staff 345, Professional advisor 33, Volunteer 143, Other 98.

Methodology

Quantitative survey of trustees

Yonder conducted an online survey of 2,713 participants taken from the Charity Commission바카라 사이트檚 database of charity trustees. These trustees came from a range of charity types, regional areas of focus, and length of tenure.

Where relevant, answer options were randomised and scales rotated. All questions using opposing statements were asked using a sliding scale.

The data was weighted to be representative of the breakdown of income size on the Commission바카라 사이트檚 register.

Qualitative interviews with trustees

Yonder conducted 20 in-depth interviews with trustees via phone from a range of different charities.

Each interview lasted around 30 minutes and followed a discussion guide agreed upon in advance with the Charity Commission.

Participants were recruited through the online survey.