Governing Charities Requires Small Steps, Not Big Leaps

The Charity Governance Code is too ambitious for many smaller charities

The launch of the most recent Charity Governance Code has been welcomed throughout the sector, but how realistic is it for the thousands of smaller charities that are struggling with even basic governance standards?

Having worked on organisational effectiveness and charitable governance with many smaller charities, I have discussed the new code with trustees and staff. The response has not been encouraging.

Few have heard of the code and, when I introduce them to its contents, many are overwhelmed or discouraged by how high the bar has been set. The code is intentionally aspirational, specifically aiming itself at being 'a tool for continuous improvement towards the highest standards'.