Trustee Finance Toolkit

The Charity Commission has compiled some resources to help charity trustees to better understand their responsibilities.

Having a clear picture of your charity’s financial position is the first step in managing its finances well. It’s an area trustees can feel less confident about, but is an essential part of your role.

Listed below are some resources on financial topics to help your charity plan and manage its finances. We have included tools and guidance to give you practical support.

Finance 5-minute guide – Our managing finance 5-minute guide can help you understand your responsibilities for ensuring your charity’s money is safe and properly used and accounted for.
Internal financial controls for charities – Explains the different types of internal financial controls your charity should have to help you protect your charity from fraud and loss.
Reserves policy – Find out what charity reserves are and how to develop and report on your charity’s reserves policy.
Improving charity finances – Advice on how you can improve your charity’s finances and protect against financial difficulties, including what to do if your charity can’t pay its bills.
15 questions trustees should ask – Want to check your charity’s financial effectiveness? Use our 15 questions guide.
Collaborative working – Charities can consider mergingor closer working with other charities as a way of building financial resilience
Protect your charity from cyber crime – Find out how to keep your charity cyber secure, respond to cyber attacks, and report cyber crime.
Submitting your charity’s annual return – Find out how and when to submit your charity’s annual return.
Investing charity money: guidance for trustees – Find out how to make the right decisions about investing charity funds.

Full details…