Governance superheroes
The advice and support of a governance professional will help charities navigate regulation and ensure the organisation is operating effectively in difficult times
GOVERNANCE
Image: Istock
Sarah Loader
Consultant, Campbell Tickell
Issue: 63 | December 2022
Governance professionals are often unsung heroes in charities. Their role is ever more important in an increasingly complex regulatory environment and a gloomy economic outlook. Boards are having to make difficult decisions about priorities and need to be agile to ensure their organisations can operate effectively. In order to do this boards need a sound governance structure within which to operate. So what does this look like?
Effective decision-making
Company secretaries, governance managers and other governance staff need to be able to ensure that they can support effective decision-making and develop governance structures that are robust and meet legal requirements. Policies and procedures need to be up to date and relevant. Charities need to ensure that their organisations are meeting ever more stretching regulatory requirements and are conscious of good practice standards, such as those set out in the Charity Governance Code.
Rosie Chapman, former Chair of the Charity Governance Code, described governance professionals as the ‘ears, eyes and conscience of their organisation’. A pretty fundamental role! Some of the key benefits of having access to a charity governance professional include:
- Supporting compliance and meeting increasing expectations: A good governance professional can spot areas of non-compliance at an early stage by keeping up to date with legislation, regulation and public expectations. This can help charities to avoid legal or regulatory difficulties
- Maximising board effectiveness: Having an understanding of best practice can help ensure a high performing board
- Providing expert advice to the board: Board members are usually volunteers. While they can keep up to date on governance developments, it is vital trustees have a reliable source of advice and support on roles and responsibilities. Ensuring information provided is relevant, clear and covers all the key information supports good decision-making. Offering high-quality advice to the board and the chair in particular, gives confidence that the organisation is operating effectively
Governance professionals' network
At Campbell Tickell we already know how important this role is and in partnership with Trowers & Hamlins, we have set up a network of charity governance professionals. The network provides a space where governance professionals can share current thinking and exchange ideas about dealing with tricky governance issues.
We host events which are intended to act as a facilitated discussion, providing a safe space for discussing common challenges with like-minded peers. Topics we have covered include board evaluations, ESG, diversity and the move to operating governance online during the pandemic.
We are aiming to hold our next event in February 2023. If you are interested in joining the network or attending future events, please contact me at Sarah.Loader@campbelltickell.com
“Offering high-quality advice to the board and the chair in particular, gives confidence that the organisation is operating effectively.”
