For fundraisers
Trustees have many responsibilities directly related to fundraising. These all link to the principle that trustees must always act in the charity’s best interests.
Trustees take ultimate responsibility for the fundraising activities of their charity. This is still the case even when they have delegated these roles. They need to ensure that any risks or conflicts of interest that may arise in fundraising activities are managed by the charity.
Trustees are ultimately responsible for ensuring the charity is compliant with the law in the way it fundraises. This includes the need to ensure agreements with third party fundraisers are in place and that the relevant licenses / permissions are in place for collections. Their role includes considering the impact of any campaigns on the charity’s reputation.
The Code of Fundraising Practice outlines trustee duties in section 2.
For broader information about trustee responsibilities, see the Charity Commission’s guidanceon fundraising and trustees. For information on how to select and recruit trustees, see the NCVO’s guidance.
