Guidance for trustees on their responsibilities for managing charity staff and volunteers.
If a charity employs staff, the board must make sure it follows current employment law. This includes staff who are:
Trustees should help put policies, procedures and processes in place. This will ensure the charity remains legal and has a good work environment.
You can use our guidance on developing employment policies and procedures.
NCVO members can access sample HR policies.
Members can also access free HR, employment, and health and safety advice through our HR trusted suppliers.
A chief executive is the most senior member of staff in a charity. They are often the public face of the organisation. The chief executive:
The board is responsible for holding the chief executive accountable. In rare circumstances, the chief executive can also be a board member.
The chair is usually given the responsibility of managing the chief executive. It’s common for the chair and chief executive to meet regularly.
The relationship between a board and the chief executive should be a partnership. While the board is responsible for all the charity’s work, the chief executive usually has wide-ranging authority to run the charity.
The board and chief executive should agree on how they want to work together. Use the following questions to help guide your discussion.
You should clearly define the chief executive's role, responsibilities and expectations. This will helthe board understand what decisions the chief executive has the authority to make.
The board should set realistic and achievable personal objectives for the chief executive. The chair and chief executive should meet regularly. The chair should use these meetings to monitor progress against personal objectives, offer support and discuss priorities.
The chief executive should report on progress against the charity's strategy and objectives in board meetings. This is different from the management relationship between the chief executive and chair. It’s an opportunity for the whole board to look at the work of the organisation together.
A chief executive’s role varies depending on a range of factors. For example, the charity’s income, size and areas of work. Boards should regularly review the role and discuss the relationship.
The board needs to make sure their charity has a clear approach to volunteer management. This includes having the right policies and processes in place.
You can use our guidance on:
Last reviewed: 08 October 2024
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