Governance round-up: December 2023

Centring lived experience

As the year comes to an end, now is a good time to consider fresh approaches to trustee recruitment in 2024.

The following resources can help you to strengthen the diversity of your trustees and make sure there is meaningful lived experience around the board table.

• NPC’s new guide on centring lived experience in charities includes guidance on approaches to board recruitment.
• The Centre for Charity Effectiveness has tips on enabling inclusion and participation of trustees with lived experience.
• Refugee Action’s ‘Experts by Experience’ guidance has advice on how to involve trustees with lived experience in your board.

You can also explore our help and guidance on equality, diversity and inclusion at board level.

Charity campaigning and elections

The Charity Commission has shared new advice for charities engaging in public debate.

The advice highlights the non-party campaigner Code of Practice that came into effect on 1 December 2023.

As we approach the general election, it’s important that boards understand:

• which campaigning activity is regulated. Boards should also consider how campaigning relates to what their charity does
• what the campaigning spending limits are. Campaign spending over £10,000 a year will need to be registered with the Electoral Commission. This was recently reduced from £20,000 a year
• what you can and can’t say online. For example, promoting the outcome of an election or criticising an office holder.

The Commission has shared social media guidance for charities and campaigning and political activity guidance for charities.

We’ll be publishing our own political campaigning guidance in the new year. Sign up for email updates.

Find out more about me and the services I offer:

• governance and trusteeship consultancy
• governance training.

You can also follow me on LinkedIn, or contact me at mo.wiltshire@ncvo.org.uk.