The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland has updated its guidance so that it ‘meets the needs of today’s trustees.

It has replaced its single guidance document with a series of guides called Running your charity, which aims to offer “practical advice for both new and experienced trustees, as well as professionals who support charities”.

Commission chief executive Frances McCandless said: “We’ve worked hard to refresh our guidance in a format that meets the needs of today’s charity trustees - not just in terms of content, but also in clarity, accessibility and tone.

“These guides are essential handbooks for anyone involved in running a charity, whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience.

“They’re designed to support trustees in making informed and confident decisions that benefit their charities and the communities they serve.”

The five guides in the series are:

• Guide 1 – Overview of guides: Introduction to the series and how a charity is legally defined.
• Guide 2 – Who are charity trustees and what do they do: Roles and responsibilities explained.
• Guide 3 – Meeting the public benefit requirement: Understanding and demonstrating public benefit.
• Guide 4 – Finance, fundraising, updating and reporting: Good practice in financial management and the importance of keeping your details up to date..
• Guide 5 – Good governance and managing risks: Ensuring effective governance and risk management.

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