Code of Conduct Template for Charity Trustees

Whilst it is not a legal requirement for a charity to have a trustee code of conduct, it can be a useful tool to provide trustees with clear guidelines as to the standards of behaviour and good practice expected of them in fulfilling their role.

This Code of Conduct for a Trustee template can be used as the basis for drafting a code of conduct for all trustees of a charity. It can be used by any charity, irrespective of the legal form of the charity.

It should be amended and adapted to suit the particular charity concerned. It might need to be shorter and simpler for smaller charities, or longer for larger ones. Additional provisions can be added to it to reflect the type of activities that the charity engages in, e.g. health, education, grant making, service provision. 

Once you have finalised the content for the Code for your charity, the trustees should adopt it as a standard document which the charity requires all existing and new trustees from time to time to sign. The trustees can formally adopt it by means of a resolution passed at a meeting of the trustees.

Each trustee should be required by the Board to sign and date a copy of the Code and return it to the charity’s secretary or administrator to retain together with all other documents given to each trustee on appointment.

This document might be used in conjunction with the Small Charity: Checklist of Ongoing Compliance.

The document is in open format. Fields should be completed and wording in square brackets is optional and can be deleted or retained according to requirements. 

Once you have subscribed to the Corporate Document Folder click on the “Download Document” button below. You will be asked what you want to do with the file. It is recommended that you save the document to a location of your choice prior to viewing.

Code of Conduct Template for Charity Trustees is part of Corporate. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Corporate for 1 year.