ICSA Model Role Description for Charity Trustees (England and Wales)

The board of trustees are collectively responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the charity, and financial health, probity of its activities, developing the
organisation’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with the governing document, legal
and regulatory guidelines.

All trustees should be aware of, and understand, their individual and collective responsibilities, and should not be overly reliant on one or more individual trustees in any particular aspect of the governance of the charity. For example, all trustees should be able to read the financial accounts to a level that they can ask questions and comprehend answers of a general nature.

This Guidance Note from the ICSA flags up those areas that trustees should be familiar with, in order to effectively govern the charity and monitor the implementation, and impact of their decisions, as a board.