Charity Trustee Roles and Responsibilities Explained

Becoming a charity trustee is a serious commitment, but for many people it starts informally — you are asked to join the committee of a local group, or you set up a charity and find yourself responsible for running it. Understanding what trustees actually do, and what the law expects of them, is the foundation of good governance. This guide explains the six main legal duties of trustees, the specific roles within a board, and how trustees make decisions together.

What is a charity trustee?

Charity trustees are the people who are legally responsible for a charity. They might be called trustees, directors (in a charitable company), board members, governors, or the management committee — the title varies, but the legal responsibility is the same.

Trustees are responsible for the overall control and management of the charity. They are not usually involved in day-to-day operations in larger charities, but in small charities the trustees often do much of the hands-on work as well.

The six main duties of a trustee

The Charity Commission's guidance, The Essential Trustee (CC3), sets out six main duties. Every trustee is responsible for all six:

1. Ensure your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit. A charity must only do what its governing document allows, and everything it does must be for the public benefit set out in its purposes.

2. Comply with your charity's governing document and the law. Trustees must know their governing document and follow it, and must comply with the wider law that applies to the charity.

3. Act in your charity's best interests. Trustees must make decisions based only on what is best for the charity, not their own interests or those of others — this is where managing conflicts of interest comes in.

4. Manage your charity's resources responsibly. Trustees must use the charity's money, assets, staff, and volunteers responsibly and only for the charity's purposes. The Commission notes that "all trustees share responsibility for finances (not just the treasurer)."

5. Act with reasonable care and skill. Trustees must give enough time, thought, and energy to their role, and use any particular skills or experience they have.

6. Ensure your charity is accountable. Trustees must comply with statutory accounting and reporting requirements, and be able to demonstrate that the charity is well run and effective.

Trustees act collectively

A point that surprises many new trustees is that they make decisions as a board, not individually. The Charity Commission puts it plainly:

"Charity trustees make decisions about their charity together, working as a team."

Decisions do not usually need to be unanimous:

"Decisions don't usually need to be unanimous as long as the majority of trustees agree."

But responsibility is shared. Even where one trustee has a specific role — such as treasurer — "all trustees remain jointly responsible for the charity." A trustee cannot avoid responsibility for a decision simply because another trustee took the lead on it. This is why proper trustee meetings and minutes matter: they are how the board demonstrates it made decisions collectively and responsibly.

Specific roles within a board

While all trustees share the same legal duties, boards usually appoint people to specific roles:

The chair leads the board, runs meetings, and often acts as the main link between the trustees and any staff. The chair makes sure the board functions well and that decisions are made and followed up.

The treasurer takes a lead on financial matters — overseeing budgets, accounts, and financial controls, and helping other trustees understand the charity's finances. As noted above, the treasurer leads on finance but does not carry sole responsibility for it.

The secretary (where the role exists) handles governance administration — meeting papers, minutes, and keeping records in order.

These roles are about division of labour, not division of legal responsibility.

Are trustees paid?

The default position is that trustees are unpaid volunteers. The Charity Commission states: "Most trustees don't get paid for their role, but you can claim reasonable expenses as a trustee." Payment for being a trustee, or for providing goods or services to the charity, is only allowed in specific circumstances and usually requires legal authority. See our detailed guide on whether charity trustees can be paid.

How many trustees does a charity need?

The number of trustees a charity needs depends on its governing document, but having enough trustees to make good collective decisions matters for governance. We cover the requirements and good practice in our guide on how many trustees a charity needs.

Getting started as a trustee

New trustees should:

1. Read the charity's governing document and most recent accounts
2. Understand the six main duties above
3. Check the charity's entry on the Charity Commission register
4. Make sure there is a process for declaring conflicts of interest
5. Find out when the board meets and what decisions are coming up

To check how well your charity is governed against current good practice, work through our free charity governance code self-assessment. If keeping track of policies, deadlines, and trustee records is becoming a burden, see our guide on what to look for in a charity compliance tool.

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This guide applies to charities registered in England and Wales. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Sources

• Charity trustee: what's involved — GOV.UK (summarises the six main duties from The Essential Trustee, CC3)
• Charity Governance Code — GOV.UK / charitygovernancecode.org