Covid-19 Implications for Charity Trustees

Trustees are legally accountable for the control, administration and management of the Charity. Their responsibilities include ensuring that the Charity’s services are delivered in accordance with its vision, mission and values.

They must also safeguard the Charity’s assets, manage risk and plan for the future. Now more than ever, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, these responsibilities are crucial.

Important Questions for Charity Trustees

Trustees will need to work closely with their Charity’s management team to help their organisation survive the Covid-19 pandemic and move forward.

Set out below are 8 important questions to consider:

1. Is the Charity still able to deliver its services in the best interests of its beneficiaries?
2. Has the Charity taken advantage of all government and other supports that are available?
3. Has the management team addressed the Covid-19 situation directly with their funders?
4. Are there sufficient short- and medium-term reserves to see the Charity through this difficult time?
5. Have Trustees and management team reviewed cashflow to ensure the Charity’s activities can continue in the short- and medium-term?
6. Have they prepared a new budget to reflect the current changing situation?
7. Do existing long-term plans need to change?
8. Are the Trustees content that the charity is still acting within its charitable aims and objectives and keeping up to date with its statutory reporting requirements?

In the charities sector, as in other sectors, the Covid-19 pandemic is accelerating the adoption of new technologies. Trustees will need to ensure that the associated risks in areas such as data protection and cyber security are carefully managed. Now is the time for the Trustees to put plans in place to safeguard their organisation for the future.