Our key guidance The Hallmarks of an Effective Charity sets out six standards that will help trustees improve the effectiveness of their charity, and uphold the principles that our regulatory framework exists to support. This section sets out our guidance and other resources to help trustees translate these principles into good practice in governance.

Basic principles of good governance

• Hallmarks of an effective charity - the underlying principles of running a charity effectively
• Good Governance: a Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector - a practical and easy-to-use guide to help charities develop good practice

Recruiting trustees

• I want to find new trustees - our guidance on the things you need to think about before recruiting new trustees, plus links to useful resources
• Finding new trustees - a 'start to finish' guide to help charities to recruit new trustees effectively and increase the range of skills and experience on their board
• Involving young people in running a charity - how to bring the experience, perspective and enthusiasm young people offer to the board of your charity
• Users on Board: Beneficiaries who become trustees - explains the issues that can arise when beneficiaries of a charity become trustees
• Trustee expenses and payments - explains the restrictions on the extent to which charity trustees may receive remuneration and the circumstances where payments may be made

Other governance resources

• Charities and the Equality Act - what the Equality Act means for charities which support specific groups of people
• Managing conflicts in your charity - explains our approach to disputes and where we can and cannot help
• Conflicts of interest - an introduction and links to further guidance to help trustees identify and manage potential conflicts of interest.
• Changing your charity's Governing Document - explains the various ways in which trustees can amend and update their charity's governing document themselves, and where we can help in those cases where trustees don't have the power to make amends
• Appointing Nominees and Custodians - explains the provisions for the appointment of nominees and custodians brought in by the Trustee Act 2000 and the requirements for trustees choosing to exercise these powers
• Incorporating Charity Trustees - provides information about the incorporation of trustees under the Charities Act 2011
• Charities and Meetings - guidance on the law and good practice when arranging charity meetings
• Charities and Insurance - explains the various forms of insurance, and the circumstances in which trustees may need to consider obtaining them
• Questions to consider at key stages in the life of a charity - a quick reference checklist of questions trustees should consider as their charity develops, with links to guidance and resources we provide
• Incorporating an existing charity as a company - guidance on changing the status of a charity from unincorporated to some form of incorporated structure with limited liability
• The Companies Act 2006 - explains the impact of the Act for charitable companies
• Providing alcohol on charity premises - explains the legal and practical problems that can arise when selling alcohol from charity premises

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