Charities - The Role of the Secretary

Overview

It is increasingly important for charities to be well governed and to meet their statutory and regulatory responsibilities. The job of overseeing this, often falls to the Charity Secretary, but many people find themselves fulfilling this role without having full knowledge or experience of its demands.

This course will give you a complete understanding of the role of a Secretary in a Charity, providing a clear overview of the typical duties and responsibilities. It explains exactly what being a charity entails, the different types of legal forms that can be used and how they are regulated.The course gives practical examples of the compliance requirements of a charity and how best to fulfil them. It will cover what the Charity Secretary should know, the questions they should ask, what to do when problems arise and how best to support the work of the Board.

This course will provide you with the information and resources to enable you to approach the job with confidence, ensuring you are fully up-to-date and compliant with all your legal responsibilities.

What you will learn

• What is the role of a Secretary in a charity and what is expected of the person given this role?
• What is the legal environment in which charities operate?
• What makes your organisation a charity?
• What are the opportunities and restrictions of being a charity?
• What are most common legal forms for charities? 
• How do you understand and amend your constitution?
• Who is who in a charity - what are the different roles?
• What are the duties of charity trustees and how do you guide them?
• What are the regulatory requirements, both as a charity and linked to the many different legal forms?
• What is the impact of being a charitable company?
• How does the dual regulation work?
• What records and registers must you keep?
• Exactly what must be reported to the Charity Commission and other regulators?
• What is an exempt charity?
• What is the Secretary’s role at a Board Meeting?
• What is the most effective way of taking minutes?
• What is the law about stationery and the charity’s name?
• What are the recent legal reforms that affect charities?
• What is good governance?
• Can a charity trade?

What you require

This course is for all charities regulated by the Charity Commission.

It is also appropriate for all exempt and excepted charities which include:

• Educational Charities such as Academies, Universities and Higher Education Institutions
• Charitable Housing Associations that are Registered Societies or Limited Companies
• Museums and Galleries
• Church of England and Methodist Church Investment Funds