Governing document

The governing document is where a charity’s rules live. When trustees disagree about whether they can do something — spend a fund, co-opt a trustee, change the year-end — the answer is usually in here. Reading it should be one of the first things a new trustee does.

The form of the governing document follows the charity’s structure: a CIO or association constitution, a trust deed, or company articles of association — and the Charity Commission provides a model version of each. (Source: GOV.UK, How to write your charity’s governing document (CC22b), accessed 9 July 2026.) Whatever the form, it contains the charity’s purposes, its powers, and the rules for how it is run.

Keep a signed, dated copy with every amendment, and check the amendment clause before changing anything — some changes need Commission consent. The Trustee & Governance Handbook explains how to read and update yours.