The Charity Commission of England and Wales has recently introduced a new knowledge quiz for trustees, another step in its Trustee Campaign. The primary objective of this campaign is to boost the understanding of charity trustees and foster improvements in charity governance.
The quiz is an engaging tool that presents trustees with a series of questions based on real-life situations they might face in their charity work. It serves as a mechanism to pinpoint areas where trustees might lack knowledge and is a perfect tool for trustees of all experience levels to refresh their understanding. The quiz is designed to be completed in approximately three minutes, offering trustees a quick and interactive way to evaluate their knowledge and identify areas that need enhancement.
The quiz encompasses a variety of topics, including conflicts of interest and safeguarding, and offers feedback for each question. It also directs users to accessible resources, such as the Commission’s collection of 5-minute guides, to bolster their understanding.
The introduction of the quiz was prompted by the results of the Charity Commission’s 2022 Charity Trustee Research. The study revealed that while approximately 98% of trustees feel ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ confident in their ability to manage or govern their charity, they could only correctly answer 7 out of 10 questions on average when quizzed on basic role requirements. This highlighted a knowledge gap that could potentially lead to inadvertent governance shortcomings.
The online campaign, which includes the quiz, ran from 25 September to 12 November, culminating in Trustees Week (6-10 November). Trustees Week is a celebration and promotion of trusteeship, organized by the Commission in collaboration with sector partners.
The quiz is just one of the many resources the Commission offers to support trustees in their roles. Other resources include the Commission's '5-minute guides', that cover the basics every trustee should know, and a comprehensive trustee welcome pack.
For a more comprehensive check of your church’s governance, finances, policies and more, have a look at Stewardship’s free financial health check. Designed specifically for church leaders, trustees and treasurers, the Financial Health Check for Churches involves a comprehensive questionnaire to help identify areas that may need further attention and stimulate conversations that will strengthen your church. Our Risk Assessment Toolkit will help trustees and those in leadership identify the various key risks to consider as part of their trustee responsibilities.
The last thing to say is: enjoy the journey! A wrong answer on the quiz doesn’t make you a bad or delinquent trustee, but it is a great opportunity to learn and sharpen your skills.
Quiz: https://charity-commission.involve.me/trustee-quiz-5-minute-guides
Charity Commission guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-commission-guidance
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/blogs/selection-and-development-trustees-your-christian-charity
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/blogs/churches-role-trustees-and-spiritual-leaders
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/blogs/kids-company-assessment-adequacy-judgements-trustees
Sharpen
Quarterly emails for trustees, treasurers and Church and Charity Leaders. Practical tools, technical resources and expert guidance to safeguard your mission and ministry.
Lourens du Plessis
Lourens leads our teams who guide and strengthen churches and Christian charities with their governance and finances. Our professional services include independent examinations of charities’ accounts, an award-winning payroll bureau, consultancy and governance advisory services and helping charities get registered with the Charity Commission. He joined Stewardship in 2020 and brings with him a wealth of experience in both the charity and commercial sectors. He’s a member of the Charity Community Advisory Group of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and regularly interacts with regulators in the sector.
Before joining Stewardship he worked for an international church developing governance and financial stewardship for various ministries. Prior to that Lourens had a senior role at a Big Four firm in the City, advising international investment banks. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has a postgraduate degree in Theology.
Lourens grew up in South Africa, but has spent the majority of his working life in London. He is a member of the International Presbyterian Church in Ealing. He is also a trustee of a number of other churches and charities, including a new pregnancy counselling centre, and he’s involved in initiatives to help Christians better integrate their faith and work.
Lourens supports causes which encourage bringing the gospel to people in his neighbourhood and to the ends of the earth, and particularly supporting persecuted Christians around the world.
