The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
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The Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector was originally developed in 2018 by the Third Sector Governance Forum. Designed specifically for Scotland’s voluntary sector, it provided a statement of best practice on what good governance looks like. Since then, both our... Read more
Trustees’ Week is all about highlighting the great work of trustees across Scotland and the UK, and the role they play in governing our charities and voluntary organisations. Read more
We’re facing challenging times right now but there is lots of support out there for the 250,000 trustees across Scotland. Read more
The Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector was developed in 2018 and sets out five broad principles of good governance that act as a point of reference for trustees in carrying out their role. They can be summarised under the following broad headings: Organisational... Read more
The next SCVO Good Governance webinar on 5 May is on a theme some trustees might not have considered before – are you a climate confident trustee? Responding to the climate emergency It’s a sad truth that COVID-19 is not the only global crisis we face at the moment. The... Read more
Starting a new job during a global pandemic is certainly a very unusual experience. Over the past 10 weeks, I have been completing a graduate internship lead by Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum. The project involved creating a report mapping the governance training and... Read more
Next Monday marks the start of Trustees’ Week an annual celebration of all the great work that an estimated 180,000 trustees do across Scotland. It’s a chance to showcase trustees and look at what good governance means, and this year it’s all online. From 2-6 November there will... Read more
Trustees Week 2019 saw Third Sector Lab and SCVO Digital bring together charities and people working in digital industries to create greater understanding of how we practically get more digital folk on charity boards. Digital Trustees Scotland was part of the roadshow developed... Read more
We often use the term digital trustees as if they’re a homogenous group of people all with the same skillset. They’re not! There are so many digital skills, from web development to digital marketing to cyber security. Choosing someone with the right skills for your board (as with... Read more
Today marks the start of Trustees Week with a conference in Edinburgh where we’ll be celebrating all the great work that an estimated 180,000 trustees do across Scotland. The conference, ‘A Recipe for Success’, will be a chance for trustees and governance geeks to get together... Read more
Spring is the season of new beginnings, which in terms of good governance can mean taking a look at recruiting new trustees to ensure your board is as effective as it can be. Effectiveness is one of the five principles of the Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector which... Read more
I hope you’ve got 20 and 21 February marked in your diary for a trip to Glasgow. It’s the big event! The Gathering, the UK’s largest free third sector event in the UK is where you’ll find over 60 free workshops, seminars and training sessions and over 100 exhibitors. It’s your... Read more
This is the final blog in a series celebrating Trustees Week and the launch of the Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector. I hope you’ve found them useful and have maybe managed to attend an event to celebrate all that is great about trustees and Scotland’s third sector... Read more
The principle of the trustees being in control of their organisation is essential to good governance, and is one of the five main principles of the Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector. As with all of the Code principles, how a board might demonstrate and implement the... Read more
If you’re one of the more than 250,000 trustees in Scotland, you’ll know that good governance is vital to the success and sustainability of your organisation. That’s why this week sees the launch of the new Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector. One of the five principles... Read more
Board behaviour, both collectively and individually, can have a far-reaching impact on an organisation’s reputation and success. While working on SCVO’s Information Service I have seen too many organisations seriously damaged by dysfunctional boards where mutual respect... Read more
Today I’m excited to be at the Trustees Week Conference in Glasgow, which marks the start of Trustees Week to celebrate all the great work that trustees do across Scotland. Today also marks the launch of the new Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector. The Code has taken... Read more
Did you know that all charity trustees are collectively responsible for the effective financial management of their organisation? No, it’s not just down to the treasurer… That’s why it’s essential, if you’re a trustee, that you have a handle on your charity’s finances, and are... Read more
Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum was set up in 2009 after a roundtable meeting to discuss findings from study into leadership and governance that showed that boards consistently rated their organisational effectiveness higher that the CEO and staff of the organisation. At... Read more
We all know how hard it can be to recruit trustees, but a new report has found that it’s not that people aren’t interested in being on a board - the problem is down to poor recruitment practices that are in danger of damaging the effectiveness of charities across the UK. The... Read more
Unmissable events for charity trustees Read more
Rhona McAdam from SCVO pro bono service partner Burness Paull shares advice on handling the awkward situation of removing charity trustees Read more
A taste of what we have planned for Trustees - and there's still time to book Read more
Efficient ways to get information, monitor performance and make decisions Read more
That's when mediation can help Read more
A video to round off #trusteesweek 2016 Read more
It's important for trustees to keep on building better governance Read more
Calling all trustees - here's your guide to what really matters Read more
More top tips to help trustees do a great job in 2016 Read more
Any New Year resolutions? How about being a more accountable trustee? Read more
Four Trustees reflect on their experiences Read more
How a meeting with Iraqi MPs chimed with #TrusteesWeek Read more
How developments in technology, politics and society affect the work of trustees Read more
As our #trusteesweek blogs continue, the focus is on having a clear understanding of what's expected Read more
Trustee recruitment is about knowing what skills you’re looking for and making your new trustees feel welcome. Read more