Open letter to a new Trustee

July 2025


Dear Trustee,


First of all, thank you. Thank you for stepping forward, for giving your time, and for bringing your commitment to the work of your small charity. Trusteeship is an act of great generosity and care, and small charities like yours rely on people just like you to steer them forward.


One of the most important – and sometimes most daunting – aspects of your role is financial governance. It’s easy to imagine this as something only for accountants or seasoned charity professionals, but in truth, all Trustees are jontly and collectively responsible for stewarding the finances. The good news is that no one joins a board fully formed. We all go on the financial governance journey. And the even better news is that there is a tonne of great free support out there.


Learn as you go, with support


To support you in building financial confidence, we encourage you to spend some time with the Charity Commission’s guidance for trustees, particularly The Essential Trustee (CC3) and Managing Charity Finances. Both are great starter guides for the new Trustee and set out, we think, our duties clearly and simply. You might also find it helpful to explore our Small Charity Finance List, which curates in one place all the guidance we signpost to regularly.


Your core financial duties


But while we are here, let's just recap. As a trustee, your financial responsibilities include:


  • protecting and responsibly managing the charity’s funds
  • ensuring any payments to trustees follow the rules and are properly authorised
  • keeping accurate and timely financial records
  • knowing the charity’s financial position
  • acting quickly if financial difficulties arise
  • making sure the information held on the Charity Commission register is up to date


But financial governance isn’t just about compliance. At its heart, it’s about stewardship. The decisions you make now shape the charity’s ability to serve not only today’s beneficiaries but tomorrow’s too. The fact is that the decisions that we take come through our financial statements like rings on a tree. If you want to grow a forest, you need to nurture the numbers.


You are not alone


Remember, you are part of a team. It takes a whole village to raise a child and a whole organisation to build longer term financial resilience. No one expects you to have all the answers, but your willingness to ask questions, seek support, and take the time to understand the finances will strengthen your charity. You’re not expected to be a finance expert – just be the curious Trustee, ask the questions, consider the responses, challenge when you are uncertain.


Thank you again for everything you do. Small charities make a big difference, and trustees like you make that possible.


With spreadsheets and solidarity,


Embrace Finance

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which took the 
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financial planning"

Getting on top of and keeping on top of the numbers in a small charity can be challenging. 

Small charity finance is technical, regulated and complicated. It can be, we are sometimes told, boring, and when the numbers don't go the right way, it can be anxiety provoking.

We understand the challenges small charities face when building financial sustainability. We explain finance in a simple, accessible way. We take the stress out of it all.