A group of voluntary sector bodies, including Acevo, the Charity Trustee Network and the NCVO, have updated the code of good governance they first published five years ago.
Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector sets out six key principles for a good board, which include being open and accountable, understanding the role of trustees and behaving with integrity.
Louise Thomson, head of policy at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, which helped to draft the updated code, said it was designed to be easy to understand.
"The previous version contained too much jargon and duplication and some trustees didn’t understand the language," she said.
The code has no legal force and is designed to help charities ensure they meet best practice guidelines.
A Charity Commission spokeswoman said the organisation endorsed the code. A copy of it can be downloaded from the commission’s website here.
