Governance Code

The Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector was originally developed in 2018 by Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum. The Code sets out the core principles of good governance for the boards of charities, voluntary organisations, and social enterprises in Scotland.

Since then, both our understanding of good governance and stakeholders’ expectations have evolved. Five years on from its launch, with a pandemic, digital change, environmental crisis, and a global demand for greater equality, diversity, and inclusion, we knew we had to update the Code. So in 2022 we undertook a review of the Code with the support of the Robertson Trust. We carried out a wide-ranging consultation and have now incorporated the recommendations into a newly revised Code which you can download here.

The SCVO Good Governance Checkup is designed to help you review your governance in line with the five key principles of the Code, celebrate success and identify areas for improvement. Offering a personalised action plan, it also has links to resources, templates and further guidance.

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