Keeping minutes of meetings

You should keep a record of all the meetings of trustees. These records are called ‘minutes’. Minutes are the evidence about what was agreed by the trustees during their meetings.

The minutes should record the following information:

• The date of the meeting
• Who was present
• What decisions were made.

Decisions include:

• That the minutes of the previous meeting were approved as a correct record
• Approval of a document or accounts
• Agreements made about spending money
• Agreements about who will be bank signatories
• Agreements about who will be Chair, Treasurer, Secretary.
• The appointment of a trustees/s

The minutes of a meeting should be circulated to all trustees as soon as possible after each meeting. They should be signed (after they are approved at the following meeting) and kept in a file (either physical or online).

The Charity Commission provides detailed guidance on Charities and Meetings.

Check out NCVO’s guidance on maintaining good governance in your charity

If you have any questions or need more support, please contact us on knowhow@ncvo.org.uk