Conflicts of interest

It’s entirely natural for conflicts of interest to occur on charity and voluntary organisations’ boards. People that become trustees tend to be  committed, energetic, and socially aware individuals, who, more often than not, are involved in other organisations, businesses and interests. So don’t panic if you or someone on your board is faced with a conflict of interest. It’s not about trying to prevent it – it’s how you manage it that matters. That’s why a well run and effective board should have a Conflict of Interest policy that is clear and easy to use. This will:

• help your trustees act in the organisation’s best interests at all times.
• help your board to identify what a conflict of interest and a conflict of loyalty is.
• find a solution that stops a conflict of interest from affecting decision making.  
• show your organisation is transparent and accountable, protecting its reputation.

Conflict of interest policy

For more on how to use this, see our page on using SCVO templates.

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