Changing your charity’s governing document

Your charity’s governing document is its rule book. It sets out how your charity works. Sometimes, you may need to update it to keep things running smoothly.

Whether you can make changes - and whether you need approval - depends on:

• what type of charity you are (for example, a charitable company, trust etc.)
• what kind of change you want to make
• what your governing document says about making changes

If your charity wants to change how it’s run, some changes are easier than others.

• Simple changes, like how meetings are held or how trustees are appointed, are usually straightforward.
• Big changes, like changing what your charity does (its purposes or objects), are more complex and may need approval.

Who needs to approve the changes depends on your charity’s legal structure:

• If you’re a charitable company, you may need approval from the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland before making certain changes.
• If you’re an unincorporated charity (not a company), the rules are different, and approval may or may not be needed depending on the change.