Governance
Conflicts of interest
Formal definition
Conflicts of interest is an operating term in governance focused on clarifying oversight, accountability, and regulatory compliance in trustee decision-making.
What this actually means for you
Trustees and governance leads should treat Conflicts of interest as an operating standard: define ownership, approval thresholds, and escalation points before decisions are taken, then review it before board and committee decisions.
Example: In a live quarterly cycle, Conflicts of interest is applied like this: the board secretary maps it to committee papers, minutes, and decision logs ahead of meetings. The team then records the decision trail in team templates, reporting packs, and operating checklists.
Related guides and whitepapers
Read deeper guidance and implementation detail connected to this term.
A grounded guide to working well with lived experience advisors in UK charities: paid, supported, respected, given real authority. Practical practice and policy.
A practical succession planning guide for UK charity chief executives, chairs, trustees and specialists. Proportionate, written down, refreshed annually.
How to write a UK charity EDI policy that staff and trustees actually use: structure, length, operational hooks, and the governance that keeps it alive.
A grounded sustainability guide for small UK charities: where to start, what is proportionate, what counts as greenwashing, and the governance that makes it real.