Officer information

Updated June 2026

What is an officer of a charity? 

Officers are the people responsible for making sure a charity runs properly and meets its legal obligations under the Charities Act 2005 (the Act).

This includes making sure the charity follows its rules and uses its funds and assets only to advance its charitable purposes. These purposes are set out in the charity’s rules document, which may be called a constitution, trust deed or governing document.

Being an officer can be rewarding, but it also comes with legal responsibilities. Officers need to understand the charity’s rules, act carefully, and make decisions in the charity’s best interests.

On this page you can learn about:

  • who is considered an officer
  • what officers do
  • officer qualification and certification
  • adding, changing or removing officers
  • payments, delegation and personal liability
  • what officer information appears on the Charities Register.


Who is an officer under the Act? 

An officer includes:

  • all current trustees or members of the charity’s highest governing body
  • anyone in a position that allows them to exercise significant influence over substantial decisions
  • anyone who has been delegated authority to make substantial decisions that would usually be made by the governing body.

Significant influence means having real power over major decisions. This can include roles such as a chief executive or chief financial officer, even if they do not hold a formal governance position.

Trusts and non‑trust charities 

If your charity is a trust, your officers are:

  • all current trustees, including any custodian trustee
  • other people who have significant influence over substantial decisions
  • anyone with delegated authority to make substantial decisions.

If your charity is not a trust, your officers are:

  • all members of the highest governing body
  • other people who have significant influence over substantial decisions
  • anyone with delegated authority to make substantial decisions.

Charities Services recommends having at least three officers. Check your rules document to see if it sets a minimum or maximum number.

What officers do 

Officers make sure the charity deliver its charitable purposes and meet its legal obligations.

Officers must:

  • understand and follow the charity’s rules document
  • ensure funds and assets are used only for charitable purposes
  • comply with the Charities Act 2005 and other relevant legislation
  • act honestly and in the best interests of the charity.

Charities should have an induction process so new officers understand their responsibilities, governing documents and how decisions are made.

Officer qualification and certification 

Officers must be qualified under section 36B of the Act. This means they must not be disqualified from holding the role.

You must certify that each officer is qualified:

  • when you first apply for registration
  • whenever you add, change or remove an officer.

Who is not qualified to be an officer 

An officer is not qualified if they are:

  • an undischarged bankrupt
  • under 16 years of age
  • convicted within the last 7 years of an offence involving dishonesty or a tax offence
  • prohibited from managing an organisation under relevant legislation
  • subject to a banning order or property order
  • disqualified by the Charities Registration Board
  • disqualified under the charity’s own rules.

If an officer becomes disqualified 

An officer may become disqualified after you have certified them. For example, this may happen if they become bankrupt or are convicted of a relevant offence.

If this happens, your charity must do one of the following:

  • remove the officer from their role
  • apply to remain registered with the disqualified officer in place
  • apply to be removed from the Charities Register.

Contact Charities Services if you need more information.

Adding, changing or removing officers 

Charities must keep officer information up to date on the Charities Register.

You must notify Charities Services within three months if:

  • an officer is appointed or elected
  • an officer resigns or is removed
  • you become aware that an officer no longer qualifies.

Make updates through the Update Details section of the charity’s online account. Contact us if you cannot make updates online.

What officer information appears on the Charities Register 

The Charities Register shows:

  • each officer’s name
  • the date they were appointed
  • all officers since the charity first registered.

Personal details such as date of birth and home address are not shown.

Information about disqualification does not usually appear. It may be shown if disclosure is in the public interest.

You can ask Charities Services to restrict some officer information from public access. See Restricting information.

Payments, delegation and personal liability 

Payments to officers 

Charities may remunerate officers or reimburse expenses incurred by officers while carrying out charitable activities. Any payments must not be more than market rates, and charities must manage conflicts of interest appropriately.

To be registered, a charity must not be set up to create a job or provide personal benefit to individuals. This must be clearly stated in the charity’s rules.

Delegating responsibilities 

Officers can delegate duties only if the charity’s rules allow it. Even when duties are delegated, officers remain legally responsible for ensuring the work is done properly and legal requirements are met.

For example, a charity may engage an accountant to prepare financial statements. The officers remain responsible for ensuring the statements meet required standards and are submitted on time.

Personal liability 

Personal liability means an officer may be personally responsible for a charity’s debts or legal obligations in some situations.

An officer’s personal liability depends on the charity’s legal structure and the officer’s actions or decisions.

Officers of unincorporated groups may be personally liable for the group’s obligations. Officers of incorporated charities usually have more protection, but they may still be personally liable if they act dishonestly, recklessly, outside the charity’s purposes, or in breach of the law.

For more information, see Community Law’s Community Toolkit or seek independent legal advice.

Managing conflict of interest

All officers of registered charities have a duty to act in the best interests of their charity. A conflict of interest is any situation in which an officer’s personal interest or loyalties could affect the ability to make a decision in the best interest of the charity.

Following good policies and procedures will ensure conflicts of interest don’t affect the decision making. Refer to the Charities Services resource ‘Conflict of interest’ for more information.