Scottish charity regulator warns against dominant charity behaviours
Charities are the backbone of many of our communities but dominant charity behaviours threaten them, warns the OSCR in their latest report.
A recent report from OSCR warns that "dominant behaviour" within charities—where one individual or a small group controls decisions and overrides the collective governance—poses significant risks to the organisation as a whole and thus the community they are intended to serve.
Such behaviours can undermine trust, discourage participation, and ultimately threaten the charity's effectiveness and reputation. The report emphasises the need for balanced governance and offers guidance on preventing and addressing such issues to protect the integrity of charitable organisations.
Scottish Beacon member Crail Matters shared their concerns with us over the negative impact this could have on more isolated communities, like Crail, who rely on charitable organisations for their support; reminding us that absolute power corrupts absolutely without the proper checks and balances.
Crail Matters also listed some advice given by the OCSR on how to protect the integrity of independently run organisations, like those in the third sector, in their statement at the bottom of this week’s newsletter.
-Devon
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Elsewhere in local news…
OSCR Inquiry: dominant behaviour in charities
Scottish Beacon member Crail Matters share their concerns:
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) have published a new report outlining the negative effects that can occur when there is dominant behaviour in charities.
The report, Learning from OSCR’s Inquiries: Dominant Behaviours in Charities, looked into the effect that one person (or a small group of people) making all the decisions in a charity can have. It says dominant behaviour can prevent charity trustees, as a whole, from acting collectively and doing their job properly or force the charity trustees to legitimise their decisions at a later date. The inquiry was carried out in response to concerns from the public, charity staff, and other sources.
Charities and public bodies are important elements in relatively isolated communities’ community life, like in Crail. And whilst there is no suggestion that any of the issues brought to the attention of OSCR relate to Crail, clearly this is a matter of concern.
OSCR have identified several common themes and lessons that charities, and those who work with charities, can learn from to help improve their governance and avoid potential problems. Primarily this involves promoting inclusivity, transparency, and accountability:
First, ensure diverse leadership and board representation, reflecting different backgrounds and perspectives. This diversity helps balance power and decision-making.
Second, foster a culture of open communication where all members can voice concerns and suggestions without fear of repercussions.
Third, establish clear governance structures with checks and balances, including term limits for leadership positions to prevent concentration of power.
Fourth, encourage collaboration and partnerships with other organizations to dilute influence and share best practices.
Fifth, implement regular, independent audits and evaluations to ensure compliance and transparency. Lastly, engage the community and stakeholders in decision-making processes, ensuring the charity remains aligned with its mission and the needs of those it serves.
By adopting these measures, charities can create a more equitable and effective environment, reducing the risk of dominance by any individual or group. It behoves us all to ensure that our local charities uphold the highest standards of accountability through engagement and participation.
-Crail Matters
The Community Wellbeing Exchange
Clydesider Creative participated in The Community Wellbeing Exchange
Clydesider Creative was on the road a couple of weeks ago, travelling to Eskdalemuir in Dumfries & Galloway to deliver creative storytelling workshops. Part of the Community Wellbeing Exchange, we were asked by the Eskdalemuir Hub to provide workshops which would help generate discussions as they create a Place Plan for the area. As well as our Storytelling Tree session, we teamed up with Inclusive Images social enterprise who delivered a power of photography workshop and will help create a photography exhibition for the village.
We regularly use creative storytelling as a means to encourage people often excluded or underrepresented in mainstream media to share stories, ideas and experiences in a format that is useful and meaningful to them.
-The Clydesider
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