Three quarters of Scottish charities have said they would like to see a certification for good governance created
The majority of Scottish charities believe a kitemark for good governance would help to increase public confidence in the charity sector.
At a recent event series hosted by consultancy firm RSM - which welcomed more than 70 Scottish charities to events in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Lerwick - almost three quarters (73%) of all charities said that a kitemark would be a helpful tool for the sector.
Marc Mazzucco, risk assurance partner at RSM, called for further discussion around creating the certification.
He said: “Due to the high-profile closures of charities such as Kids Company, confidence in the sector has taken a hit and the public are struggling to commit donations to organisations for fear of poor governance.
“A financial audit shows the fiscal strength of a charity but a kitemark for good governance goes beyond this, it’s more about the spirit of participating in an independent review and demonstrating the right behaviours throughout the organisation to ensure good governance at all levels.
“It’s not just about compliance. A kitemark independently verifies how a charity is being run and shows that charities have achieved and surpass good governance framework standards set by the Charity Commission. It shows best practice within an organisation from transparency and leadership, to communicating the charity’s vision to all staff to help drive cultural change.
“Scottish charities clearly felt that this could be key to reinstating confidence in the charity sector across Scotland, and the UK.”
