Guidance

Setting up a charity: model governing documents

Models, templates and guidance for constitutions, articles of association and trust deeds for a new charity or charitable trust.

From:
The Charity Commission
Published
1 January 2012
Last updated
11 October 2022 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Model constitution for CIO with voting members other than its charity trustees ('Association' model) - Word

MS Word Document, 168 KB

Model constitution for CIO with voting members other than its charity trustees ('Association' model) - PDF

PDF, 411 KB, 58 pages

Model constitution for a CIO whose only voting members are its charity trustees ('Foundation' model) - Word

MS Word Document, 146 KB

Model constitution for a CIO whose only voting members are its charity trustees ('Foundation' model) - PDF

PDF, 376 KB, 50 pages

Model memorandum of association for a charitable company not having a share capital - Word

MS Word Document, 79.6 KB

Model memorandum of association for a charitable company not having a share capital - PDF

PDF, 319 KB, 4 pages

Model articles of association for a charitable company - Word

MS Word Document, 173 KB

Model articles of association for a charitable company - PDF

PDF, 647 KB, 27 pages

Model trust deed for a charitable trust - Word

MS Word Document, 118 KB

Model trust deed for a charitable trust - PDF

PDF, 296 KB, 18 pages

Model constitution for a small charity - Word

MS Word Document, 131 KB

Model constitution for a small charity - PDF

PDF, 264 KB, 4 pages

Model constitution for an unincorporated charity - Word

MS Word Document, 134 KB

Model constitution for an unincorporated charity - PDF

PDF, 715 KB, 22 pages

Details

When you set up a charity, by law you must have a governing document. This is the rulebook which sets out how your charity will be run.

Documents included are for:

Model governing documents are available for charities supporting the armed forces.

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2012
Last updated 11 October 2022 + show all updates

  1. Model governing documents now include editable MS Word formats.

  2. First published.

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