Facilitating whistleblowing and supporting those who do raise concerns is a very important health check for charities, who are judged not just on the basis of what they do, but also how they do it, and who need to remain mindful of “walking the talk.”

The importance of whistleblowing to a charity’s culture and mission

This February, in advance of a conference we convened on whistleblowing in charities, we explained why this topic is so important to the charity sector Whistleblowing in charities: why it is so important – right now (shoosmiths.co.uk)

Charities have goodness in their DNA: they are defined as organisations that advance exclusively charitable purposes for public benefit, and charity trustees’ fundamental duty, as those with ultimate responsibility for the way their organisations are run, is to act in the best interests of their charity’s purposes – which overrides protecting an institution for its own sake.

Principle 7 of the Charity Governance Code is “openness and accountability.” Making accountability real, through genuine and open two-way communication that celebrates successes and demonstrates willingness to learn from mistakes, helps to build trust and confidence and earns legitimacy.

Many charities value a healthy speak up culture – a safe alternative to silence – using it to drive continual improvement, leading to their organisations doing good, even better.

And whistleblowing disclosures help the Charity Commission to detect serious problems such as...

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