A risk register that gets used
A lot of small charity risk registers are written once, filed, and never opened again. A register that gets used tends to be short. Ten risks is plenty for most charities under £500,000 income. For each one, record:
- What the risk is, in one sentence
- How likely it is and how serious it would be
- What you are already doing about it
- Who on the board keeps an eye on it
Then put it on the agenda twice a year and ask one question: has anything changed?
The most useful risks are usually the specific ones, such as losing a key volunteer or a single funder, rather than broad categories. The free risk register template starts with ten common examples to edit.
General guidance, not legal advice.