A PRACTITIONER’S GUIDE TO CHARITY GOVERNANCE

SMALLER Resource Test

“This is really helpful. The Charity Commission 5 min guides would meet your SMALLER test. I think our Confident Trustee programme would too.”

Claris D’Cruz, Charity Governance Consultant

“I think this is a brilliant lens to look at small charity support through”

Penny Wilson, former CEO of Getting on Board, Festival of Trusteeship

Small charities need resources applicable to them that they can use. As a practitioner across six small charities I had to make quick decisions on what resources to use on the fly. I started to notice a consistent pattern.

A 10 minute test for whether resources are suitable for small charities, apply if you are using a resource and use to build your resource. Built for resources made for charities run hands-on by unpaid trustees and volunteers, with minimal or no paid administrative or finance support up to £250,000 income. Includes a printable one-page checklist and interactive self check tool:

The SMALLER test — Sharma on GovernanceDownload
The SMALLER Test
Sharma on Governance · The SMALLER test · Self-assessment

The SMALLER test

A practitioner’s test for whether a resource is fit for small charities — whether you’re choosing one to use, or designing one. Seven self-checks, ten minutes. A resource clears SMALLER when it answers yes to all seven and is codesigned with small charities. Apply and iterate.

Step 0

Be specific

Set the scope before you score
Self-check: Have you decided what the resource is for, and what already exists for that purpose?
S · 1Scalable

Scalable

Works across charity sizes

Does the resource still work as a charity grows and contracts? Small charities don’t stay one shape — they hire their first coordinator, lose funding, or take on more volunteers. Resources that fit only one stage stop fitting at the moment of change.

Self-check: Does it work at different stages of a charity’s growth?
M · 2Measurable

Measurable

Produces tangible outputs

Does using the resource produce something tangible — evidence, a record, a decision, or a plan — without extra effort? Templates produce filled-in artefacts. Frameworks prompt minuted discussions. Pure information produces understanding only, which counts less.

Self-check: What does the user have to show for the time they spent?
A · 3Accessible

Accessible

Findable, easy to start

Can someone find it easily and start using it in 10 minutes? Findability matters. A resource that nobody can find or use isn’t accessible to anyone.

Self-check: Could a charity actively searching for help land on this resource and start using it?
L · 4Light-touch

Light-touch

No specialist knowledge needed

Does it work without training, jargon, or specialist knowledge? Plain English, explained terms and minimal cognitive load matter. Where the topic is inherently technical, the resource needs extra plain-English support.

Self-check: Could a brand-new person use this in their first month?
L · 5Low-cost

Low-cost

True cost of use

What does it actually cost a small charity to use this — in money, time, membership, or attention? The sector operates on margins where any cost can be a barrier, but cost is not only financial.

Self-check: Does using this cost the charity anything — and if so, what and how much?
E · 6Empowering

Empowering

Builds capability over time

Does using this resource empower the reader — both in the moment, giving them what they need to act now, and over time, building capability they can carry into future situations?

Self-check: Does it build capability — not just answer the immediate question?
R · 7Rigorous

Rigorous

Factually accurate and current

Is the content factually accurate, current, and aligned with regulatory or sector practice? Are claims correct, regulations current and recommendations sound? Inaccurate content can actively mislead.

Self-check: Would a sector expert find the substance correct and current?
Result

Clears SMALLER.

This resource answers yes to all seven self-checks. It appears fit for small charities — pick it up and use it. Your resource answers yes to all seven self-checks. Codesign with small charities throughout to confirm it works in practice, not just on paper.

Result

Doesn’t clear SMALLER yet.

One or more self-checks have not been cleared. Consider whether the gaps below are tolerable, or look for a better-fit resource. One or more self-checks have not been cleared. Apply and iterate: address each point below, then run the test again.

  • SScalableDoes it work at different stages of a charity’s growth?
  • MMeasurableWhat does the user have to show for the time they spent?
  • AAccessibleCould a charity actively searching for help find this resource and start using it?
  • LLight-touchCould a brand-new person use this in their first month?
  • LLow-costDoes using this cost the charity anything — and if so, what and how much?
  • EEmpoweringDoes it build capability — not just answer the immediate question?
  • RRigorousWould a sector expert find the substance correct and current?

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© Suneet Sharma 2026 · For information only — not legal advice · Companion to the 10 P’s of Charity Governance Apply and iterate.

Here are four commonly used governance resources assessed through SMALLER, to illustrate how the test works in practice:

Note these assessments reflect practitioner judgement using the SMALLER criteria and are intended as illustrative examples. However, most existing resources may not clear SMALLER, and that’s a signal.

SMALLER CriterionCC3 – The Essential TrusteeCC 5 minute guide – managing finances Charity Governance Code 2025CC29 – Conflicts of Interest (April 2026)
S – Scalable✓✓✓✓
M – Measurable✗- lacks applicable templates and usability ✓✓✓
A – Accessible✗- text dense, lack infographics and digestibility limited✓✓✓
L – Light-touch✗- 15,000 words✓✗- 45+ pages, 8 sections, 41 outcomes, no self assessment or diagnostic ✓
L – Low-cost✓✓✓✓
E – Empowering✗- difficult to navigate, may create confusion rather than comprehension ✓✗- sets a high ceiling for small charities without being accessible easily and interfacing with CC guidance✓
R – Rigorous✓✓✓✓
Cleared3 / 77 / 75 / 77 / 7
Clears SMALLER?NoYes – clear and concise with actionable templates, freeNoYes – practical, consolidated, stepped approach, free

Many thanks to Hannah Kowszun and Claris D’Cruz for their feedback in iterating SMALLER. SMALLER v1.3, June 2026.

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