Tate is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), whose prime sponsor is the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). A NDPB is a body which has a role in the process of national government but is not a government department or part of one, and operates at arm's length from Ministers.

Tate is governed by a Board of Trustees, made up of twelve individuals. Eleven of these are appointed by the Prime Minister, and one is a member of the National Gallery Board of Trustees (in turn, one of Tate's Trustees sits on the National Gallery Board). The Board chooses a Chair from one of its own numbers. The Board determines policy and sets the strategic framework for Tate, and advises the Director. There are subcommittees of the Board to advise the Trustees, including Finance and Operations Committee, Audit Committee, Ethics Committee, and Councils for the different galleries, the Collection Committee and Remuneration Committee. The Director manages the day to day operation of Tate, through Tate's staff.

More general information is available under The Board of Trustees, including information on our current trustees and how trustees are appointed.

Tate has an active trading subsidiary company, Tate Enterprises, which is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of the Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery. There are also three associated charities (Tate Members, Tate Foundation and the American Patrons of Tate) and a Tate Corporate Advisory Group made up of individuals who advise on how to generate funding from the corporate sector.

Tate, along with other National Museums and Galleries, is a charity. This is set out in the 1993 Charities Act, which means we have full charitable status in the UK; this allows us raise funds from sponsorship, donations and legacies. However, through the Museums & Galleries Act 1992 and as described in the Charities Act 1993, Tate is an exempt charity and is therefore regulated by statute and by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, not the Charity Commission. Therefore, Tate is not a registered charity and does not have a registered charity number. Our charitable status means Inheritance Tax or Capital Gains Tax is not charged on gifts to Tate. In relation to any gifts / donations offered to Tate, we can also receive gift aid.

Whilst we are not directly regulated by the Charity Commission, exempt charities like Tate can ask the Charity Commission to use some of the powers the Commission has over all charities. For example, in a case of potential trustee benefit (where a trustee may benefit directly or indirectly from Tate), we consult the Charity Commission to ensure the matter is handled appropriately. In certain cases, the Commission may provide us with an 'Order' which grants us specific legal powers.

Tate also has three connected charities; Tate Members, the Tate Foundation and the American Patrons of Tate Trustees. More information on Tate's Connected Charities

The role of the Board of Trustees is to determine policy and set the strategic framework for Tate. The Board also supervises the gallery, with Trustees acting as guardians of the public interest. The Board decides on major acquisitions and major resource issues, represents the gallery externally, and oversees the delivery of planned results by monitoring performance against agreed strategic objectives and targets.

Further information can be found under Role of the Board

The Board meets six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November, on the third Wednesday of the month.

Yes, we publish our Board Minutes online, when they have been approved as a true record by the Board at the subsequent meeting and signed by the Chairman to verify the Board's approval. This means they are published about two months after the meeting takes place. Some information is withheld under exemptions covered by the Freedom of Information Act; for example when the release of the information may prejudice the commercial interests of Tate or a Third Party, and where Tate considers the release is not in the public interest.

The sub-committees of the Board help advise the Board of Trustees on specific areas of Tate's operations, to help bring in detailed expertise, and to ensure the Board can most effectively undertake its full range of activities. For example, the Collection Committee has the authority to decide on acquisitions up to a certain value, for ratification by the Board, and its membership includes British historic and international modern and contemporary art experts, as well as Trustees.

More detail on the current Board sub-committees.

Yes, we are always interested in hearing from people keen to help advise Tate. There is no formal application process as there is for Trustees, but CVs and expressions of interest are welcome. If you are interested in serving on a sub committee after reading the information available on the website, please email.

Trustees give their services on an honorary basis and receive no remuneration, except for expenses reasonably incurred in performance of their duties.

The term of appointment is for a period of four years, with the potential for re-appointment for a further four years subject to satisfactory performance and approval from the DCMS. Renewal of appointment is subject to assessment by the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Currently it is the convention that artist trustees serve for one term only.

The Board of Trustees is advised by the specialist sub-committees detailed above, and has the advice of the Director and senior staff at Tate. Tate is also audited annually. Currently the internal auditors are RSM Bentley and Grant Thornton, whilst Tate's external auditor is the National Audit Office.

Trustees are expected to understand and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life as defined by the Nolan Committee. Those principles are: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. In accordance with this commitment, Trustees must declare any pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests upon appointment and whenever a matter or decision arises in which the Trustee has an interest which might be perceived to prejudice their views or comments, or to be in conflict with the interests of Tate.

All Trustees are further asked for any Conflict of Interest Declarations at the start of every Board Meeting, or to raise it during the meeting, as soon as is practicable. Any declarations are then recorded in the minutes. Where appropriate, the Trustee will absent himself / herself from the discussion.

As with all charity trustees, Tate's Trustees must not benefit from their position beyond what is allowed by the law and in the interests of the organisation. Therefore, in relation to cases of potential trustee benefit (where a trustee may benefit directly or indirectly from Tate), we will consult the Charity Commission to ensure the matter is handled appropriately.

Tate has guidelines on Conflict of Interest and Trustee Benefit, which includes policies to cover:

• the loan from any Trustee of works of art;
• the acquisition from any Trustee of works of art, by purchase or gift;
• other collaboration with Artist Trustees; and
• sponsorship of Tate activity by individual Trustees or by corporate bodies with which Trustees are involved.

More on the Responsibilities of Trustees

More information on Managing Trustees' Interests

All Tate staff are issued with a code of conduct when they join which includes reporting any potential conflict of interest. Employees are not allowed to purchase works of art of which they become aware as a result of their employment that fall within Tate's remit without notifying the Director of Tate and ensuring that the organisation is not interested in purchasing the work for the nation. There are also rules governing members of Tate's staff's involvement in private advisory work.

Tate also has a dedicated Ethics Committee, the purpose of which is to consider ethical questions relating to Tate's range of activities.

The day-to-day management of Tate is delegated through the 1992 Museums and Galleries Act to the Director and his senior staff. A recent piece of Government guidance, the 1997 Code of Practice for Board Members of Public Bodies, also makes clear that the Director has responsibility, under the Board, for the overall organisation, management and staffing of Tate. As Accounting Officer, the Director also has responsibility for Tate's procedures in financial and other matters, including conduct and discipline, and is responsible for seeing that appropriate guidance is given to the Board. The Board will set the policy framework for the organisations, individual decisions are made by the Director and delegated as appropriate through the organisation.

More information on the structure of Tate

More information of the senior team at Tate

At the outset of a term of office, the Director of Tate is appointed by the Board of Trustees with the approval of the Prime Minister, as set out in the Museums and Galleries Act 1992.  In the past, the Directors of National Museums were awarded fixed-term contracts.  However, changes in UK employment law in 2002 mean that Directors of National Museums are now treated under standard employment terms. The contract of the Director, Nicholas Serota, was aligned with current employment legislation by Trustees in July 2008. As this change was a continuation of his contract, it did not require the formal approval of the Prime Minister.

As the Director is accountable to the Board of Trustees for the day to day management and operations of Tate, the Board of Trustees is responsible for determining the ongoing employment status of the Director.

The Director is accountable to the Board of Trustees for the day to day operations and management of Tate. The Director is also Tate's Accounting Officer and as such is also personally accountable to Parliament for safe-guarding the public funds for which he has charge.