Becoming a Trustee/Board Member

Who has Trustees and Board members?

When you hear ‘Trustee’ you may think of charity trustees, and you wouldn't be wrong. However voluntary groups, charities and social enterprises, often shortened to VCSEs, may all have trustees or non-executive directors.

What are they?

Trustee and non-executive director titles are often used interchangeably and there is a lot of overlap between the roles. In the not-for-profit sector both roles have overall responsibility for the management and future direction of an organisation. This means that they should ensure that the organisation is: 

• doing what it says it will do in its governing document
• demonstrating how it is working for the benefit of the public
• complying with the law
• planning for the short, medium and long term
• using its resources (staff, finance, buildings) wisely
• accountable to its members and the public

Most of this business happens in trustee, board or committee meetings, and you would be expected to prepare for the meetings by reading the papers and thinking about the various topics for discussion. Outside of meetings, you may be involved in other activities, such as recruiting staff or volunteers, attending meetings and events, or supporting staff and volunteers with projects. If the organisation has paid staff, trustees generally have less involvement in operational matters than if the activities are all delivered by volunteers.

There's some great information on the roles of trustees and non executive directors on the Local Trust site.

Is this role is right for me?

Some roles require specialist knowledge or skills, but generally voluntary, community, social enterprises and other non-profit organisations are looking for people who are willing and able to commit their time, ideas and experiences to support the organisation’s cause. 

Don’t worry if you haven’t been a member of a committee or a trustee before, and you don’t need to be an expert in the organisation’s area of work. Organisations are keen that their boards represent the different ages and backgrounds of people from their local communities, so if you are interested in a role, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the organisation to find out more about it

Organisations will generally provide information and training for new trustees, and there are also lots of free resources available to aspiring trustees from Getting on Board

Joining a board is a great way to learn new skills, and gain experience in new areas – as well as meeting new people.

Did you know less than 3% of Trustees' are under 30 years old? We want to support this to change.

There is great work already taking place and many organisations are diversifying their boards. Young Trustees Movement are an organisation supporting this. While their focus is on age, young people are a broad demographic, therefore their campaign is part of a wider call for board diversity.

Find out more about Young Trustees Movement via the link below

Community Action Norfolk

Community Action Norfolk offer a 2 hour on-line training session which provides Trustees of Norfolk organisations with greater understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This session covers:

o  Different types of trustee

o  Appointments and decision making

o  Liabilities and conflicts of interest

o  Reporting requirements

CAN are a membership organisation, for details on membership, training and fees head to their website by clicking the button below.

This year Getting on Board started the Trustee Learning Programme, a collection of all their free and high-quality webinars, clinics and panel discussions to help you become and be an effective trustee.

There are six strands relating to various stages of trustee development: 

• Newly appointed trustees: Everything you need to get started in your role. 
• Recruiting trustees: Help for charity leaders and staff with open recruitment.
• Trustee refresher: Give existing trustees’ learning a boost. 
• Hot topics: Discussing the fascinating and challenging current issues that impact our roles as trustees.
• Taking on new responsibilities: Learning to support moving onto a chair, vice chair or treasurer role.
• Skilling up: Deepen your knowledge of board matters like fundraising and working with your CEO.

All the Trustee Learning Programme sessions embed best equity, diversity and inclusion practices.

When 1/12 trustees are named either John or David and fewer than 3% of trustees are under 30, it’s no secret that board diversity is an issue.

Young Trustees Movement are running workshops after which you will

• Be able to articulate and understand how young trustees can enable organisations to navigate uncertainty, future proof decisions and reflect the interest of their communities.
• Have a framework to understand how to approach diversity on boards.
• Be able to run a session with a board to plan practical and achievable next steps.