Eight ways to revitalise and refresh your charity’s board of trustees
Did you know that there are more than 1 million trustees across the UK? It’s true. A responsibility not to be taken lightly, your board is the rudder that steers organisational growth and expansion, with every trusteeship rooted in six main duties:
- To ensure your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
- To comply with your charity’s governing document and the law
- To act in your charity’s best interests
- To manage your charity’s resources responsibly
- To act with reasonable care and skill
- To ensure your charity is accountable
(Source: The Essential Charity Trustee)
Get the mix right, and your board can bring a wealth of skills, experience, perspectives and connections to the fore - opening new doors and driving organisational growth. But the reality is that most of today’s boardrooms fail to reflect the communities they serve, and do not make the most of the potential talent, experience and expertise that is out there. In fact, according to The Charity Commission, 92% of trustees are white, most are aged 60-62 years old, with men outnumbering women two to one. Unless this is your service user demographic, chances are your board is going to need a bit of a shake-up. But with 71% of trustees recruited through informal processes, it’s only ever going to be more of the same. Don’t get stuck in the status quo. Ensuring racial, gender and generational diversity will help enrich your board and bring important new perspectives, experiences and opportunities to the table.
Here are eight tips to help your charity revitalise and refresh its board of trustees.
Step #1: Know what you need
To recruit the right trustees, you need to know what it is you’re looking for. Consider the opportunities and challenges your charity is facing, and the make-up of your current board. What skills and experiences do you have in-house? Where do you need more support and guidance? How inclusive and representative is your board? Putting some time aside for an honest reflection is the first step to designing a recruitment matrix that delivers everything your organisation needs.
Step #2: Write proper job descriptions
It might be voluntary, but trusteeship is still a job – one with legal responsibilities. There are a variety of templates online, but they are just that. Templates. Don’t just change the name of the charity. Be clear about who you are, what you do, and what you are looking for. One size does not fit all. A generic job description will not help you recruit a trustee with the right background, skills and experience!
Step #3: Grow your networks
To quote Rosien Herweijer (co-founder of All on Board), ‘social networks normally are defined by sameness’. Whilst we love a bit of networking, it’s time to put some work into the net you are casting. If you want a truly diverse and effective board, you need to expand your horizons, explore and engage with new networks. There are no shortage of trustee recruitment or charity job sites to advertise your listing (we love Getting on Board, Charityjob.co.uk, Reach Volunteering, and the Young Trustees movement – to name a few), but don’t stop there. Action for Trustee Racial Diversity is building an incredible database of Black and Asian Network Organisations (BANO). UK Youth brings together 7,000 organisations and nation partners, whilst Women on Boards houses a network of 30,000 women (and some men) who are starting and shaping their board careers. And we haven’t even started on professional groups, members and networking bodies!
Step #4: Use different channels
One of the great things about the digital world is that there are so many different ways to get your message out there. There’s the traditional job advert, and your website of course. But don’t be afraid to get creative. After all, you’re fundraisers. You’re great at finding ways to make ‘the ask’ and inspiring people to support your cause. Take the same approach to trustee recruitment. You’ve built the networks, so why not design a social media campaign, posters, videos… or work with your service users to create and share stories that show prospective trustees exactly how much difference their time, skills and experiences will make.
Step #5: Humanise your recruitment process
The job description and advert are just the beginning. As with any recruitment process, you need to be clear about the steps involved. Take the time to respond and follow-up on enquiries, keep your applicants up to date on your recruitment processes, prepare for interviews, and make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them. Use this time to get to know people, and for them to get to know you. And remember, you’re working with people and people have lives – so allow for work schedules, family commitments and other potential barriers. Humanise the process. You could even bin the boardroom and go for a cup of coffee in a local café. It’s a great way to get to know someone, and can really take the pressure off!
Step #6: Create a stepping stone
Being a trustee can be quite daunting! Before you ask people to sign on the dotted line, why not give them the chance to be part of a steering group or advisory committee first? This will help bridge the gap to trusteeship by creating a more accessible entry point for both parties - giving you each the chance to work with, and get to know each other. An important step that will make the transition to trusteeship much easier!
Step #7: Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it
If you’re struggling to get started with your trustee recruitment, why not put some budget into it and invest in some consultancy support and prospecting? Lots of recruitment agencies offer trustee services, and bringing in a diversity and inclusion specialist will help make sure you’re ready to find and recruit the people you need to guide your organisation forward.
And finally, don’t be afraid to say ‘no’. Trusteeship is not to be taken lightly and it’s important that you find the right fit for your organisation and your new trustees. It will take time. There’s no doubt about that. But it’s worth it. Your board is your foundation. Your rudder. And you need to make sure you’ve got the best possible team at the helm.
Want to find out more? Getting on Board and Action for Trustee Racial Diversity both offer great practical guides for inclusive trustee recruitment, and of course, there’s always Trustees Week 2021.
