Trusteeships

What is a trustee?

Charity trustees are the people legally responsible for the overall management and decision-making in a charity. Trustees are responsible for the direction, (financial) performance and governance of their charity. Some of the key duties of trustees include:

• Defining the long-term direction of the charity, including its objectives or purpose
• Implementing policies to help achieve these
• Ensuring that legal requirements of the charity are adhered to
• Being held accountable to any stakeholders in the charity

Other than in exceptional circumstances, trustees perform their role voluntary (though they should not be considered akin to other volunteers for the charity). JVN helps people who are interested in a trusteeship and charities looking for new trustees to find each other. 

Why do people become trustees?

Being a trustee should be rewarding and enjoyable. It is a great way to get involved in a community or to support a cause which matters to you. Trustees come from all walks of life and becoming a trustee can help you meet new people, change your community for the better, learn new skills or use your existing skills in a new context. Ideally, Trustee Boards should be made up of a number of people with both enthusiasm for the charity’s cause and a wide range of expertise that can be put to practical use in terms of furthering the charity’s objectives.

What is the time commitment needed?

The time commitment will vary from one organisation to another and understanding the likely commitment will probably be part of the discussion you have when exploring a possible trusteeship. It is likely that a charity will have several meetings of the Trustee Board per year and full attendance is generally expected. Depending on their expertise they may also be asked to undertake additional duties (e.g. trustees who act as the charity’s Treasurer). Please click here to download a comprehensive guide to what trusteeships entail and questions you should ask the charity to find out more about the role. If you would prefer a hardcopy sent to you in the post then please e-mail Lia at lia@jvn.org.uk.

Good Practice

There are several events throughout the year to promote good practice for trustees. Click here to see upcoming events.

The following websites provide additional useful information about good practice for trustees. We would recommend that all charities direct their trustees to these resources:

NCVO

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations is the largest umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England.

Small Charities Coalition

This is a networking, mentoring and supporting organisation for small charities.

Charity Commission

This is the regulator for charities in England and Wales.

New Philanthropy Capital

This NPC document reports on a 2015 seminar exploring the role of Trustees in small charities.

Charity Commission

This is the regulator for charities in England and Wales.

Recruiting Trustees

For more information, or if you are interested in becoming the trustee of a charity, please e-mail Lia Bogod, our Head of Volunteering, at lia@jvn.org.uk or call her on 020 8203 6427 ext. 316.

  JVN trustee recruitment and training run in conjunction with Lead.

 

Trusteeship opportunities

Click here to search for trusteeship opportunities.