Five key milestones for managing volunteer trustees

Posted: 06/11/2024

It is a well-established principle of charity law that a trustee should be an unpaid volunteer. While there are some specific and limited exemptions to this, the vast majority of trustees of the 170,000 charities registered in England and Wales give their time and expertise freely.

Charities must therefore look after their trustees, right from the beginning of their involvement with the organisation. So how can this be done? This article will look at five key milestones in the trustee journey.

Recruitment

For many smaller charities, acquiring trustees is often a somewhat ad hoc process of convincing volunteers to step up into a trustee role. Whether relying on word-of-mouth or a more formal vacancy advertising process, preparing a job description is a great first step. It helps the charity decide what they are looking for, setting out the skills needed, the anticipated time commitment, and any other relevant details. This allows all parties to go into the recruitment process with clear parameters and should be the start of a relationship built on good transparent communication.

On-boarding

Once new trustees have been successfully recruited, they need to be made to feel welcome!  This is a great opportunity to introduce some training for new trustee(s), and a refresher for existing ones. It is a regulatory requirement that trustees are aware of their duties and responsibilities – ease new trustees into their role with an introduction to the charity’s policies and procedures.

Settling-in period

A common feature of trusteeships (and a point of good governance) is to have fixed terms.  This means that trustees can focus their energies for a defined period of time and allows charities to succession plan. It does, however, mean that there will likely continually be some new trustees who are settling in to their role. Setting up a buddy or mentor system (even very informally) can help get the best out of new trustees in their first one or two years in the role. This may also encourage trustees to stay on for an additional term or two (if permitted by the governing document), which can help with retaining institutional knowledge and memory.  Achieving a balance of continuity and renewal is important for organisations of all shapes and sizes.

Inflection point

While we all hope that our charities will sail smoothly through their work, it is likely that at some point a crisis of smaller or greater proportions will arise. This could be something as simple as a clear conflict of interest, declared and managed appropriately through the charity’s policies and procedures. Or it could be something more significant, perhaps involving an external regulator and potentially requiring a serious incident report to be made to the Charity Commission. 

Supporting trustees through such events effectively often starts right at the beginning of their journey with the charity. Clearly communicated responsibilities alongside policies and procedures that support the charity’s purposes and promote good governance will likely help in navigating these sorts of storms as constructively as possible.

Succession planning and retirement

Setting clear expectations for trustee terms right at the beginning is often a simple but effective way of prompting succession planning discussions. This brings clarity for both the organisation and the trustee. As a trustee is coming to the end of their journey with a charity, capturing the benefit of their knowledge and experience can assist with handovers and also with the recruitment of their replacement and other future trustees. Ask how their experience could be improved; allow them to be a critical friend and use the information as part of a continuous improvement process. Exit interviews, questionnaires or handover chats can be really useful mechanisms when used well. 

Summary

Seeing the involvement of trustees as a journey through a charity can help give a structure to their time there and enable both the trustee and the charity to get the most out of each other. A trustee who has a positive experience with a charity can remain a supporter long after their formal involvement has come to an end. Trustees are a resource for charities, bringing their own skills, experience and perspective to their service in the sector. Looking after them well should be a benefit to charities, trustees and ultimately the causes charities are established to pursue. 

If you are interested in training for your trustees, you can find information on our highly regarded tailored programme here.

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