Here Peter Neal talks about the steps to take if you think you would like to be a trustee.
“So, you’re considering joining a Board of Trustees at a charity? That is awesome! And a great way to give something back to our North East community.
“But before you jump in headfirst, there is a bit of due diligence you should do to make sure you’re making the right decision not just on whether you are right for the role of a Trustee but also that you are choosing the right charity for you.
1. Financial Health
Check out the charity’s published accounts on the Charity Commission website. Look at the last three years’ worth of accounts and see if they were filed on time. If you aren’t an accountant, ask one to take a look and see if they can spot any areas of concern.
2. The Chair, the other Trustees, and the CEO
Your relationship with the rest of the board, and particularly the Chair, is crucial. Make sure you meet the Chair, ideally one-on-one, and as many of the Trustees as possible. Find out how long they’ve been in the role and how long they plan to stay. Ask about their understanding of strategic leadership versus day-to-day operational management. Beware of trustees who’ve been around forever and might have a ‘group think’ mentality.
If possible, have a chat with the CEO. They can give you the lowdown on the organisation’s culture and key personalities.
Do your best to assess the relationship between the CEO, the Chair and the rest of the board. This is particularly important if the CEO is the founder of the charity, which can sometimes create a challenging dynamic.
3. Culture and Values
Make sure the organisation’s culture and values align with yours. Visit the charity and chat to some of the team to get a lay of the land. If you can, also speak to other stakeholders like funders and beneficiaries to get a feel for how the charity is perceived externally.
4. Regulation and Compliance
Make sure you know who the organisation’s regulators are (in addition to the Charity Commission there could be others depending on the charity’s activities, including the Fundraising Regulator and the CQC). Ask if the charity has had any recent reviews by regulators. Seek assurance that the charity is up to date on all regulatory requirements and fully compliant with relevant regulations. The same applies to any trading subsidiary of the charity.
5. Ability to Commit
Ask about the timing of board meetings, committee meetings, and expectations of time commitment outside of formal meetings. You can guarantee that whatever they say is the time commitment will actually be double that, so make sure you can fulfil the commitment.
6. Reputation
Use social media to check out the organisation and key people to assess reputational risk. LinkedIn, Facebook and X can give you a deeper insight into the culture and personalities. It is also worth googling them and checking out the ‘news’ tab to see if they have had any negative press recently.
“As you can now see there are some clear steps to take to ensure you are making the right choice for you! I do hope this helps you get a clearer picture of what to look out for before taking on that Trustee role.
“Finally, good luck! Being a Trustee at the right charity for you can be immensely rewarding….”
If you would like to be a Trustee then do get in touch with Peter to discuss current opportunities. Similarly, if you are a charity on the hunt for some fresh experience, perspectives and guidance in your board level team, then do get in touch too!
peter@theexperiencebank.co.uk
