It may be the first time you are recruiting trustees, somebody may have left and require replacing or you may have a requirement for a particular skill set.
Whatever the reason, refreshing your trustee board is an opportunity to:
- Bring in new ways of reaching your beneficiaries
- Keep up to speed with developments in technology
- Get new ideas or contacts to help you raise funds
It is important to consider how you want to take the charity forward and how the trustees can develop in order to do this.
Identify the skills you have
Your trustees may have untapped skills and experience from previous trusteeships, work or voluntary activity. It is also important to consider your trustees’ background and experiences.
Develop your trustee board
Once you have a clear picture of your trustee board’s existing skills and attributes, think about what’s missing. You may be able to fill in the gaps through training and workshops for your existing trustees.
It is important to recruit trustees who have the experience and skills your charity needs. They need to be interested in the charity’s work and be willing to give their time to help run it. As being a trustee takes commitment, don’t appoint trustees because of their status or position in the community alone – these people may be better as patrons.
Other considerations:
- It is also important to check if they are eligible to become a trustee.
- If you work with children or vulnerable adults there are various other procedures to follow before appointing trustees.
- It is important to set out the trustee roles and responsibilities from the outset.
- Trustees also need to consider the risks and trustee liability.
For more information please call 01482 427360 or email help@360accountants.co.uk. You can also visit our charity specialisms page to learn more about our services.
