Finding new trustees: advertising and appointing

Trustees are responsible for governing their individual organisations in line with charity law, while remaining true to their charity’s purpose. There’s no one size fits all when it comes to the skills and experience a charity board requires, and these needs will invariably change over time. While there’ll likely be some core skills that you’ll need from every trustee, the skills and experience of new recruits should complement those of existing board members, rather than wholly replicate them, so that your charity benefits from having a wide range of skills and experience on its board.

Writing a trustee role description is a good way to communicate what’s involved in being a trustee of your charity, including the legal responsibilities that trustees have. You can also specify if you are recruiting a particular trustee role (such as chair, treasurer or secretary) or if you are recruiting particular skills, such as fundraising or social media. As explored in our previous blog post, you can include the skills, experience and qualities that you’ve decided your board needs, focusing on what you really require and what can be learnt in post with the right support. You should also set out the likely time commitment needed beyond board meetings. Being clear from the outset helps manage expectations on both sides.

Research shows that only 6% of trustee vacancies are advertised. This means charities are potentially missing out on an abundance of skills, experiences and perspectives.

Ensure your advertisement is an engaging description of your charity’s work and how it makes a difference; you can use some of the information from your role description to cover what you’re looking for. Use plain English so that people aren’t put off reading. Also, be clear that you welcome applications from a wide range of people. Unless it’s explicit, prospective applicants may revert to stereotype and think boards are only looking for people who are well-established in their careers or from certain professional backgrounds.

Advertising your vacancy doesn’t need to be costly. There are many free and low-cost options available, such as posting on your charity’s website or newsletter, sharing on social media or using charity, community and professional networks.

Shortlist candidates for the skills and experiences you’ve prioritised. Plan the interview process so it goes smoothly from start to finish, thinking about timescales and who you need to involve from the charity.

Ensure your selection process is fair, inclusive and positive. Regardless of whether a candidate joins the board or not, their experience of your process may influence their view of your charity and the sector more broadly; it may also play a part in deciding whether they choose to apply for other board roles in the future.

Some people cannot be a trustee by law. Trustees must be 18 or over (or 16 or over if the charity is incorporated). The law also disqualifies some people from serving on charity boards. Refer to the Commission’s Finding and appointing new trustees guidance for further information.

Once you’ve appointed, you:

• Must update your charity’s register page using My Charity Commission Account
• Must notify Companies House if applicable
• Should give some thought to who else needs to know, such as your charity’s auditors, funders and advisors

• Create a clear role description, based on what you really need
• Write an engaging advert
• Advertise widely
• Check eligibility
• Be fair, inclusive and positive

ICAEW Volunteers connects charities with finance professionals looking for volunteer roles. The service is free for all not-for-profit organisations and volunteers to use.

• Read the Charity Commission’s recently updated guidance, Finding and appointing new trustees (CC30)
• Read the first article in this series on trustee recruitment, Set yourself up for success: finding new trustees