Volunteering for a charity can be a rewarding and engaging experience. The wide variety of activities undertaken by charities mean that there is a wide range of volunteering opportunities on offer. Many ICAEW members find volunteering with a charity a very satisfying way to use their skills and one of the most popular ways to volunteer is as a charity trustee and treasurer. Charities can struggle to recruit people with sound financial and business skills and welcome interested volunteers from our members who come equipped with a first-class business qualification and a proven record of experience.
ICAEW can help members find a suitable charity volunteering role through the website. The site is free for charities to advertise volunteering roles and free for applicants to search for and apply for roles. As the site is marketed at chartered accountants, it is a very popular site for charities which are seeking to recruit trustee treasurers.
While many charities have caught the public eye for the good works they do and the positive impact they make to society, there are also other examples where charities have caught the public eye for all the wrong reasons. It is therefore a good idea to make sure that you do understand the obligations placed on charity trustees and the skills required when you engage with a charity.
The complex world of charity legislation and compliance may be entirely new and it can be a daunting challenge to work out where to turn to find out what is required from you as a charity trustee.
To support charity trustees in their role and to help them learn the basics required in their role, ICAEW has created the unique Trustee Training Modules. The modules were created by a panel of experts including the Charity Commission, The National Council for Voluntary Organisations, governance charities and professionals from the charity accounting, law and governance sectors.
The modules are an online learning resource and consist of six learning modules plus an optional final assessment. The modules are interactive, there is information, useful resources, external links and a series of online interactive quizzes and questions to consider the content and how it may apply in real life. Those who complete the modules and the assessment will then be able to download an ICAEW completion certificate. The modules are designed to be studied and worked through at the learner’s own pace allowing them to come back to the modules any number of times where they can repeat sections of the modules or use them as reference as they wish.
The modules cover what charity trustees must know about the following areas:
- Legal responsibilities
- Financial responsibilities
- Risk management
- Managing people
- Managing board dynamics
- Planning for success and impact
To access the modules learners must be part of the ICAEW Volunteering Community. The Community is open to all and is £30 + VAT for ICAEW members/£40 + VAT for non-members.
Membership of the Community provides free access to the modules and in addition free public liability insurance. This insurance policy covers Volunteering Community members for all volunteering activities with UK charities or not for profit organisations.
If you are considering, or are already, a charity trustee you may find the modules are an answer to your learning requirements. Please find further information on the Volunteering Community website or you contact via email.
