Helen Kidd, Charities and Third Sector Partner, explains why volunteering as a charity trustee is a great way to follow your interests and perhaps boost your CV.
Doing good is a great way to feel good, according to research among the UK’s 700,000-plus charity trustees. Nine out of ten thought their role was rewarding and 94% said it was very important to them, according to a report called Taken on Trust. That’s a great advertisement for a role that also helps thousands of good causes from local sports clubs to homelessness charities. While the research was based on England and Wales, Scotland is likely to be similar.
However, without in any way belittling their trustees’ excellent work, many charities are looking for a wider mix on their boards. The average age of trustees is 60-62 and two-thirds are men, according to the report. Over 8,000 charities have boards with an average age of over 75.
So whilst the trustee ‘heartland’ of empty-nesters and the recently retired remains highly valued, the charities sector also needs people from all walks of life regardless of age, gender or backgound. And in addition to the traditional wishlist of legal and financial experience, they’re looking for lived experience, digital and IT, fundraising, marketing and campaigning skills.
As well as noting the benefits of being a trustee – giving back to society, supporting your community, and opportunities to network or boost your CV - what do you need to know?
- Follow your passion – find a charity that fits with your interests or social life; it makes the experience more rewarding.
- Get your employer on side – one challenge reported by younger trustees is that employers don’t give them time off for trustee meetings. So sell them the benefits of your involvement, and even get the wider organisation supporting your charity.
- Understand your role – as a trustee, you do need to take your responsibilities seriously. Ask the charity to provide some governance training – not just to you but to the other trustees and senior staff as well. The whole organisation will benefit.
Lindsays act for many charities and a number of our staff and partners are also charity trustees, supporting organisations from LifeCare and the Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow to UK Athletics.
Another area where Lindsays can assist is in the bespoke training that we regularly provide to charity trustees.
