In the UK the average age of a charity trustee is 57 – whilst on a personal level we may not always like the ageing process, for charities, having mature trustees on boards can bring experience and wisdom. In recent years however charities have found it increasingly hard to recruit trustees, not helped by the highly public failure of the London-based charity Kids Company, resulting in many people feeling nervous about taking on the responsibility of a trustee position. Charities are dependant on this army of volunteers who give up their time freely and bring years of experience to the board, and quite rightly so. But what about diversity?
employee to fit in meetings round their work schedule. It can often be useful to explain how the process of being a trustee can help in an employee’s professional development and understanding of professional risk. For example, whilst the role of a trustee has responsibilities, as long as decisions are made after considering all the facts, and the reasons for the decisions are minuted, then trustees do not have personal responsibility, but they have gained an understanding of the formal process. Scrutton Bland has many years’ experience in working with charitable and not for profit organisations, specifically advising boards on audit and accounts, tax, insurance and risk management. If you would like to find out more please contact Sharon Gravener on 01473 267060 or sharon.gravener@ scruttonbland.co.uk
by employers to encourage employees to take on trustee positions, and encourage volunteering. As well as benefiting charities directly by increasing the pool of potential trustees, taking on a trustee role can also be a great way to assist staff who are developing their careers. Being on a Board of Trustees can increase an individual’s business confidence, raise their profile, and help them gain experience in strategic matters. For an employee who is looking to develop their career and take on more responsibility in the workplace, particularly strategic responsibility, what better way to get experience than by becoming a trustee on a board? If you feel this is something your business would want to encourage please give it some thought. Practically, if you identify a member of staff who you think would benefit from the experience of being a trustee why not offer them some encouragement. Most trustee meetings are at the beginning or end of the day often making it easier than you think for an
board’s strength isn’t just in its collective skills, it is also in its breadth of perspectives. Achieving a diversity of age, background and gender
will in all likelihood lead to a wider range of perspectives since people of differing ages see the world differently. While a younger person may not have the same experience as an older person, they will bring fresh ideas and their experience and understanding of using technology to communicate with donors, which is increasingly important for those charities who need to reach a younger audience. So how can businesses help increase the pool of willing trustees and improve the diversity of trustees? Most employers now have a focus on corporate social responsibility. Not only does this benefit the community but, it benefits the employer too by promoting teamwork and camaraderie within the workforce. However I would like to see this approach extended
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