How to find new trustees

Who to recruit

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.

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.

How many trustees to recruit

Your charity’s governing document may say how many trustees you should have and how they are appointed.

Aim for a minimum of three unconnected trustees with a good range of skills. You need enough trustees to govern the charity effectively. It’s also important to keep your board small enough to arrange meetings easily and allow effective discussion and decision making.

How to encourage people to apply

To attract a broader range of trustees – including young people – you could:

• try recruitment methods other than word of mouth, such as social media, advertising or trustee recruitment websites
• encourage people who already support your charity, for example as volunteers, to become trustees
• approach local universities or colleges and their student unions

Remove any barriers that could stop someone from being a trustee, for example by:

• keeping board papers (particularly financial information) short and easy to understand
• translating documents or providing accessible formats
• making it clear that trustees can claim reasonable expenses, including help with travel and childcare
• holding meetings at venues that are accessible for people with disabilities
• having meetings at times that don’t exclude people who are working or have caring responsibilities
• giving everyone a chance to contribute to discussions at meetings

If you ask someone who benefits from the charity to become a trustee, you must manage potential conflicts of interest if they will continue to receive those benefits.

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