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Brand Trustee

By Mark Atkinson

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Contents

Introduction and background 3

Brand Trustee Survey 4

Principal findings 5

Trustee recruitment 7

Trustee induction 10

Trustee engagement 13

Trustee visibility 15

Conclusions 17

Useful sources of information 18

About VCSchange 19

© 2015 VCSchange maintains the copyright on all content included in this report. Reprint or

reproduction is not permitted without prior consent.

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Introduction and background

With over 197,000 charities registered in the UK, a conservative estimate places the number

of Trustee roles in excess of 1 million.

Trustees are accountable for the

strategic decisions of the charities

they serve and with so much

responsibility, it is natural that they

are subject to scrutiny.

Being a Trustee should be an

enriching and satisfying experience

for the individual, the charity and all

those engaged in its running.

In order to achieve a high level of satisfaction between Trustee and charity, it is necessary to

ensure that the recruitment and induction processes for new Trustees are appropriately

rigorous and that all Trustees are sufficiently engaged in the work of the charity. There is

clearly a distinction between ‘engagement’ and ‘visibility’ which raises the question of the

merits of Trustee visibility to employees and volunteers involved in the day to day

operations of charities.

The size of the charity may well influence some or all of these factors but minimum

standards need to be reached or indeed aspired to.

This report focusses on the experiences collected from a group of 68 Trustees, employees

and volunteers presently engaged in charities of various sizes. It shares findings,

recommendations and the candid views of the contributors.

TRUSTEE - NOUN:

AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON OR MEMBER OF A

BOARD GIVEN CONTROL OR POWERS OF

ADMINISTRATION OF ASSETS WITH A LEGAL

OBLIGATION TO ADMINISTER THEM SOLELY

FOR THE PURPOSES SPECIFIED.

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Brand Trustee Survey

The Brand Trustee Survey was carried out by Mark Atkinson at VCSchange. In order to

encourage complete candour, respondents were invited to participate in the report

anonymously.

The survey considered the opinion of 3 groups:

Employees of charities

Trustees of charities

Volunteers (non-Trustees)

The survey sought the views of these 3 constituent groups in 4 areas:

Trustee recruitment

Trustee induction

Trustee engagement

Trustee visibility

With reference to Trustee recruitment, induction, engagement and visibility, the aims of the

survey were specifically to:

add further insight to, validate or indeed invalidate the perceptions held by those

engaged in the sector

identify areas of good practice and opportunities to highlight were good practice

may be achieved

ascertain what additional support might be needed to ensure better outcomes for

Trustees and the charities they work with

Responses to the survey indicated that there remains a possible research gap. Size of charity

is an influencing factor when it comes to Trustee recruitment, induction, engagement and

visibility. We suggest that a further study on the interrelationship between charity turnover

and the specific topic areas would be of benefit to the sector.

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Principal findings

More than 1 in 5 respondents (22%) felt that Trustee recruitment processes at their

charity were not sufficiently rigorous or not rigorous at all. This rose to 24% of

respondents who were Trustees. 46% cited the processes as “sufficiently rigorous”.

Only 54% of respondents felt that Trustee induction processes were good with 34%

citing the processes as “sufficiently good.” Almost a third of respondents (31%) felt

that induction processes were “not very good” or “not good at all.” 39% of Trustee

respondents felt that induction processes were inadequate.

75% of respondents felt that their Trustees were engaged in the work of the charity

outside the normal cycle of board meetings with the majority (42%) citing their

Trustees as being “sufficiently engaged.”

41% of respondents felt that Trustees at their charity were “not very visible” or “not

visible at all” to staff other than senior managers. The figures further revealed that

55% of employee respondents felt that their Trustees were “not very visible” or “not

visible at all” compared to 26% of Trustee respondents.

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We asked respondents the following opening question:

Are you answering this survey in your capacity as an employee, Trustee or volunteer (non

Trustee) of a UK charity?

Employee 20 29%

Trustee 46 68%

Volunteer (non Trustee) 2 3%

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Trustee recruitment

We asked respondents the following question:

How rigorous is the Trustee recruitment process at your charity?

Extremely rigorous 3 4%

Very rigorous 13 19%

Sufficiently rigorous 31 46%

Not very rigorous 10 15%

Not rigorous at all 5 7%

Don't know 6 9%

“We are a member organisation

and more often than not when a

vacancy for a Trustee occurs

members who are voted in are

normally done so because they are

known by other members socially.

The result is that we often lack

specific skills on the Board but have

changed the Trustee recruitment

process to ensure that potential

Trustees recognise the skills

required and responsibilities

involved.”

“We carry out a skills audit but

then don't do anything with it.”

“Trustee recruitment is to ask for volunteers and hold a

ballot of members if necessary so no account of skills

needed/ balance on the board.”

When I took over my charity three years ago I let the

5 Trustees I had go as they were just bums on seats.”

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Respondents were asked the following supplementary question:

If you have any ideas that could inject further rigour into Trustee recruitment processes,

please share them.

Comments received have been banded into the following 5 areas demonstrating a degree of

consensus on thinking:

SKILLS AUDIT

“Clearer identification of skills required and deliberate matching to those requirements”

“Audit of Trustee skills prior to search for Trustees, rather than just jumping into the water.”

“Our CEO did skills mapping and recruited to gaps as much as possible”

“Look at the strengths and weaknesses of the board and target the gaps.”

“Identifying the skills gap within existing Trustees and specifically appoint to fill those gaps.”

“(Undertake) a skills audit of existing Trustees.”

CHECKING COMMITMENT LEVELS

“There are not so many people out there with the time, commitment and necessary skills to

be a Trustee, given the rather onerous responsibilities a Trustee takes on.”

“Part of the problem is that anyone who actually understands what the Charity Commission,

funders, regulators, child protection agencies etc. require, might not feel willing to do the

job.”

“Seek commitment to more than just attending board meetings.”

“The 'four board meetings a year with a bit of prep time' may be far from reality if there are

serious issues within the Charity.”

“We are a specialist faith based charity, with operations across the country, but not a

household name. The main challenge in recruiting Trustees is to reach potential candidates

who have both the faith commitment and skill range.”

INTERVIEWING

“Ensure that Trustees have an informal meeting with another Trustee other than the Chair.”

Have a 'getting to know the organisation' session prior to first stage interview.”

“Interview potential Trustees against the competencies required for the role.”

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“(Have an) open and transparent attraction process utilising a two stage interview process”

“Part of the recruitment process should be situation specific and honest with Trustees about

the tests they will face and the time commitment required.”

“Ensure that the individuals can work with one another.”

“Look for real evidence of skills and behaviours at interview”

REFEREES

“Ensure that references are obtained.”

“Get the lowdown ... ask for three references - and don't just ask for general comments but

specific input relevant to the competency you seek.”

OFFER PROBATIONARY PERIODS

“(Offer) a probationary period for Trustees to ensure they are of use to the organisation.”

“We appoint new Trustees as co-optees for a period of about 6 months, to allow both them

and the Board to assess whether they should continue. This is helpful all round, and

occasionally people do withdraw during this period.”

Recommendations:

Undertake a board skills audit to identify gaps

Ensure role descriptions are up to date

Be honest about the requirements and check candidates have the

necessary commitment

Have a proper interview process

Obtain references and check social media profiles

Allow prospective Trustees to observe a Board meeting before

appointment

Consider the use of “probationary periods” for new board members

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Trustee induction

We asked respondents the following question:

How good is the induction process for new Trustees at your charity?

Extremely good 3 4%

Very good 11 16%

Sufficiently good 23 34%

Not very good 18 27%

Not good at all 3 4%

Don't know 9 13%

“The charity commission website

is over-complicated in its advice

for charities. They could do with

simplifying a lot of their content

and offering more support for

smaller charities.”

“For small charities

induction is difficult,

usually as there are no

proper processes in

place!”

“I'm still in this (induction) process but so far

I'm enjoying the balance of prescribed

information and meetings and my own scope

to ask for and suggest meetings and visits to

enhance my knowledge.”

“New Trustees don't meet with

me or my team or have a full

induction but make decisions.”

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Respondents were asked the following supplementary question:

If you have any ideas that could enhance induction processes for new Trustees, please

share them.

Comments received have been banded into the following 4 areas demonstrating degree of

consensus on thinking:

SPEND TIME WITH STAFF AND OTHER TRUSTEES

“Meeting staff as part of the induction process would help.”

“We have residential Board meetings twice a year which are a key time for new Trustees to

get to know other Trustees and executives.”

“Spend time with front-line staff.”

Meet the teams, place bios on web site, informal meetings with key staff, participate in team

building stuff (only if appropriate), early involvement in strategy workshops, one-to-ones

with chair.”

TRAINING

“Have an in house workshop to understand the nature of the charity’s work.”

“Provide low cost training.”

“Provide a briefing on current strategy and objectives of the charity.”

“Some good local basic courses at low or zero cost would be good, just to teach them their

responsibilities and also what policies and procedures a well governed charity should have in

place.”

“Specific Trustee training on things like strategic approaches to fundraising, publicity,

financial monitoring etc. are needed.”

“Ensure all new Trustees undertake training on the role and responsibilities of Trustees.”

“Identify skills required and provide training.”

“Education about the nature of governance and familiarisation with the governing

documents.”

MENTORING

“Provide a mentoring contact with knowledge of whole charity.”

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“New Trustees could be mentored by an existing, more experienced Trustee, outside of board

meetings, as part of their induction process.”

“Mentors, programme of reading, observation, training in governance essentials,

performance reviews, having an allocated training/ development budget all help”

SERVICE VISITS

“We arrange a visit programme tailored to each new Trustee to give them a sense of what

the services look like in practice.”

“Spend a day or two looking at the day to day operations.”

Recommendations:

Have a core induction process with bolt-on extras as necessary for

specific Trustees.

In the absence of a sector wide solution, larger charities may wish to

consider working together to develop an e-learning Trustee induction

programme which could potentially be licenced for a small fee to other

charities.

Offer new Trustees a mentor for a fixed period

Ensure new Trustees get to meet with staff and have service visits as

early as possible to develop a strong appreciation of operational

realities.

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Trustee engagement

We asked respondents the following question:

How engaged are your Trustees in the work of your charity outside the normal cycle of

board meetings?

Extremely engaged 6 9%

Very engaged 16 24%

Sufficiently engaged 28 42%

Not very engaged 11 16%

Not engaged at all 0 0%

Don't know 6 9%

“I always say our Trustees are

not just keeping the seat warm

there is a job to be done outside

of Board meetings.”

“We aim to keep a balance

between encouraging executives

to draw on the specialist skills of

Trustees and letting Trustees get

too involved in operational

detail. We also encourage

opportunities such as award

ceremonies where Trustees can

meet service users and staff

informally.”

“Trustees can be amazing

ambassadors for charities

networking and linking them

with funders and supporters.”

“I worked at one charity where each Trustee was attached to a department in which

they either had an applicable skill or interest. They worked with the head of department

and staff to gain sufficient knowledge of what was happening and future plans so that

their understanding was enhanced. As staff we really valued someone who championed

our area.”

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Respondents were asked the following supplementary question:

If you have any ideas that could enhance the engagement of Trustees outside the normal

cycle of board meetings, please share them.

“We encourage our Trustees to liaise with the staff via focused sub-committees with/without

CEO/Chair involvement.”

“More effective use of Trustee: Trustee networking to enable Trustees to build awareness of

their charity from other perspectives.”

“We are a friendly little local charity and it would help if I could get Trustees together more

for brainstorming and sharing days with the staff.”

“I don't really know what the Trustees can offer, what they are prepared to do and therefore

when it is appropriate to engage with them. If they had published 'biogs' with these details

and how they could help, with what, timescales, times of day etc. that would help.”

“Encourage Trustees to sponsor a department, function or work stream.”

“Ensure that they participate in a number of networking and profile raising events.”

“Make sure that they are informed of events and invited. Often they do not know that events

are happening until they have happened!”

Recommendations:

Discuss engagement expectations with Trustees as part of recruitment

processes.

Provide and discuss with Trustees an indicative list of ways in which they

could engage with the charity outside the normal cycle of board

meetings e.g. attendance at events, public speaking, social networking,

assignment to a particular work strand or area to obtain a deeper

understanding and enrich board level dialogue.

Ensure there is a clear protocol in place so that operational and board

roles are not blurred.

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Trustee visibility

We asked respondents the following question:

Other than senior managers, how "visible" are your Trustees to the people who work at

your charity (both staff and non-Trustee volunteers)?

Extremely visible 3 5%

Very visible 14 25%

Sufficiently visible 15 26%

Not very visible 18 32%

Not visible at all 5 9%

Don't know 2 4%

“It's difficult when Trustees are

not available during working

hours, and staff are

geographically spread.”

“There is a fine line between visibility and interference”

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Respondents were asked the following supplementary question:

If you have any ideas for how Trustees could enhance their visibility, please share them.

Comments received have been banded into the following 3 areas demonstrating degree of

consensus on thinking:

MEETINGS

“Attend staff meetings.”

“Get Trustees to spend time at staff meetings speaking about performance or strategy.”

“What works in our organisation is to have relevant staff attend parts of the Board meeting

which concern their area of operation with the CEO present, that way visibility is

maintained.”

“Allow staff to observe the work of Trustees i.e. staff member attend board meetings on a

rotational basis.”

BENEFICIARY VISIBILITY

“Attend meetings with beneficiaries.”

“(Go on) visits to projects and services.”

ONLINE VISIBILITY

“Place bios on intranet / website.”

“Through digital e.g. LinkedIn, tweeting and blogging.”

“Use LinkedIn updates and other social streams to share details on the impact of the charity

that they lead.”

Recommendations:

If your charity produces a regular internal communications bulletin,

consider having a Trustee column with a spotlight on recent activity

Trustees have been involved in.

Make the most of online opportunities for showcasing the work of

Trustees and devise a simple protocol for social media activity to help

encourage and guide Trustees in sharing positive stories.

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Conclusions

Some charities clearly need to inject more rigour into their Trustee recruitment and

induction processes. With 39% of Trustee respondents citing a degree of inadequacy in

induction processes, this is a particular concern that warrants closer attention. Whilst

Trustees must appreciate the legal and technical governance aspects of their role, it is also

of fundamental importance that they are given a thorough grounding in the work of the

charity. In the absence of this, it can only impact upon their performance…How can a

Trustee really act as an effective custodian and support the strategic development of a

charity if he / she does not have a solid grasp of the market drivers and the key challenges

and constraints under which the charity is operating? If charities have any doubt as to the

strength of their induction processes, they should review them with the input of the Chief

Executive, Chair and HR Director and address any deficiencies as a matter of priority.

There is a stark difference between Trustee engagement and Trustee visibility. Whilst the

majority of respondents (75%) felt that Trustees are well engaged in the work of their

charity outside the normal cycle of Board meetings, it would appear that much of this work

is not visible to those outside of the senior management team according to 55% of

employee respondents. This begs the question…does it matter? Is it important that

employees and volunteers see and understand what their Trustees are doing for the charity?

Naturally, not all work can be visible. Some activity is very sensitive and can’t simply be put

out to everyone to see for reasons of confidentiality. However, from a motivational and

morale perspective, it is surely in the interests of charities to share as much information as

possible with their employees and volunteers and this includes what their Trustees have

been doing, are doing…and are planning to do on behalf of the charity. In the digital age,

there are a multitude of ways in which this can be achieved and Marketing Directors should

be discussing this with Chief Executives and Chairs to devise realistically achievable plans.

Whilst it is important to recognise the differences between large and small charities in terms

of resource and infrastructure constraints, all charities should have minimum standards and

expectations with regards to the recruitment, induction, engagement and visibility of

Trustees. There are lots of resources and training opportunities available but there is no

recognised programme for establishing “Excellence in Trusteeship.” If established, this could

provide charities with a charter mark at varying levels in recognition of the investment they

make in Trustees whilst simultaneously supporting the training and development of

individual Trustees through accredited learning with records of achievement stored on a

central database. Such a development could be worthy of significant financial investment

and the sector infrastructure bodies could work together to produce the business case.

Many charities already engage in programmes such as Investors in People, Investors in

Volunteers, and Investors in Diversity….why not Investors in Trustees?

This is the essence of “Brand Trustee”…

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Useful sources of information

Charity Commission:

The Commission website hosts a range of resources on what being a Trustee involves,

payments, expenses, how Trustees work together to make decisions, handle disagreements

or conflicts of interest and more.

www.gov.uk/running-charity/trustee-role-board

Small Charities Coalition:

The SCC provides a range of useful Trustee services to smaller UK charities with an annual

income of less than £1million.

www.smallcharities.org.uk/trustee-networks/

www.smallcharities.org.uk/trustee-matching/

www.smallcharities.org.uk/trustee-finder/ (being redeveloped at time of writing)

NCVO:

NCVO provides a range of on and off line resources and training. KnowHow Nonprofit is

their main advice and support website and hosts a variety of governance resources. NCVO

StudyZone is a video training platform which offers several relevant introductory courses. A

range of How-to guides are also available for download on various governance topics.

NCVO’s Trustees Unlimited offers voluntary organisations a service to recruit Trustees from

across the private, public and voluntary sectors.

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About VCSchange

Our mission is to support the creation of strong and vibrant voluntary and community sector

organisations through well thought through, carefully planned and expertly executed

change.

The Brand Trustee Survey and Report was produced by Mark Atkinson of VCSchange.

Mark Atkinson, founder and Chief Executive of VCSchange, has worked in the voluntary

sector for over 16 years. He has directed income generation and operational departments

for UK, national and local charities and has particular expertise in the development and

maintenance of complex partnerships and strategic relationships. Mark’s experience

includes strategy development; working with Boards on merger activity; income generation

audits and feasibility studies; production of £multimillion tenders; creation of an award

winning commercial income generation team, and being the MD of 3 charity e-commerce

businesses.

VCSchange would like to express its gratitude to everyone who took part in Brand Trustee

and shared their experiences and opinions so generously.

© 2015 VCSchange maintains

the copyright on all content

included in this report.

Reprint or reproduction is

not permitted without prior

consent.

Contact details enquiry@vcschange.co.uk Tel 0203 667 7326 www.vcschange.co.uk Twitter @VCSchange