Being a Trustee of a charity can be a hugely rewarding experience, whether it’s to support a cause you care about, give back to your local community or to gain skills and experience to enhance your career.
In this guide, our Executive Search Consultant, Emily, shares some insights into how to find and secure the right Trustee role for you.
Understand the role of a Trustee
Before applying, it is important to familiarise yourself with the role of a Trustee and the responsibilities you will be taking on. Here at Prospectus, we recommend reviewing the Charity Commission’s Essential Trustee Guide which explains what being a Trustee involves. In a nutshell, the core responsibilities include:
- Overseeing the charity’s strategy, finances, and operations.
- Ensuring the charity remains true to its mission and complies with laws (e.g., Charity Commission rules in the UK).
- Acting in the charity’s best interests without personal gain.
Identify the right charity for you
Find a cause you’re passionate about or is close to your heart. This will be key in ensuring your continued interest and motivation to be a Trustee in the long-term and you can have maximum impact.
How to find Trustee opportunities
There are many platforms out there to look for Trustee roles, here is just a short selection;
- Our job board! As a recruitment agency supporting a huge range of charities on a local to international scale, we advertise an array of exciting Trustee opportunities. You can also register your CV here to be kept up to date with the latest opportunities.
- Our friends at Reach Volunteering offer a platform for people to share their professional skills with good causes. Charities and not-for-profits can also find volunteers and trustees with the expertise to help them.
- The Guardian also has a dedicated search function specifically for Trustee roles
- You may also like to reach out to local charities in your area to ask whether they are currently seeking Trustees.
Assess your skills
Charities often seek trustees with skills in specific areas such as finance, law, fundraising, HR, marketing, or governance. Reflect on how your skills, expertise or lived experiences can support the charity’s mission. However, passion and commitment are equally important—many charities provide training for new trustees.
Apply for Trustee positions
Once you’ve identified a Trustee role of interest, you will often need to apply with a CV and Cover Letter. For help on writing this, visit our guide here. You may then be invited for an interview or a site visit. Make sure you get a good understanding of the charity’s work and how you might work with other Trustees from this process.
Conduct due diligence
Trustee roles come with a level of responsibility for the charity so you must do your due diligence before accepting a role. Here are some areas you should consider researching:
- Annual Accounts available via the Charity Commission website.
- The governing document (e.g., the charity’s constitution or trust deed).
- Consider whether there is Trustee liability insurance in place.
- Consider any potential conflicts of interest you might have.
