A PRACTITIONER’S GUIDE TO CHARITY GOVERNANCE

I bring you the key headline insights from those who posted on this thread (thank you for your contributions!), expanded with my own insights and guidance as a twice trustee and current Deputy CEO of Governance, Risk and Compliance for Proud Changemakers.   

1. Work hard at being an effective trustee/don’t wait to be asked/get involved

A common thread in all the responses was proactivity- embracing the responsibilities of being a trustee and rolling your sleeves up. Depending on the size and the nature of the trustee role in the charity maybe differently defined. For example, in very large charities it maybe that the role of trustees is very clearly defined between the strategic and operational.

In reality as a trustee, you need to be willing to engage with the role from the outset. That means being proactive and engaging with the role as much as you can to identify, within your remit, where your knowledge, expertise and time can be best spent to benefit the charity.      

2. Move the Board workload from the Chair to be spread across the other trustees

Unlocking the effectiveness of a Board entails spreading workload. A Chair, although a vital role, should never be the single point of failure on a Board. Proliferating work at the role of the Chair rarely ends well as it creates a dependency in the charity upon that role. It also makes the pressures of the role enormous and hinders the Boards effectiveness to operate both collectively and as individuals with your own skills, expertise and insights to bring to the charity.

As a Trustee acknowledge this dynamic where it arises. Ask your Chair open questions to grow a picture of where there are pressure points and suggest delegation to yourself or fellow trustees where appropriate. Not only will your Chair thank you and feel supported, but spreading this work will enable you to work more efficiently and effectively as a Board, delivering better results for the charity.    

3. All trustees should take on a leadership role

Whilst all trustees hold important responsibilities for the running of a charity that also provides a unique opportunity to embrace leadership as a trustee. This may sound daunting at first, but fellow trustees, an effective Chair and CEO should help enable you to establish a leadership role in the organisation.

Consider what skills and experiences you bring to the table and how you could support the growth of the organisation through participatory leadership- what topics can you champion and talent can you mentor? With a few pieces of directed or candid advice you can nurture future leaders and trustees for the charity- this was a similar position I found myself in as Trustee of It Gets Better UK, one of our volunteers was so passionate about the work of the charity and channelled correctly would clearly become a source of momentum and knowledge for the charity as a trustee. They are currently a trustee and bring a unique passion and skillset for corporate partnerships.   

4. Help foster a board culture that embraces governance

Governance reflects the policy, practices and procedures that enable a charity to operate not just in compliance with laws, but effectively. Fostering good governance can unlock time and impact. An 2018 NPC report “It Starts from the Top: Improving Governance, Improving Impact” highlighted that organizations with good practices and procedures unlock better Board performance. But how does this translate into practice at Board level?

Trustees can offer pointed support to their charity to leverage their expertise and develop skills, focusing on strategic oversight with an eye on risk management whilst interrogating impact.

In smaller charities you may have a more operational as well as strategic role for example, taking a hand in reviewing grant bids- in these environments its all the more important to roll up your sleeves whilst being mindful of your role and reasonability’s given the differing the hats you are being asked to wear.   

5. Apply a kaizen approach to good governance/embrace continuous learning

Good governance is continuing journey of improvement. The needs of the charity change as its priorities shift. Being alive to this is vital to being an effective trustee and supporting the Chair.  

Kaizen, the theory of making incremental changes to foster continuous improvement, aligns with this. By taking an approach to making small improvements to practices and approaches you can embed lasting change as a matter of course as a trustee, making gaps or challenges which were once difficult to bridge accessible.  

When I was introduced to this concept by Claris D’Cruz it was certainly a lightbulb moment and a solution to the ever-present challenge of time and resource difficulties!

My thanks to all for their contributions to the thread and sharing their insights, in particular I would like to thank and attribute to-

Penny Wilson/Samantha Barnett/Lauren Williams

Joe Saxton

Malcom John

Claris D-Cruz/Fiona McAuslan

You can find the thread here.

This article was originally posted to the Association of Chairs Blog.