Leadership and Trustees

We believe that a charity’s leaders, and therefore its trustees and senior managers, are key to its success. And we’re here to help you to develop your leadership.

As a charity you need a minimum of three unconnected people as trustees and most management committees operate with at least a chair, secretary, and treasurer. However, you will need enough trustees with the right skills to ensure that you can run your organisation effectively – download the NCVO trustee skills audit tool to find out what skills your board may need.

We recommend that all trustees read the Charity Commission’s Essential trustee: What you need to know, what you need to do.  You might also like to do NCVO’s online training on the Roles and Responsibilities of a trustee and refer to the Governance Code – if you and your fellow trustees, follow everything in the code then you will be able to exercise good leadership of your organisation.

For help with your trustee roles and how to recruit suitable people, visit our Volunteering Page  or book a free support session.


Are your policies and procedures up-to-date? Find out what areas you need to prioritise using our free online tool by clicking on the checklist icon or visiting our Healthcheck Tool webpage.

 

We’ve pulled together some of the best resources and tools below to help you learn and grow as a trustee, a leader and a board.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: EXPERT SUPPORT FOR CHARITY LEADERS

As a leader in your organisation do you ever wish you had someone to talk to about dealing with a difficult situation, how to go about building your team or barriers to making the progress you want? Are you new to a leadership role and wonder if you are getting it right?

We can provide you with the opportunity to explore these or other concerns with our expert support offering. Find out more by clicking on Expert Support for Charity Leaders.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: Managing Board dynamics effectively

If you are facing “stuckness” then this short coaching session with Alexandra Smith, a highly experienced independent business coach, is for you.

We frequently hear from trustees who are having trouble resolving disputes with other Board members or the CEO. There are personalities to manage, sensitive issues to be negotiated, and differing opinions to be resolved.

A strong Board is crucial if you want to make a real difference.

This short coaching session looks at how you can build your relationships with fellow Board members (and staff), what to do when things go wrong, and tips on how you can make your Board as effective as can be.

Coaching session: Managing Board dynamics effectively

Resources for Treasurers and Chairs

The Honorary Treasurers Forum offers support and networking for those who take the role of Treasurer on non-profit boards. Have a look at its free Honorary Treasurer’s Handbook.

The Charity Finance Group has put together a guide to Essential Charity Finance for trustees.

The Association of Chairs has resources specifically for Chairs and their unique role in a charity.  The  Association of Chairs has also worked with the Charity Commission to produce a short video,  a Chair’s role in governance.

Resources for trustees

The Charity Commission has other useful guides for trustees on aspects of running a charity, a Charity Trustee Welcome Pack and has produced several videos to help trustees and chairs:

TED TALKS FOR CHARITY LEADERS

These popular, engaging short talks may give you much food for thought. You can browse them yourself but here are some that other people are recommending:

Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations - ACEVO

Did you know that there is a national network of charity Leaders? ACEVO provides training, career development and much more.

SYSTEM LEADERSHIP

In addition to leading your own organisation, you might find yourself part of a wider system, trying to make a positive change in an area where lots of other agencies are also involved, such as healthcare provision. You might feel like a small fish in a large pond but even small fish can exercise leadership.

Here are some articles which explore systems leadership which you might find helpful.

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Case Studies

Haddenham Community Vehicle

Haddenham Community Vehicle is a volunteer-led organisation that provides local transport for those with mobility issues, helping to alleviate problems of social isolation. The team approached Community Impact Bucks to get advice in the early stages of development.

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COLIN – VOLUNTEER DRIVER AND TRUSTEE

Colin volunteers as a hospital car driver as well as a trustee for Community Care North Bucks - two roles which he says have helped him to build communication skills and empathy.

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Malcolm – volunteer for The WheelPower National Junior Games

Malcolm was a volunteer for the annual residential sports event where young people have an opportunity to try a variety of wheelchair sports.

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