Volunteer management and the board

Most charities use volunteers – indeed, most trustees are volunteers, and many charities rely entirely on volunteers. 

Trustees must be aware of their overall legal responsibility for the management and support of volunteers. Through the board's leadership, trustees should create an environment that is a supportive and positive place to volunteer. 

Trustees sometimes volunteer to help run the charity’s services and activities, in addition to their role as a trustee. If this happens, trustees should ensure that their role as a trustee is separate from their role as a volunteer. This might mean that they report to a member of staff when in their volunteering role rather than to the board.

Many guides exist to assist trustees in ensuring good volunteer management. For more information, see Volunteering England's website.