Models of board structure

Governance theories or models can be very helpful for trustees in understanding their responsibilities and the pros and cons of different governance arrangements.

Some models of governance focus on the membership or composition of the board. Three traditional models exist:

• Where trustees are recruited for their status, influence, contacts or public standing
• Where trustees are recruited for their specialist skills or knowledge
• Where trustees are recruited because they are representative of those with a stake or interest in the charity’s work. 

In the first model, the charity will benefit from committed and influential people to fundraise and raise its profile. In the second model, the charity will benefit from individuals who are highly skilled in relevant areas; and in the third, the board is likely to be in tune with the needs of the charity’s beneficiaries.

However, each of the models taken alone can risk the board losing focus on its overall responsibilities:

• An ‘influential’ board might have too narrow an interest and be too hands off when it comes to strategy or oversight
• Trustees with specialist skills might become too involved in specific day to day matters related to their interests
• In a ‘representative’ board trustees might perceive their role as representing sectional interests rather than acting in the best interests of the charity as a whole.

In reality, an effective trustee board should draw on elements of all three of the models. An effective board should be able to draw on a range of skills, knowledge, qualities, attributes and backgrounds to be effective. 

Charities can adapt the traditional models to draw on the advantages of each. For example, an advisory council or forum could be created to represent stakeholder interests and a separate trustee board recruited for their skills and qualities in governance. Many charities use influential or well known people in the roles of patron or president rather than as trustees.