How to become a trustee

Charity trustees come from all walks of life. A great many people across the country serve as trustees and find the role fulfilling and rewarding. 

The trustee board of a charity takes overall responsibility for its work – steering the charity’s direction and ensuring it is run in a way that is legal, responsible and effective.

Charities exist to benefit the public. They are independent, non-profit organisations, generally registered with the Charity Commission.

Charities vary widely in size and activities. Some are local; some national. Some employ staff; some are run entirely by volunteers.

Many people say that they find trusteeship very rewarding.

Trustees are ‘at the centre of the action’, helping to decide things which matter to their communities and to people in need. 

Trusteeship is a way of putting skills and experience to good use – for example, to benefit a local community or to provide better services for people who need them. 

Trustees can learn new skills in a whole range of areas from finance and management to teamworking and decision-making.

All charities are independent and there are a number of routes to follow to become a trustee. 

Some charities advertise their vacancies in the local or national press or on websites. Some register their vacancies in a directory. 

NCVO’s Trustee Bank advertises vacancies on trustee boards and links to other directories of trustee vacancies. The website www.do-it.org.uk lists vacancies on trustee boards of local charities.

When you find a vacancy, the organisation will ask to meet or interview you. You might be asked to fill in an application form.

Some organisations – like children’s charities and those dealing with vulnerable adults –will require you to have a CRB (police) check before you are appointed.

You might be invited to observe a trustee board meeting to see first-hand the work of the trustees before you and they make any decision.

In some charities, the trustees are elected by members: you might be invited to an Annual General Meeting to meet members and be formally elected.

There are a few restrictions on who can be a trustee that are set out in law and sometimes set out in the charity’s governing document. Before they take up their role, prospective trustees must confirm they are eligible to serve as a trustee. The charity might also carry out its own eligibility checks.