Who can be a trustee?

Most people can become trustees. Trustees generally need to be over the age of 18. They cannot have been previously disqualified as a trustee or company director, be an undischarged bankrupt or have certain unspent criminal convictions. The Charity Commission have a detailed checklist covering all eligibility requirements.

Some organisations have restrictions over who can be a trustee. Trustees of charities working with children or vulnerable adults generally need to be CRB checked. Some organisations only elect trustees from a formal membership.

Trustees need not be professional people. They come from all walks of life. Knowledge of a charity's field of work or good people skills are just as important as technical knowledge or professional expertise. Trustees can and indeed should supplement their own skills with professional advice. Indeed, an effective trustee board should draw on a range of skills, knowledge, experiences and attributes. But no-one should accept a trusteeship if they are unable to make appropriate judgements about the charity’s affairs.

Trustees come from all walks of life. There are very few restrictions on who can be a trustee. 

All trustees should be able to demonstrate values such as honesty and integrity. They should be committed to the charity’s aims and values.

In addition, there are many different skills, experiences, attributes and areas of knowledge that charities welcome from their trustees:

• The 'hard' skills - legal, financial, management and so on - which are necessary to understand some of the complex decisions to be taken 
• The 'soft' skills - boards of trustees need people who can encourage teamworking, problem solving, asking difficult questions, decision making and, yes, to make people laugh! 
• Trustee boards should understand the communities they serve. The board’s makeup should aim to reflect the community. People with knowledge of the community – for example, as users of services or as local residents - can make very valuable trustees.