How trustees can be more adaptive

Trustees perform a vital role in the running of charities but their ability to be adaptive to change can be tricky.

 

Lack of frequent charity board meetings can be a stumbling block to making swift decisions, with latest guidance from the regulator the Charity Commission only recommending at least two meetings are held per year. Trustees also have legal responsibilities to meet, which can delay change, as they need to ensure any moves to adapt comply with the law. A lack of expertise in specific areas of running a charity where change may be needed is another challenge.

 

Here we look at the role of trustees, areas where they believe they can improve, and the actions charities can take to help their boards be more adaptive.

 

 

What is a charity trustee?

 

Charity trustees sit on a board to make collective decisions about the running of charities. They have no authority to act on their own and decisions must be authorised by the charity’s board as a whole. Trustees that act on their own can result in an investigation into governance procedures by the Charity Commission.

 

Trustees are mostly volunteers and are not paid for their role. They often have specific areas of expertise to support the running of charities, such as in legal affairs, finance, and technology.

 

They can be elected or appointed depending on the charity’s governing document and how their board is structured. Elections can be held among members, or they can be appointed by other trustees or outside bodies, such as local councils or a church.

 

Trustees must be over the age of 18 and cannot be appointed if they have previously been disqualified as a trustee or company director.

 

 

Trustees’ strengths and weaknesses

 

A 2024 Charity Excellence Framework survey highlights areas where trustees believe they are strongest and weakest. This gives an insight into how well they can adapt to change in a raft of areas.

 

The areas where trustees feel they are strongest include understanding the importance of the role, attending meetings, and their grasp of their charity’s values, mission, and strategy. Debating and contributing to meetings is another strength.

 

Areas where trustees feel they are weakest include supporting and positively challenging their charity’s management team. Being accountable to stakeholders and beneficiaries is another weakness, and many lack confidence in acting as an ambassador to secure donations. Trustees also warn that their board does not have “all the skills and experience we need”, according to this survey. 

 

There is a specific gap in knowledge about improving equality, diversity, and inclusion, which is trustees’ worst performing area according to a separate 2024 survey, carried out by Directory of Social Change. 

 

 

Tips on being adaptive

 

In May 2025 a discussion event run by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) was staged on ways trustees can be more adaptive. This involved representatives from NPC, funder DRK Foundation and consultancy Leapwise. Tips offered include the below.

 

 

Being comfortable with uncertainty

 

Start by refocusing the attention of trustees away from reacting to change “towards how to prepare for change”, says NPC Media and Communications Manager Joseph Barnsley.

 

This includes stress testing a charity’s strategy to see how well it can handle potential changes. Focusing on outcomes that the charity wants to achieve, rather than processes, will help too.

 

“Becoming more comfortable with uncertainty and change starts with acknowledging that you can’t predict everything,” says Barnsley.

 

 

Getting a range of information

 

Trustees can be too “executively controlled” and only see information given to them by the charity’s executive leadership, warns Barnsley.

 

A better way to understand a charity is to speak to other members of staff, including frontline workers. The views of service users and stakeholders also need to be gathered. This will help trustees better highlight areas where change is needed and gather views on how this can be achieved.

 

Experts at the event recommend trustees take part in informal buddy schemes with trustees at similar charities to gain further perspectives.

 

 

Having an open culture

 

Boards need to operate under an open culture, where trustees can speak freely on wider issues to further pinpoint where change is needed.

 

This can be achieved by ensuring there is a space on agendas for trustees to raise broader concerns. Meeting timings shouldn’t be too rigid either and should be extended when important points are raised. At the end of meetings, trustees are encouraged to discuss how they think it went and where they can improve.

 

Creating this open culture will give a more open strategic approach to decision making. Barnsley adds: “A board whose culture is focused on driving the mission forward allows for more reflection of what that mission is and should be.”