Free guide launches to improve trustee recruitment

A free guide has been made available online to help charities effectively recruit trustees. Community leadership charity Getting on Board has made the guide available to download via its website to provide a practical toolkit to running effective and open trustee recruitment drives. According to Getting on Board, 90% of charities say they recruit trustees by word of mouth. A more open recruitment system would help ensure charities choose from the best candidates and improve diversity, says Getting on Board. It cites latest research that shows men outnumber women 2:1 on trustee boards, the average trustee is 57-years-old and only 41% of trustee boards represent the communities their charities work in. Getting on Board has piloted the guide among charities looking for new trustees. Those that took part say that their strengthened boards feel more confident in meeting organisational challenges and 65% said their boards are more diverse. “By giving charities the tools they need to effectively recruit and support trustees, we hope to create a system where charities are robust, and charity boards are best equipped to face the challenges of today and the future,” said Getting on Board Chief Executive Officer Penny Wilson. “This guidance is part of our commitment to provide those tools, and to share our learning as widely as we are able.”

Assessing skills gaps

Issues covered in the guide include assessing skills gaps in trustee boards, effective advertisement and developing meaningful inductions for a new trustee. The guide also includes checklists and mapping skills guides for those looking to diversify or grow their trustee board. Getting on Board said the guide is likely to be particularly useful to smaller charities looking to conduct an open trustee recruitment drive for the first time.