Six ways to support young people as trustees
Charities benefit from having a diverse range of views around the board table, yet less than 3% of board trustees are under 30
GOVERNANCE
Image: Istock
Sarah Loader
Consultant, Campbell Tickell
According to the Taken on Trust research by the Charity Commission, the median age for a trustee is 61 years. And this has come down in recent years! The Young Trustees Movement estimates that less than 3% of charity trustees are under 30, yet 18-29 year olds make up around 13% of the UK’s population.
Charities benefit from having a diverse range of views around the board table. One way to get some fresh perspective is to encourage younger people to become trustees. There are some ways that you can encourage younger people to become, and more importantly, to continue and be effective as trustees.
Here are six ways to support young people as trustees:
01
Create a welcoming environment
First, the existing board should all commit to having a younger person as a trustee.
They must then be ready to help support them in their full responsibilities as a trustee and be willing to hear their views, even when they don’t always chime with their own.
Having a clear code of conduct in place and setting out expected behaviours, is also essential.
02
Make clear both the responsibilities and opportunities
All new trustees, whatever their age, need to be clear about their legal responsibilities and the expectations on them. They should be given support to ensure they are effective in their role.
Encourage younger people to apply to become a trustee by explaining the opportunities that the role affords. Young people will gain important skills that are useful in their working lives such as leadership, working as a team, effective decision making, analysing information and strategic insight.
Also, try to ensure that all trustees are offered opportunities to be involved with other aspects of the charity’s work, so it is not just about attending meetings!
03
Offer training and on-going support
Again, this is something that all new trustees, whatever their age, should expect. There should be an induction process that explains the role and the expectations.
Young trustees might benefit from a ‘buddy’ i.e. an experienced trustee who will be on hand to answer any questions about the role in a more informal way.
Staff might be made available in advance of board meetings to discuss any issues in the board papers. Furthermore, make sure you get regular feedback on how they are finding the role.
04
Effective chairing
The chair should be particularly mindful to ensure that all trustees, but particularly younger trustees, are able to contribute to board discussions. For example, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to speak.
“The chair should be particularly mindful to ensure that all trustees, but particularly younger trustees, are able to contribute to board discussions. For example, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to speak.”
05
Think about how you present information at meetings
Bringing younger people onto the board might be a perfect time to think about how information is presented to the board as a whole. Have you asked your board how they would like information presented?
Not all trustees like information in the same way and some might need assistive technology. Ensure you ask what each individual needs.
Is there an explanation of any jargon or acronyms that are commonly used in the charity? Are the figures accompanied by an overview of the key points to look out for, and perhaps an explanation of key trends?
06
Consider the timings of meetings and be sure that policies on out-of-pocket expenses are clear
Younger people might not have the flexibility in their work to ask for time off during the day to attend meetings. Like anyone self-employed or on zero hours contracts, they might suffer financially if they take time off.
Look at your expenses policy to make sure that trustees are encouraged to claim for any allowable out-of-pocket expenses they incur.
Trustees who are students might find meetings at particular times in the academic year more tricky to attend – for example, in the run up to exams. Make sure you speak with all the trustees about their availability well in advance of setting meeting dates and diarise meetings.
