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Frequently asked questions
What is a trustee?
- For some, the word ‘Trustee‘ conjures up images of executives sitting around a conference room table, and may sound daunting. In reality, a Trustee is anyone who cares about a charity and wants to help guide it in the right direction.
- Trustees are people who lead charities and, together with other board members, decide how they are run.
- The trustee’s role in a charity is to be the ‘guardians of purpose’, making sure that the organisation is run effectively, in line with their charitable aims and that decisions put the needs of the beneficiaries first.
- Trustees ensure their charity has a clear strategy, and that its work and goals are in line with its vision. They safeguard the charity’s assets – both physical assets, including property, and intangible ones, such as its reputation. They make sure these are used well and that the charity is run sustainably.
What does a Trustee do?
- Trustees aren’t usually involved in the day-to-day running of their charity. They delegate this to staff, usually led by a Chief Executive. Instead, they play the role of a ‘critical friend’ to the Chief Executive by giving support and by challenging – in a supportive way – to help them manage effectively. However, in smaller charities with few staff, trustees may take hands-on roles too.
- Trustees are expected to attend board meetings. The frequency of board meetings is individual to every organisation, but many trustee boards meet around four to eight times a year. Some boards also have subcommittees that focus on particular areas of work or projects. Where they do, trustees may be expected to get involved with one or more sub-committees, as well as having a good understanding of their charity’s work overall.