Having the right people on board

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You'll find your board is more effective if you have members who are willing and able to do the work. Have you thought about the knowledge and skills you need on your board? Do the current members, between them, have the appropriate skills? Are they able to work well as a team? Can you develop what you need in existing members or do you need to recruit new board members?

You can ensure your charity or non profit board has the right skills by:

• identifying what attributes you need on your board
• assessing your board’s skills
• developing your board and board members
• recruiting trustees.

Identifying the needs of your organisation

Take some time to identify what your charity or non profit board needs from its members. The exact mix and level of knowledge, skills and other attributes will depend on your organisation and its stage of development. A small organisation may need someone to have basic bookkeeping skills whereas a large one may want a trustee who understands investments. You may need board members who are good strategic thinkers, effective communicators or have relevant connections.

You are likely to need specific technical knowledge and skills such as:

• organisational skills
• financial management
• people management
• knowledge of the law, especially charity law
• IT
• fundraising
• communication  and marketing.

In addition you'll need a mix of other skills and attributes such as:

• strategic thinking
• understanding of your organisation's context (whether that's your neighbourhood,  country or a specific sector)
• interpersonal skills
• ability to make and maintain connections
• a willingness to learn
• a passion for the organisation's cause.
  

Does your board reflect the community it serves? Is it inclusive or exclusive? Are its members mostly alike or are they diverse in their backgrounds, experience and interests? A diverse board helps an organisation consider different perspectives and helps build confidence that it is.

It's also worth thinking about what lies ahead for your organisation in the next 1 to 3 years. For example, are you intending to recruit staff; are you going to develop a website; are you thinking of acquiring a building? Ask yourself whether you're going to need new skills on the board to help you deal effectively with these developments.

A well-balanced board will have a mixture of technical skills (such as accounting, IT or marketing) and ' softer ' skills (such as problem solving or being a team player). What different members can contribute and to what degree will vary: it could be time, money, connections, diverse perspectives, or relevant expertise or experience of the issue. 

Create and agree on a list of what you need on your board, it might help if you prioritise it

You may also want to ask board members about what the board does well and where it needs to improve. You may discover that the way the board works is preventing people from contributing as much as they could. Take a look at our section on ways of working to create the conditions to allow your board to shine.

Assessing the board's capabilities

Once you have identified the needs of your charity or non profit board it's a good idea to assess the capabilities you already have on your board. You can conduct a capability audit by asking each of the trustees to indicate their knowledge and skill level in each area you have identified.

You might ask them to indicate their level of confidence, for example, high, medium or low; or whether this is an area they feel able to lead on for the charity or non profit. Ask them to indicate whether they want or need more training.

You could do this by questionnaire or you could have individual reviews with each trustee.

Compare the results of the capability audit with your list of board needs. The gaps will indicate where you need to develop current board members or recruit new ones. Make sure you use the talents on the board by ensuring that board members know about each other’s skills and experience and are explicitly invited to contribute relevant expertise.

Avoid the trap however of leaving matters solely to those with the most experience or knowledge in a particular area. Ultimately the whole board is responsible for the decisions it takes. It's important each of you understand any advice given.

If you find you have a lot of gaps or they are difficult to fill it's worth reconsidering whether the gap has to be filled by a trustee. It may be that you can use a professional adviser or seek advice on specific issues. For example, your CVS may be able to help or if your organisation is part of a larger network it may be able to offer advice for example on legal matters.

Developing the board and board members

How best to develop your board depends on its particular needs and circumstances. It may be helpful to think in terms of knowledge, skills and behaviour.

Board member knowledge

If its knowledge that your board needs then you can help by ensuring they get the right information. They are likely to need information about:

• their role
• your organisation
• your organisation's field of work.

In addition to the resources on this website there are a wide range of resources available such as publications, websites, newsletters,networks and events.

Here are some ideas:

Role: useful resources include the Charity Commission website, the Charity Trustee Networks website; and the Honorary Treasurers Forum. Also ensure that trustees and board members have a role description.

Organisation: provide information about your organisation’s services and products, and about your clients. If possible provide an opportunity to experience the organisation’s services, or to talk to clients. See also accountability to key stakeholders.

Your organisation's field of work: it’s a good idea for trustees and board members to be aware of developments in your field of work. For more information see the section on 'other organisations in your field and connections' in do we need external support? and also connections.

Board member skills

Board members and trustees can develop the board skills they need in a number of ways. These include training, mentoring opportunities, taking on new roles (for example, to lead a discussion or chair a subcommittee) joining a network where they can share and reflect on their experience.

The culture is important to people's ability to learn. It's important to encourage trustees and board members to reflect on their own performance  and to develop a culture where people give feedback to each other on what they've done well and are constructive in identifying possible areas for improvement. 

An increasing number of boards are introducing individual trustee reviews which provide an opportunity to reflect on what the board member brings to the organisation and what they can develop.

Behaviour of board members

Soft skills are as important as hard ones. It helps to be clear what kind of behaviour you want to see on the board. You will board may find it helpful to have a code of conduct. A mentor or body can you trustees can be helpful. An increasing number of organisations are introducing individual trustee reviews which provide an opportunity to reflect on what each board member brings to the organisation and what they can develop.

Often however it is not individual behaviour that's a problem, but the dynamics of the board. Perhaps you've fallen into a pattern where some members are too passive, while others are hyperactive. Perhaps the board is not challenging enough or too confrontational. It's a good idea to the board together to review how well it is working as a team and other aspects of its performance. See board review for more information.

Recruiting trustees

Attracting new trustees is vital to renewing your board and ensuring the long-term health of the organisation. Many boards have maximum terms of office for trustees or board members to ensure they are bringing in fresh thinking and maintaining the energy of the board.

Many charities and not-for-profit struggle to find good board members and trustees. There are things you can do to improve your chances of attracting and retaining good candidates:

• be clear what you're looking for
• check your governing document
• promote your vacancy
• make your new board member feel welcome
• plan ahead.

Be clear what you are looking for in your trustees

It's important that you think about what knowledge and skills you actually need on the board and to identify any particular gaps you need to fill. You also need to be clear about what you expect of your trustee. It's a good idea to draw up a description of the trustee or board role and a list of qualities needed to do the job. Provide information about your organisation and the  responsibilities of being a board member, trustee or company director. Don't forget that some people are not eligible to be a charity trustee. It’s a good idea to make that clear to potential candidates.

Check your governing doument

Don't forget to check your governing document. It may limit your recruitment options for example there may be a maximum number of trustees or it may only allow trustees to be chosen by election.

Promote your trustee vacancy

Too many organisations rely on asking people they already know. The danger is you miss out on a huge pool of talent. There are a range of options to get your message across to the kind of people you need - many of them free. 

You can get help from volunteer agencies, trustee brokering services, recruitment agencies.  You can use specialist websites such as do-it.org.uk or getonboard.org.uk. Tap into relevant networks: local, national or specialist and ask them to help spread the word for you to their members. You can try advertising - use free options like a notice in a local library, community centre or GP/health centre. For more information see our guide to find a trustee.

Make your new trustee welcome

Once you have found your new trustee or board member make the effort to make them feel welcome. A few simple things will help your trustee settle in more quickly, feel comfortable and able to contribute. Get together a pack of relevant information – start with key information only, try not to overload them. Think about asking one trustee to be a ‘friendly face’ for the new trustee or board member to turn to while they’re gaining confidence. See also trustee induction.

Plan ahead for trustee recruitment

Don't leave board and trustee recruitment to the last minute. You can usually anticipate when people are coming up for retirement, especially when you have fixed terms. It's a good idea to think about future honorary officers. if you lack candidates to be a future chair or treasurer it may be time to start recruiting.

Useful links

• Start as you mean to go on: Trustee Recruitment and Induction: Charity Commission
• Trustee Recruitment Resources for Small Organisations: NCVO
  
• Good Practice in Trustee Recruitment- a toolkit (PDF, 290kb)  NCVO
  
• Recruit a Trustee pocket guide (PDF, 234kb) NCVO
  

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