Directory of Social Change

Less than 3% of charity trustees are under 30. Less than 8% of charity trustees are from Black and Asian Backgrounds. Only 13% of the UK’s largest 500 charities have gender parity on their boards. We know that diverse boards make better decisions. But the reality is charity boards are still woefully behind the private sector when it comes to EDI. We are working hard on this at Digital Trustees but we still have a long way to go. If you're interested in learning more make sure you follow Action for Trustee Racial Diversity UK, UKBlackTech, Getting On Board, Young Trustees Movement and Inclusive Boards. Is your trustee recruitment working towards a more diverse board? What needs to change?

I love most trustees in our sector. OK, some of them are undoubtedly a bit dickish at times, but for the most part they’re good people who really want to help their charity succeed. But…you would be amazed how many trustees regularly miss board meetings. They don’t turn up or they prioritise something else. And that is a problem when you’re trying to run an effective charity. To remind trustees, when you commit to being a trustee you are taking on legal and fiduciary duties for which you can be held legally accountable. So it’s in your own best interests to make sure you keep up with what’s going on in your charity and you turn up to the meetings. Secondly, you were chosen to be a trustee because the charity thought you could contribute - so it is not ok to miss board meetings because you were too busy doing something else - not least because it’s entirely possible you would have contributed something really important. Yes, of course sometimes a really critical work thing turns up - but how often is it really not that critical? Yet so many trustees treat board meetings as an ‘if I can’ rather than ‘I absolutely must’. If you can’t make the time to do the role properly step down and make room for someone who does treat it as a priority. Of course there are times when other things clash - but be absolutely sure that those other things are genuinely more important than your commitment as a legally accountable trustee of a charity. Think of the risk. You don’t turn up - the board makes a dodgy decision and things go wrong. You will be held equally accountable whether you were there or not. And if you’re worried about work clashes then book your trustee meetings as holiday as some of my trustees have done in the past. You’ll almost always have the dates a year in advance so it’s not that hard to do. And most employers respect holiday even if they don’t respect your trustee role. It’s rarely more than 8-12 hours in total of your time to attend a board meeting in any one year. So commit to it. And before folk start whatabouting …of course, family and health first always. For more advice on good governance come to Directory of Social Change Good Governance Matters conference. https://lnkd.in/eDzQEtu6

Moving into a management position? Or know someone who is? Our Moving into Management course led by Cathy Shimmin is an absolute must when it comes to confidence and effectiveness. Taking place on Tuesday 6 August, register here: https://lnkd.in/eVPFXyBW

Exciting news... At our Women in Leadership conference this September, we'll be joined by Zara Mohammed from the Muslim Council of Britain! Zara will be joining a panel of sector leaders to discuss allyship, intersectionality and equity in the sector. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/eUEXheiF

As MPs took their seats in the House of Commons this week, I examined some important differences between this parliament and the last, and how #Charities can engage with MPs - including top tips for writing an introductory letter. Check out my latest analysis at the Directory of Social Change website here: https://lnkd.in/dQDUFAST

If I had to pick a single piece of advice that has been most valuable to me as a Chair in the past year, it would be to understand the distinction between agreement and alignment. I was lucky enough to hear it from Debra Allcock Tyler herself (I nearly said straight from the horse’s mouth but that feels insulting in writing!) and it has been invaluable to me with my Miscarriage Association hat on. It has helped me to lead the board through the recruitment of our brilliant CEO Vicki Robinson and the process of signing off on a new and bold strategy. It is also a powerful tool for disagreeing well, something we think a lot about at Pears Foundation, especially in our work with CIEL Center for International Experiential Learning on building the muscle for difficult conversations. Alignment allows you to acknowledge that there may be a gap between people’s positions and perspectives, but still move towards a collective decision or action. Shifting from ‘do you agree?’ to ‘can you align with this?’ or ‘what would help you to align with this?’ gives people an opportunity to express their perspective, shift their position and make a constructive move without having to renounce what’s most important to them. Thank you for articulating this so well Debra.

The Charity Accountant’s two-day online annual conference returns this year on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 November 2024. Sayer Vincent, in partnership with the Directory of Social Change are excited to announce that this year’s programme will include a mix of breakout sessions, panel discussions and thought-provoking keynote sessions that will all provide you with valuable insights and increased knowledge so you can continue to contribute to the success of your charity. To find out more and to register here, click here: https://lnkd.in/eUj-zj-P

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