Make a Difference Together: Family Volunteering This Summer!

Charity Trustees are those responsible for the running of a charity, giving direction and making strategic decisions. It’s a responsible role, but people from all walks of life are needed, as if trustees are all from the same socio-economic background with similar experiences, a board will be lacking in different perspectives and innovation. Here’s a brief guide to what it means to be a trustee and how to find a trustee role that suits you. What is a trustee? Trustees are responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of a charity. They make sure that the charity is well run, financially stable and fulfilling its identified purpose. Who can be a trustee? Most people! With some organisations, you can be a trustee from 16 years of age. You may be disqualified if you have ever been declared bankrupt or with certain unspent criminal convictions. If the charity works with children or vulnerable adults, you will likely need a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Why would I want to be a trustee? As with any voluntary role, everyone has their own reasons! It may be a charity that you want to support, one where you have relatable experiences to contribute, or it could be that you want to gain some experience and new skills to support your professional career – there are all perfectly valid reasons! How do I find a trustee role? Think about the type of charity that you would like to be a trustee for. You might be passionate about the environment, have experience of a particular medical condition or want to really support your local community. You’ll be a better fit if the charity is one you have an interest in and are potentially knowledgeable about the issues they may be facing. Think about the skills that you will being to the table – some charities will be looking for new trustees to fill particular roles. You may also want to ask about meeting frequency and times (daytime or evening) and location, to ensure that you would be able to attend. At GoVolHerts, we have a dedicated page where you can find all of the current trustee vacancies from our organisations in one place: https://www.govolherts.org.uk/trustee-opportunities Other considerations: If you’re not sure if this is a role for you, or if a charity you particularly want to support doesn’t currently have a trustee vacancy, it’s still worth making contact. Let them know you’re interested and ask if you could attend a board meeting as an observer to get a feel for what is required. Trustees serve for a fixed term – often 3 years – so board will be looking for new members at some point. If a particular project is coming online within the organisation, they may also be looking for different skills, perhaps in IT or HR. For more detail on the role of a trustee, NCVO have produced guidance: What is a trustee? | NCVO

So, you’ve just been accepted as a trustee on the board of a charity, or maybe you’ve been a trustee for a little while already. What can you do to ensure that you’re not just a trustee, but a great trustee? Here are our top tips to give you some food for thought! Be clear on your responsibilities: As a trustee, you do have legal duties to act in the best interest of the charity. Understanding relevant laws and regulations will help you make the best decisions possible. Embrace the Mission and Values! A clear understanding of the mission and values of your charity is fundamental in helping move forwards and being able to successfully advocate for its interests and contribute meaningfully to its objectives. Education, Education, Education! Take advantage of any opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills as a trustee – training sessions, workshops, seminars, networking events – all worth looking into to keep yourself informed and up to date. Active Engagement Ensure that you are an active participant in trustee meetings, discussions and decision-making processes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and challenge accepted thinking in a positive and constructive way. Ensure transparency and accountability Maintain open communications, adhere to ethical standards and ensure prudent financial management. Invest in relationships Cultivate positive relationships with follow trustees, but also with staff members and volunteers. They can give you valuable perspectives and insights. You may also have donors and external stakeholders that it would be beneficial to foster good relations with. Exercise Strategic Leadership Help set goals, develop plans and monitor progress towards achieving the organisation’s mission. Ensure decisions are made based on data, evidence and input from stakeholders. Advocate for Diversity & Inclusion We know that diverse boards are better for your organisation (NCVO – The Importance of Diversity in your Trustee Board - The importance of diversity in your trustee board | NCVO ). Support and promote diversity and inclusion within your organisation and decision-making processes – it benefits everyone! Seek feedback and evaluation: Regular feedback can be really helpful – embrace constructive criticism to help grow and improve! GoVolHerts, in partnership with Hertfordshire Community Foundation, run an annual Trustee Conference in November each year, during Trustees’ Week – keep an eye open for updates about the next event!

Recognising and rewarding your volunteers acknowledges the vital part they play in your organisation and your activities and impact. It should be a key part of your strategy for volunteer retention. There are also some pitfalls that you also need to avoid. Here are some great ways you can recognise and reward your volunteers: Host an awards evening or other appreciation event, where employees and volunteers can come together. Special thank you events at key times like a summer picnic or Christmas party to thank volunteers are often very popular; they help volunteers to get to know one another and feel part of a team. Have Recognition Certificates for your volunteers Acknowledge birthdays, special events in a volunteer's life and thank them for significant efforts and achievements Thoughtful small gifts, such as flowers or chocolates, can be great to celebrate volunteering milestones Include volunteers in significant organisation events and in training (paying for volunteers to attend training as fine, as long as it is related to their volunteering) Provide regular feedback and the chance for two-way conversations; give them the chance to contribute and feel part of you organisation Look out for reward schemes for volunteers – we used the Room To Reward scheme to show our appreciation for our Admin volunteer, Opal - Opal's Award Reimbursing volunteers' out-of-pocket expenses is always recommended, and you should encourage them to claim. This isn't a reward, just a way of ensuring everyone can afford to volunteer, but it does help volunteers to feel appreciated and supported. (Since you shouldn’t be offering any sort of financial reward that could be construed as payment, make sure your system reimburses reasonable actual expenses incurred whilst volunteering) Remember that you should avoid the expectation of regular rewards, to avoid any interpretation of a contractual exchange in return for volunteering. Any tokens of recognition should be just that – thoughtful 'Thank you's rather than financially valuable. For more on volunteer retention, see here . Has your organisation successfully found a way to recognise and reward your volunteers? We’d love to share your stories, so please get in touch with us: [email protected]