More than 700,000 people volunteer their time each year as trustees in England and Wales, collectively filling nearly a million board positions. These individuals are vital to the success of the charity sector—steering organisations towards their missions while meeting legal, financial, and ethical obligations. At a conservative estimate, this contribution is worth at least £2.2 billion a year in volunteer labour.1 And that’s before accounting for the professional expertise, lived experience, and specialist skills trustees bring to the table, making their true impact far greater still. 

It’s good news, then, that most trustees find the role deeply rewarding. In our new report with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Trusteeship – a positive opportunity, we found that 80% would recommend the role to others. Over 90% feel their contributions are heard, respected and supported by fellow board members and staff. Trustees describe feeling connected to causes that matter, valued by their peers, and empowered to make a tangible difference. 

Boards are managing under pressure 

But while most trustees are confident in their duties, many are working under pressure. The majority of boards have at least one unfilled vacancy (some surveys report this could be as many as four in five) and when trustee roles go unfilled, the burden often falls on the shoulders of remaining board members. We found in our recent survey: 

  • 55% of trustees said they lacked the time to fulfil all their duties 
  • 8% of trustees wanted to resign but felt unable to do so, rising to 15% among trustees aged 30 or under 

Fewer trustees means fewer hands to share the load, while critical skills or areas of expertise may also be missing from boards. All of which restricts both the governance strength and operational resilience of charities. Yet not everyone has equal access to trustee positions, and that has implications for the skills, capacity, and diversity of thought at the heart of the sector. 

Representation that reflects society 

Despite the importance of lived experience, local knowledge and diverse perspectives in organisational leadership, our data suggests that many boards have further to go to in being representative of the communities they serve: 

  • The median age of trustees is between 65–69; more than half are retired, and 55% are aged over 65 
  • 8% of trustees come from ethnic minority backgrounds, far below the 17% in the general population 
  • 17% of trustees report having a disability, compared to 24% of the UK population 
  • Women make up 43% of trustees—well short of gender parity. At board leadership level, the imbalance is greater: only 35% of chairs and 37% of treasurers are women 
  • Trustees tend to be wealthier than average: 65% report household incomes above the national median of £34,500. The median trustee income falls between £50,000–£59,000 

This suggests the pool from which trustees are drawn is still too shallow. With so many boards carrying unfilled vacancies, deepening that pool offers an exciting opportunity to bring new skills, expertise and energy to charity boards.  

Broadening access: seven routes to more inclusive trusteeship 

As a sector, we must do more to ensure trusteeship is inclusive, supported and sustainable. Strengthening these foundations wouldn’t just reduce the burden on existing trustees — it would also help charities achieve even greater impact. 

But how do we get there? 

There’s no shortage of ideas for how to attract and retain new trustee volunteers. Yet, few have achieved universal support, and some remain hotly debated. Below is a brief overview of seven sector-discussed and practical routes forward. 

1. Encourage open recruitment 

Just 6% of trustees found their role through an open application. Most are invited through personal connections—typically by the Chair or other board members. This reinforces existing privilege and narrows opportunity. 

The Charity Commission already recommends advertising trustee roles widely. But to be effective, charities need help to design and deliver inclusive processes—not just encouragement. 

2. Support trustees with time and flexibility 

Time is a significant barrier for many younger and working-age people. Competing pressures from jobs, childcare, or caring responsibilities can make trusteeship feel out of reach. 

Employers could have a role to play here. Recognising trusteeship as professional development—and offering volunteering leave—could open new pathways. Some large employers do this already, but few promote trusteeship explicitly. 

3. Refresh boards to make space for new voices 

Fixed term limits can help inject new perspectives into boards. In our survey, just less than half (49%) of trustees hold such appointments. 

But continuity matters too—especially for smaller organisations that rely on long-serving trustees. Term limits work best when supported by better recruitment pipelines, strong inductions, and ongoing development. 

4. Remove financial barriers to participation 

Some argue that paying trustees could reduce barriers for people excluded due to cost. Others worry this undermines public trust in voluntary governance. 

Whether to pay trustees remains a divisive issue in the sector. Some see remuneration as a route to greater inclusion, while others worry it may undermine the voluntary ethos of governance. The Commission’s updated guidance reiterates that trusteeship should remain unpaid in most cases, encouraging other inclusion strategies first. This is a complex debate, that will continue to be subject to ongoing discussion. 

5. Raise awareness, change perceptions 

A national campaign could raise awareness of trusteeship, especially in communities currently underrepresented in charity leadership. Spotlighting diverse trustee stories, offering training, and engaging directly with new audiences could shift perceptions about who “belongs” on a board. 

But awareness efforts require sustained investment and cross-sector coordination, including support from funders and infrastructure bodies. 

6. Invest in pathways and potential 

Structural barriers: limited access to networks, training, or early opportunities, can prevent people from becoming trustees. 

One option to address this is long-term investment in trustee development pipelines, including scaling initiatives like the Young Trustees Movement, Getting on Board, and Charity Board Leadership. Real change takes time, but the benefits will last. 

7. Build on the Charity Commission’s refreshed guidance 

The Charity Commission’s updated recruitment guidance (CC30) sets a new benchmark. It acknowledges the limits of relying on personal networks and advocates for open, inclusive recruitment. 

It urges charities to: 

  • assess how well boards reflect the communities they serve 
  • conduct skills audits to identify gaps 
  • use accessible role descriptions 
  • offer structured induction 

This is real progress. But guidance alone won’t change the system. It must be backed by practical support and sector-wide commitment. 

From recommendations to reform 

We now have a window of opportunity to transform how trustees are recruited, supported, and retained. By building on the Commission’s leadership and the work of infrastructure bodies, charities and funders can move from recommendation to reform—and unlock the full potential of inclusive governance. 

The private sector offers compelling evidence of what’s at stake: companies with the most diverse leadership are 36 percent more likely to have above-average profitability than the least diverse. While we lack equivalent data in the charity sector, the logic still holds: if we can unlock greater diversity, we could amplify the already immense value of trusteeship — multiplying the impact of that £2.2bn contribution of volunteer labour by a significant factor. 

So, while there may be some costs associated with bolstering charity boards and introducing greater diversity, we should see these as investments that will bear fruit in relatively short order 

We don’t have definitive figures for the impact of more diverse boards within charity sector, but if the gains made are similar to those recorded in the private sector, then we might expect the benefits to significantly outweigh the costs. 

At the very least, it’s worth debating. We hope you’ll join us on Tuesday, 24 June, for our webinar Who’s on board? Closing the diversity gap in charity leadership, where we will explore the findings of this research, look at how trustees are recruited, who they are, and what it takes to create inclusive, sustainable boards for the future. Sign up here. 

Trustee boards should foster collaboration, purpose, and inclusion, reflecting the communities they serve. We need trusteeship to be genuinely open to all, not just in principle but in practice. 

Thanks to our former colleague Daisy Harmer for her work on the report, which helped shape this article. 

  1. Trustees contribute significant economic value along with their social impacts. The Charity Commission of England and Wales reports around 700,000 trustees, averaging 4.88 hours per week, totalling about 178 million hours annually. Based on the UK minimum wage, this equates to roughly £2.2 billion in labour value each year. Their roles often align with professional management, suggesting that the true value of their volunteer time may be even greater.