Trustees are at the heart of every charity, large or small. They are responsible for ensuring their organisation meets its legal and financial obligations while delivering on its charitable purposes. Generous with their time, expertise and energy, the vast majority of trustees are unpaid volunteers.
Despite the personal sacrifices involved, most are overwhelmingly positive about trusteeship. This research demonstrates that trustees experience multiple benefits from their role – from a stronger connection with their community and the ability to help shape society, through to career-enhancing development opportunities for people of working age.
Given the pivotal role trustees play, better understanding who they are – their skills, experiences and demographic characteristics – is essential. This knowledge provides context into how boards function, the diversity of perspectives shaping decisions and where there are gaps. This helps charities, policymakers and the Commission to take well-informed steps to support existing trustees, and to encourage more to step forward.
To better understand who serves on today’s charity boards, the Charity Commission for England and Wales (the Commission) has been working with Pro Bono Economics (PBE), experts in social sector-based research, to conduct a new national survey of charity trustees. The survey was developed in consultation with organisations from across the charity sector. Fieldwork was undertaken by BMG Research in July and August 2024; PBE’s analysis of the findings forms the basis of this report.
One of the primary takeaways from the research is the extent to which trustees benefit from their experience. Although trusteeship is a significant voluntary undertaking, the majority would recommend it to others (80%). Many trustees reported experiencing multiple and profound benefits, from feeling they are positively impacting the world (60%) to feeling more connected to a community or movement (65%), highlighting the rewards of responsibility. Overall, just 1% of the trustee population surveyed would not recommend the role to others.
Trustees are also resoundingly positive about their experience in post. More than nine in ten believe their contributions to board meetings are heard and respected (94%). The majority also agree that they feel valued and supported by fellow members of the board (93%), and that their contributions are welcomed and respected by staff and volunteers (91%). A large majority also have a strong understanding of their role and responsibilities (95%) and feel confident sharing their views in board meetings (95%).
While trustees, unquestionably, feel confident and well-equipped to discharge their duties, it is important to understand the skills and experiences that underpin and inform trustee decision making, including where there are gaps. Understandably, there will be some variation in the types of skills a board requires, with some skills being more or less relevant, and contingent on factors such as an organisation’s size, income and complexity. The findings suggest, among other things, that boards could benefit from more people with legal skills and experience, as several charities currently rely on external professionals to fulfil this function.
Trustees come from all walks of life. While trusteeship is open to all ages (16+ or 18+), older people currently fill most of these roles. People from an Asian background, people of mixed ethnicity and other ethnicities are less likely to hold trustee roles, in comparison with the general population. However, the ethnicity of older age groups in the general population differs to the population as a whole and when we look at those over the age of 60, the only significant difference between trustees and the wider population of that age group is a lower percentage of people from Asian backgrounds (1% of trustees compared to 4% in the older population). In the younger age group (under 60) there are proportionally more trustees who are Black (7% compared to 5% in the population) and proportionally fewer who are Asian (5% compared to 11%).
Trusteeship is unique and vital to society. Charities would not exist without people stepping up to the plate to volunteer their valuable time and expertise, and this research demonstrates that there is a pay-off, despite the commitment. Trustees say they are rewarded with an array of enriching personal and professional benefits.