Resources for Trustees
Help, Information and Support
‘I know what the role involves and what I’m responsible for, where can I find help and support to carry it out?’
Trustee E-learning
Free online modular courses covering all aspects of being a trustee and running a charity. You can do them at your own pace and you get a certificate at the end.
‘This e-learning website, sponsored by the Governance Hub, has been produced by SAVO (Suffolk Association of Voluntary Organisations) to provide Trustees with easy access to a self paced training system’
TrusteElearning - List of Modules
- TrusteElearning E-Induction
- Trusteeship Introduction
- All About Charities
- Leadership
- Roles & Responsibilities
- Complying With The Law
- Building an Effective Board
- Good Governance
- Business Planning
- Effective Trustee Meetings
- Financial Management
- Managing People
- Evaluation & Quality
NCVO – Trustee Information Centre
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/askncvo/TrusteeGovernance/
As they say, ‘the biggest source of information for trustees’, and quite possibly true, there’s a huge amount of information here, all gathered together in one place and easily accessible.
National Council for Voluntary Organisations’ Trustee Information Centre – “The Centre is the gateway to the biggest source of information for trustees and those who work with boards. We want trustees and those who work with boards to be more confident in knowing that they have the latest information and guidance in an accessible and relevant format.”
Frequently asked questions
- How to recruit a trustee?
- Do trustees get expenses?
- What do trustees do?
- Workforce and leadership
Topic list
- Annual Trustee Conference 2007
- Becoming a trustee
- Planning board succession
- Board diversity
- Board size and composition
- Board staff relations
- Chair appraisal toolkit
- Committees and Sub-committees
- Difficult trustees
- Governance models and structures
- Honorary officers and special roles
- Law, regulation and liabilities for trustees
- Meetings, agendas, minutes
- Models for job descriptions
- Trustee Bank
- Trustee Bank Directory of brokerage services
- Trustee board case studies
- Trustee developments
- Trustee induction
- Trustee recruitment
- Trustee roles and responsibilities
- Trustee skills, experience and qualities
New Articles
Related Magazine Features
Publications for Trustees
- A Chair's First 100 Days
- A Polished Performance: findings from NCVO's Leadership Programme for Chief Executives & Chairs
- A-Z of Good Governance, The
- Best Behaviour: Using trustee codes of conduct to improve governance practice
- Better Communication = Better Governance
- Board Answer Book, The
- Board's Responsibility for Appraising the Chief Executive, The
- A CEO's Guide to Board Development
- Code of Governance - Toolkit
- Developing Trustee Boards: A manual for trainers
- Effective Retreat Planner, The: A Guide for Trustees and Planners
- Enhancing Trusteeship Through Mentoring
- Funding and Costing Workforce and Governance Development
- Getting Value from Consultants
- Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector
- Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector (Pocket-sized)
- Good Governance Action Plan for Voluntary Organisations, The
- Good Governance Action Plan Workbook, The
- Good practice in Trustee Recruitment - Toolkit
- Good Trustee Guide, The
- Good Governance: the chair's role
- Good Governance: the chief executive's roleGood Governance: the chief executive's role
- Governance in the Information Age
- Honorary Treasurer's Handbook, The
- Involving Young People
- Is it Seaworthy? Assessing and Funding the Capacity of Voluntary and Community Organisations
- Leadership, Leadership, Leadership
- Learning to fly
- Living Policy: A complete guide to creating and implementing policy in voluntary organisations
- Living Values: Training Pack
- Lost In Translation: A complete guide to Chair/Chief Executive Partnerships
- Recent Trends in Charity Governance and Trusteeship
- Recruit a Trustee - Pocket Guide
- Recruiting a New Chief Executive: A guide for trustees and chairs
- Recruiting and Supporting Black and Minority Ethnic Trustees
- Reducing the Risks: A Guide to Trustee Liabilities
- Reducing the Risks: A Guide to Trustee Liabilities: Training Pack
- Setting Chief Executive Remuneration
- Tending your board
- Trust Youth
- Trustees and Management Committee Members National Occupational Standards
- Trustees and Management Committee Members National Occupational Standards - Pocket-sized
- Trustee and Management Committee National Occupational Standards - Toolkit
- Win Win: A Guide to Negotiation Strategy and Tactics for Third Sector Leaders
Wales Council for Voluntary Action - Trustees and Governance Site
http://www.trusteewales.org.uk/
A good range of quality information in an easy to access format. Includes latest news, guidance, training and events, opportunities and a trustee forum.
The Guidance page contains the following sections:
Bitesize guidance
‘An alphabetical list of bitesize definitions and guidance drafted by WCVA or submitted by Trustees’
Books review
‘A list of useful governance publications with short summaries compiled by WCVA or submitted by Trustees’
The Code and NOS
‘Detailed information on the Governance Hub’s Good Governance - A code for the voluntary and community sector, and National Occupational Standards for Trustees and Management Committee Members’
Governance gateway
‘The gateway to a wealth of original and third party information on all aspects of governance’
WCVA services
‘A comprehensive list of WCVA’s services that may be of interest and use to Trustees’
WCVA event material
‘A collection of guidance material from relevant WCVA events including the annual Wales Charity Law Conference’
Wales Council for Voluntary Action – ‘Trustee’ Information Sheets
http://www.trusteewales.org.uk/guidance/governance-gateway/trustees-and-governing-body-members
Concise but information packed leaflets on key subjects
‘This section is concerned with information and guidance on all those matters that trustees need to consider when discharging their duties. These may include:
- Governance theories and principles
- Recruitment, induction and development
- Board structures and roles
- Legal duties and responsibilities
- Working with the Chief Officer
- Liability and indemnity insurance’
Information Sheets
5.1 Principles of governance
5.2 Trustee duties and responsibilities
5.3 Governing body structures and honorary officers
5.4 Recruitment, selection and induction
5.5 Training and development for trustees
5.6 Working with the chief officer
5.7 Liability of trustees and governing body members
5.8 Trustee indemnity insurance
Charity Trustee Networks
Helps set up networks of charity trustees so they can share knowledge and experience with each other and gain access to help, support and advice
‘Charity Trustee Networks (CTN) was established in 1998. Our main objectives are to promote the efficacy and effectiveness of charities by improving their governance through trustee networks and by promoting the education of trustees in the principle and practice of trusteeship.’
- Opportunities for face to face trustee networking around the country, including links to specialised networks, such as chairs, treasurers, and for trustees of particular types of charities.
- The chance to have your views heard at a national level - CTN consults with its members and feeds back to government initiatives and consultations on the issues that affect trustees.
- www.trusteenet.org.uk - our free to access website offering a discussion forum, news and information, resources
- trusteenetplus, a benefits scheme - subscription to governance magazine, individual Trustee Indemnity Insurance, a helpline to answer questions and help trustees address potential liability issues before they become serious, and free/discounted entry to events.
Resources Page
http://www.trusteenet.org.uk/resources
CTN Documents on the following, plus links to those from the Charity Commission, Governance Hub and ICSA
- Chairs/vice chairs
- Chair e-newsletter
- Resources for chairs
- Trustees
- Trustee e-newsletter
- Governance
- Recruitment and induction
- The role and responsibilities of trustees
- Other resources for trustees
- Networks
- Networks e-newsletter
- Setting up a network
- Resources for networks
- Treasurers and finance
- Accounts, finances and investments
- Pro bono services for charities
- Free services for charities
- Other organisations
- Charity Commission and government departments
- Membership and umbrella organisations
- Links to other organisations
- Newsletter updates from other organisations
‘Learning to Fly’ - Piloting your local voluntary or community organisation
http://www.trusteenet.org.uk/resources/learning-fly
Or
http://www.governancehub.org.uk/resources/Board%20Leadership/BL-The%20Role%20of%20the%20Board/452
Nice easily approachable guide to setting up and running small groups using the analogy of learning to fly a plane. Available from Trusteenet or the Governance Hub and also in hardcopy.
“Maybe you’ve just set up a local organisation to make a difference to your community. Maybe you’re involved in one that’s been running for some time, and have just joined the Committee or become one of the Trustees. Does it sometimes feel like one of those dreams? Where you’re flying a plane, but you don’t really know how?”
- Flight manuals – If you have a governing document make sure you understand it and always remember what the organisation was set up to do
- Air traffic control – Check which laws and regulations apply to your organisation
- Getting ready for takeoff – The importance of keeping records of meetings, financial records, setting budgets, having policies and plans, assessing risks and taking professional advice if necessary
- Know where you’re going- keeping on course – Remember what you were set up to do, be well organised, manage conflicts and problems fairly and openly, and treat everyone equally
- In-flight: controls and instruments – Make sure the committee has the information it needs, check on progress but keep meetings focused
- In-flight announcements – Consult and inform those with an interest in your work
- Handy maintenance tips – Review your performance, arrange training if necessary and keep up with changes in laws and regulations
- Advanced flying: how to find out more - This leaflet is based on ‘Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector’ available from the Governance Hub
THE GOVERNANCE HUB HAS NOW CLOSED AND THIS WEBSITE IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED
Work is underway to ensure the transition of Governance Hub resources to NCVO's Governance and Leadership 'askNCVO' pages, which can be found at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/askncvo/
In the meantime, If you find you are unable to download a particular publication from the Governance Hub site, you can email governance.temp@ncvo-vol.org.uk and they will send you the document in PDF form
Trustee Standards (NOS – National Occupational Standards)
http://www.governancehub.org.uk/trustee_standards.html
A quality standard for individual trustees based upon the concept of National Occupational Standards which define good practice in the way people carry out tasks. It focuses on what needs to be done rather than how you do it and is intended to complement the Code of Good Governance for boards.
‘The Trustee Standards are the terms used to describe the National occupational Standards for Trustees and Management Committee members
- What are National Occupational Standards (NOS)?
- NOS for Trustees and Management Committee Members
- How to use the Standards with trustees and management committees
- prepare role descriptions
- plan recruitment of new trustees
- plan induction for new trustees
- design training for trustees
- identify board or trustee learning needs
- review trustees' performance
- demonstrate the standards your organisation meets
- The four units of the Standards
- Unit 1: Safeguard and promote the values and mission of the organisation
- Unit 2: Determine the strategy and structure of the organisation
- Unit 3: Ensure the organisation operates in an effective, responsible and accountable manner
- Unit 4: Ensure the effective functioning of the Board
- Help with using the Standards
- A toolkit is available for purchase or free download
THE GOVERNANCE HUB HAS NOW CLOSED AND THIS WEBSITE IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED
Work is underway to ensure the transition of Governance Hub resources to NCVO's Governance and Leadership 'askNCVO' pages, which can be found at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/askncvo/
In the meantime, If you find you are unable to download a particular publication from the Governance Hub site, you can email governance.temp@ncvo-vol.org.uk and they will send you the document in PDF form
