volunteer as a trustee

Trustees make sure that an organisation:

• is legally and financially compliant - that it is well run;
• does what it was set up to do and sticks to its mission, vision and values;
• follows what is set out in the governing document or constitution;
• has well managed and supported paid staff and volunteers; and
• is accountable.

Anyone can volunteer as a trustee. You don’t need to have years of experience of as a corporate executive. Professional experience can be useful, but lived experience is just as important. Your perspective on an issue as a member of a specific community, age group, as someone who has been involved with a service, or who lives in a particular location is just as valuable.

The more diverse the board in terms of experience the more likely it is to be more equitable in the decisions it makes. You do need to be committed to the role as it is a vital an important one, so you should look for an organisation that you value or one which does work in an area that you feel passionate about.

Search our database for current trustee vacancies or visit our GovernanceWiki for trusted, reliable and considered information on charity governance.

You can search for opportunities or navigate to the wiki by clicking on the buttons opposite (or below on a mobile device).

Boards need lots of different skills and experiences. A good, balanced board will have people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and all are equally valuable. You will see boards advertising for people with certain skills such as finance or business development, but equally important is people who represent community or perhaps have lived experience. To be a trustee you do not have to have lots of professional skills or qualifications, life skills and enthusiasm for the organisations purpose and aims is the most important thing.

Younger people are a vitally important for boards. Younger people will often have a new and fresh ideas, different lived experiences and are usually a real asset to a board. As a young person, becoming a trustee can also be a powerful learning tool. It gives you experience of governing an organisation, networking and building connections, experience of decision making, budgeting and HR issues etc that are hard to get in the workplace. That can really put you out ahead of the competition in your career path. Scottish charity law does not define a minimum age for a trustee, however in general to enable trustees to fully carry out their duties such as entering into a contract (you have to be 16 to do that) then 16 is considered the youngest age.

Yes, trustees are ultimately responsible for the organisation they govern. It is the trustee’s role to make sure that the organisation does what it set up to do and that it is properly run. Boards are however a truly collective thing. Each person on the board is equally responsible for the decisions that board make, so although being a trustee is a responsibility it is a shared responsibility.

Each organisation is different and will manage the recruitment of trustees in different ways. Some may be more formal, others less so. Technically the board of an organisation recruit new trustees so a discussion with the Chair and/or some other board members should be expected. You will also most likely have a discussion with the Chief Office or manager of the organisation.

If you do join the board of an organisation you must read the governing document. Depending on the structure of the organisation this can be called different things; constitution, articles of association for example. Think of this as the operating manual for the organisation. Not only will it lay out clearly the purpose and aims of the organisation but it will explain how the organisation should be run. Every trustee should be familiar with the document of the organisation.

Yes. Whether you have been volunteering as a trustee for long time or are just thinking of doing it there is some really good training available. The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has a good practice guide for charity trustees and locally Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) regularly run free Roles and Responsibility Training for trustees. The Scottish Council Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) also run courses for trustees on a variety of governance issues.