Back to school: 9 steps to being a trusty trustee

A September chill is in the air, and yesterday I spied my first conker—enough to trigger that ‘back-to-school’ nostalgia of polished shoes, trips to the hairdresser, and shopping for a new pencil case. But at NPC, every day is a school day as we try to keep that post-holiday freshness and enthusiasm flowing through the sector all year round.

Where better to start than with the board of trustees? Whether you’re a beginner, or in need of some revision, here’s our pick of resources and tips to help you serve your charity and its beneficiaries the best you can.

1. Get Back to basics of what it means to be a trustee with this briefing from our event for trustees last year.
2. Important for any board of trustees is its relationship with senior management. But this can be tough. Our briefing Happy Relations? looks at the issues faced, and how best to navigate them.
3. Charity finance keeps many trustees awake at night. Let this briefing ease your mind with some tips and tricks.
4. The Charity Commission’s recently updated guide for charity trustees is well worth a read.
5. Need some hands-on help, and a chance to meet other trustees facing similar issues? Come to one of our events for trustees. Each year we run a series of four to target the issues of the day.
6. More essential reading is NCVO’s Good Trustee Guide, serving both as a how-to for new trustees and as a refresher for the long-servers.
7. Hear from young, first-time trustee and NPC staff member David Bull on his experience of trusteeship—his fresh approach could help you rejuvenate yours.
8. If you’re a young Trustee, CAF have some great guidance for you.
9. ‘A vision with a plan can change the world’. If you’re feeling ambitious and want to encourage your board to review your organisation’s strategy, get in touch. We can help.