On 11 June 2012, NPC and The Clothworkers’ Company held a seminar for people interested in discussing the issue of payment of trustees: not currently commonplace, but allowed by the Charity Commission on a case-by-case basis. Most attendees were trustees, many also working in charities.
This report highlights the key themes discussed during the seminar: beginning with the case for payment of trustees from the point of view of charity effectiveness, before looking at the question in a more philosophical way, at whether payment would be the right thing to do. Opinions were divided—something we’re seeing more widely subsequently, since July’s publication of the Hodgson Review and its recommendation that charities with incomes over £1m be free to pay trustees.