What does the future have in store for charity chairs?

Sarah Pook
Charities Business Development Manager
RBC Brewin Dolphin

Following important new research on charity chairs led by the Centre for Charity Effectiveness (CCE) at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), RBC Brewin Dolphin and the research project committee delivered a series of roundtables to discuss the findings of the report. Sarah Pook, Charities Business Development Manager at RBC Brewin Dolphin, looks at some of the key areas of discussion.

As anyone involved in the third sector knows, the landscape is constantly changing, creating challenges and opportunities for both charity leaders and trustees. From innovating around fundraising to navigating regulatory issues, the role of charity leaders and trustees is always evolving.

At RBC Brewin Dolphin, we work with 1,700 charity clients, meeting with trustee boards daily. As such, we were delighted to sponsor a research project carried out in 2024 by the CCE at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), which looked at how the role of charity chairs is likely to change over the next decade.

The charity chair plays a critical part in shaping a charity. Whilst there’s a lot of information that focuses on the trustee role, trustee boards and the chair’s relationship with their CEO, there has been less focus on the individual role of the chair. Therefore, we jumped at the chance to be involved in such an important piece of research.

“The future charity chair” report explores the evolving role of charity chairs, particularly looking at what will be expected of them over the next ten years, the future challenges and opportunities, the skills and attributes that a future chair will need, as well as how they should be recruited and supported. As Alex Skailes, Director at CCE, pointed out, this project was ambitious from the beginning due to it looking a decade ahead.

As interviewees were asked to look so far into the future, a futurologist was brought in to support with the research. Part of their role was to support interviewees with thinking beyond the immediate near-term pressures they were experiencing. This was particularly important for smaller charities who have less capacity to think ten years ahead, compared to medium or larger charities who have more resources to facilitate future planning.

Discussing the future

After the release of the report in June 2024, RBC Brewin Dolphin and the project steering committee rolled out a roundtable series across the country, inviting chairs to discuss, elaborate on and challenge the findings and conclusions of the report.

Over 40 charity chairs, from a range of sectors and charities of different sizes, attended the roundtables. This resulted in fascinating discussions and a wide variety of perspectives. Although the roundtables took place across the UK, some key themes came up repeatedly. Here we look at some of the most common areas of discussion.

Succession planning

The roundtables explored succession planning, discussing recruitment strategies and processes in place for each of the charity chairs present. For some, succession planning is an integral part of their conversations.

At one roundtable, a chair revealed how their charity looked to recruit a year in advance. Another charity, on the other hand, wanted the future chair to sit on the board for a year before they stepped into the role of chair, and so the search to find a successor began two years out. A key driver for this is to ensure the incoming chair has a role model, as a huge amount could be learned from them, including what works and what doesn’t.

Other chairs underlined challenges that can come up when looking to recruit their successor. For some charities, the trustees and chair need to be existing members of the charity before applying for a role on the board. This can be a limitation, as it narrows the pool of candidates and ultimately affects board diversity. To overcome this challenge, one charity focused on recruiting more members, widening the pool of those who could subsequently apply for a board and chair position.

Other charity chairs highlighted how they need to make space for a more strategic overview and succession planning. This can be particularly challenging for smaller charities, as today’s issues can absorb capacity and take time from future planning.

Redefining the chair’s role

One common discussion point was how the role of the chair needs to be redefined. Many job descriptions centre around the process for chairing board meetings but don’t include the other leadership responsibilities which have become a fundamental part of the role.

There was general agreement that there’s an increasing requirement for professionalism from charity trustees and chairs. What’s more, it was agreed there’s a need for clearer role/job descriptions for the chair and other board roles, such as trustees, as these are often vague, out of date and don’t reflect current charity practice.

Board remuneration

There were many perspectives when it came to remuneration. Firstly, it was generally accepted that charities are always going to struggle with additional costs. Even if a charity has the funds to pay trustees, it was debated whether this could impact a donor’s willingness to gift to charity. Would it deter someone from donating if the trustees were paid?

The practicalities behind this were also questioned – where does the money come from? Would having paid trustees produce a different perspective and change the motivation behind carrying out the role? Would undertaking the role no longer be due to an interest in the charity but because it was viewed more as a career? In addition, would paying trustees remove their independence?

It was agreed that this is a complex area and would need to be understood in greater detail. If a charity was to pay its trustees, what exactly are they paying for? What are the limits and the ranges? Is remuneration really the answer to rewarding trustees, diversifying the board and building up the pipeline of future chairs?

One charity pointed out that there needs to be further research into understanding more around the motivations of younger age groups, as it seems there is a prominent social conscience in that generation. This would lend itself to charity volunteering more widely.

Developing young trustees

There are huge benefits to being a trustee, particularly for those who take on the role in the earlier stages of their career. Young trusteeships can provide an individual with a wide range of skills, ranging from time management, teamwork, knowledge of organisational structures and governance, finances and risk management, all of which can benefit both their professional and personal lives.

Many chairs highlighted how the skills they learned as a trustee really helped improve their work performance and skill set. What’s more, for younger generations, taking on a trusteeship can be a valuable addition to their CV.

There was consensus at the roundtables that chairs would like to see employers encourage professionals to take on trustee roles. While it might be a challenge to juggle a full-time job with a trusteeship, if employers provided time for professionals to take on a trustee role, it would instil a culture where employers really do get behind their employees.

Overall partnership

The roundtable series gave chairs from a diverse range of charities the opportunity to meet with their peers and share experiences and views. From the energetic chatter in the room ahead of each roundtable, and the overall excellent reception to the release of the report, it’s evident the sector and the role of the chair has needed this focus and attention for some time.

The future charity chair

You can read the report here on the Bayes Business School website.