The Trustee Recruitment Cycle combines guidance, templates, reassurance and inspiration from other charities to make it easier for trustees to make their recruitment process a success and recruit more openly and inclusively.

The Cycle was created by Reach Volunteering, along with its partners the Association of Chairs, Small Charities Coalition and Getting on Board.

Charity Commission research shows that over 70 per cent of boards still recruit their trustees informally, using their own networks. As a result, boards often lack diversity and skills in key areas like lived experience, marketing and digital. If charities are to have the leadership they need for the future, this needs to change, and good, and inclusive trustee recruitment is a big part of the answer.

The Trustee Recruitment Cycle takes charities through the recruitment process in six stages and is designed so charities can dip into relevant sections, or work through the whole recruitment process start to finish. It brings together ideas and experiences from charities, with guides, templates and inspiration to help charities recruit trustees in an inclusive and effective way. Diversity and inclusion are embedded in each stage, because we believe that good recruitment is inclusive recruitment.

The website was created using research with charities about the barriers and challenges in trustee recruitment. Sections and resources include content about:

• Identifying skills gaps
• How to make your board more diverse
• Engaging potential trustees and targeting advertising
• Assessing candidates
• Being positive about saying no
• What to do if your recruitment didn’t go to plan.

They will continue to use feedback and suggestions to develop and adjust the content, and add new resources.

Thanks to National Lottery players this project has been generously funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK and The Clothworkers’ Company, sponsors and supporters of The Charity Governance Awards.

The Young Trustees Movement is excited about the cycle, as better governance practices means better board diversity, including Young Trustees!