Tips for hosting meetings online #Trusteehour

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April 2020 #Trusteehour focused on ‘tips for hosting meetings online’. Here is a list of what came up:

Hosting:

  • If you’re the host (or planning to share your screen or anything like that), give yourself some time beforehand to test it out and get familiar with where everything is @TrusteeLeaders

Chairing:

  • Get participants to commit to some ground rules and expectations for the meeting @traceymbird1
  • Important to recognise the challenges of chairing a remote meeting @traceymbird1
  • Important to check you’ve got the necessary quorum to proceed and remember to accurately record actions and circulate minutes quickly afterwards @traceymbird1
  • Doing a quick check in round the room can help trustees get into the same headspace and check everyone’s audio is clear (the ’round robin’) @johnfitzg

Participation:

  • Ask questions in the comment box – the chair can read these out or can invite the person to speak. This could bring about a more inclusive meeting style. @weavermiles
  • Encourage participants to use the ‘raise hand’ function if you want to come in (ensuring mics muted at the start) @weavermiles
  • long meetings: a big shout-out for scheduled comfort and coffee breaks! ☕️ @CEO-CarnegieUK
  • Remember videoconferencing is extra tiring @MairWCVA (due to it being unusual in terms of reading body language and feeling like you need to be super alert @TrusteeLeaders)
  • Note: Zoom and Webex allow 40+ faces to be seen. Teams seems to allow 4 (MS say ‘9’ and that this is a priority). This seems to be popular with Zoom.

Running a good meeting:

  • Nominating a ‘tech steward’ to mute/unmute and liaise with folk having tech issues helps the chair focus on the meeting @johnfitzg
  • Well-structured and clear agenda, shared with everyone in advance. Good, confident facilitation has worked well too @CEO-CarnegieUK
  • Important to allow some time for a chat at the start and end. There are always technical difficulties (less so now). We are social creatures and many will miss this interaction. @weavermiles

When things go or can go wrong:

  • No one wants to replicate the “zooming-from-the-toilet” moment… @TrusteeLeaders
  • Make sure the resident teenager doesn’t barge into the room with ‘sick music’ blasting out the phone mid webinar.  That was last week.  @ian_mcl
  • It’s more the unexpected entrance of children in swimming costumes or the noise of a tantrum for me @TrusteeLeaders
  • I do prefer to see people, personally, but it’s also quite distracting! Especially when I keep spotting my own feed and seeing that I’m not actually looking at the camera! @TrusteeLeaders

Other Advice and caution:

  • On suitable attire: Afraid so – have had to maintain a routine for on-line meetings in the same way I would for meetings face to face, so up, dressed, makeup (obviously!), favourite earrings, squirt of perfume (I know!) and ……wait for it…………fluffy socks! @traceymccillen
  • Buy a data cable for a better connection (don’t rely on wi-fi) – I did this and now everything is running lovely and fast @weavermiles
  • Show some good humour and understanding in these times, we did not expect to be working from home. Home schooling … dog barking and views from the kitchen table etc., @weavermiles

Note: These were compiled during #Trusteehour and placed into likely categories. No other sorting has been done and note that these are the tweets of #Trusteehour contributors.

Fundraising tips for trustees | Summary of Feb #trusteehour 2019

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 discussed fundraising tips for trustees after  (Feb, 2019). We thank @HIVScotland for sharing the Institute of Fundraising free Trustees and Fundraising guidance, produced in partnership with CFG, NCVO and ACEVO. This includes a handbook, powerpoint presentation, ten top tips, blog and the below animation.  It is not worth repeating the top ten tips here, please view them directly on the IoF website here.

OSCR also has some excellent advice on its website, covering regulation, rules, Scottish charity law and handling complaints.

Other than the general guidance available we considered the potential of a ‘Fundraising Trustee’ role. This was seen as positive and many suggestions were made on how best to get value out of trustees with fundraising experience and interest. Plus, the recognition that all trustees have collective responsibility for fundraising.

The next  will take place on Tues 26th March, 8-9pm on the theme ‘Fraud and cyber-crime – what trustees need to know.’

Invitation to conference: Next Generation Business: Shaping a New Economy

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The global movement to use business as a force for good.

  • How can we build and sustain an economy that works for everyone?

  • How are business practices changing in light of critical social and environmental change?

  • Who are the pioneers and leaders in this field?

  • What does it mean and look like to be purpose-led?

Join us from 2pm – 4:30pm on Wednesday, 13 March 2019, at Edinburgh Napier University’s Craiglockhart campus to learn about how organisations are evolving and embracing the real challenges and complexity we face in the world today.

We will hear from sustainability experts, purpose-led entrepreneurs and cutting edge practitioners who work within the global movement to use business as a force for good.

Combining short talks and practical demonstrations, the sessions will be interactive and dynamic, focusing on your questions and your ideas about how to build a better world.

The decisions we make today as a society will shape how the world looks for everyone: so what role do you want to play in shaping the future?

Get your ticket here.

reflecting on #trusteehour 12 ‘Should charity trustees be paid, or should the role remain voluntary?’

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 12 took place in November, with a theme selected by students – ‘Should charity trustees be paid, or should the role remain voluntary?’

 kicked off the hour with a poll on the question posed. 86% of participants agreed that the role should remain voluntary which dominated the conversation with some thoughts on the influence of rumuneration and whether this would attract different voices into the sector. @BCharitable also provided a useful context to the discussion by recognising the professionalism of the sector and that the contribution of trustees should be recognised, encouraged and supported. 

There were a number of threads/points raised:

  • whether rumuneration would attract more younger trustees  ( or even attract trustees with a genuine interest in the cause and desire to drive the organisation forward (
  • (unpaid) board with all the legal duties & risk and (paid) executives without directly the same duties & risk @BCharitable
  • different dynamics between the CEO and the relationships with the rest of the board 

There were many comments that training should be mandatory to improve standards of governance (@Menai_OJ) and removing of barriers such as travel and other expenses being made available without stigma (). @Sus_Hunter20 also noted that timing for meetings is important so that trustees that are in work (comment made in the context of #youngtrustees) don’t lose income or have to take leave to attend. suggested that it is important to promote the positive impact that  involvement can have on an individual as well as an organisation.

Maybe making training mandatory when taking up the role of #trustee would help standards of governance, instead of paying trustees. I suppose the question is, what are we trying to achieve by paying trustees? #trusteehour

— Menai Owen-Jones (@Menai_OJ) October 17, 2018

@maltdub posed a very interesting thought that aroused some debate:

@weavermiles saw the merit in the principle but commented that you need to be paying tax for this model to work. Yet we want more young people, to attract all earning levels and of course, the majority of the trustees are retired.

A key theme that re-occurs each month is the need for training and a good induction:

One way of supporting this is to encourage more organisations to have a policy on volunteering and talking up #SkilledVolunteering. Trusteeship being the ultimate of skilled volunteering?  supported this by suggesting that corporates can do more to allow time to support volunteering. Effectively, the worker is paid but can gain new skills and experiences too in the form of a trusteeship. 

Another suggestion focused around a unitary board model, like the ones seen in the corporate world. This would mean the trustees would act in the same way as the non-executive directors.

Let’s finish on a positive note: #reachout. @YLSSarahRobbo did and she was pleasantly surprised with the responses that she received:

Next on Tue 13th Nov 7-8pm is a special collaboration with looking at what trustees need to know and do about Safeguarding.

Guest blog by @2050ClimateGrp: After #YoYP #TrusteeHour, how can we increase youth participation in board governance?

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With over 10,000 views during the hour and the following day, September’s #trusteehour was a collaboration with 2050 Climate Group, a charity whose board members are all under the age of 35. They shaped the #trusteehour conversations around young trustees and how to encourage more boards to consider appointing a young trustee.  This blog is a guest contribution by Catriona Patterson (Chair of 2050 Climate Group), with thanks also to the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation for hosting us.

2050 Climate Group is a youth-led charity which seeks to engage, educate and empower Scotland’s young people to take action on climate change. We have 15 board members, over 40 operational volunteers, 2 paid interns and 1 member of staff, all of whom are young people: everyone in our organisation is aged between 18 and 35 years.

We explicitly work to empower young people to take leadership roles, so recruiting, facilitating and celebrating young board members is both a demonstration of our ethos and impact, as well as the future we want to see. I became a trustee at the age of 25, and being a young person and a trustee gives me the opportunity to advocate for an organisation I’m extremely passionate about, whilst simultaneously enabling me to develop strategic planning and partnership skills – in turn compounding how effective I can be in my ‘day job’ (also in the third sector) and as a member of society.

Pulling from our #TrusteeHour discussion, here are a few summary thoughts and tips for those interested in young trusteeship, considering recruiting young trustees, or sceptical about the whole concept!

Boards have a responsibility to be diverse, and a range of ages and experiences is essential.

Diversity of participation at board level perforates throughout an organisation: increasing the acknowledgement and inclusion of key stakeholders often unheard in strategic discussions. This is particularly pertinent when an organisation works with or for young people, or seeks to have an impact on our shared future: inter- and intra- generational stakeholders must be included in the decision making process.

Young people can be perceived as having less to offer than older and more professionally experienced trustees, but this isn’t the case.

Consider the new ideas, skills and networks that a young trustee can bring to a board – including their enthusiasm, energy and a new perspective. They might not have 25+ years of experience in a particular profession, but they are able to bring authentic knowledge of youth interests and behaviours that can benefit an organisation. It’s not just about understanding social media (although they may have suggestions as to how to increase your reach with such communication tools): they also have a major motivation to be thinking on a long-term strategic timescale.

The barriers to young people becoming trustees are surmountable.

Sometimes early-career professionals do not have the flexibility of schedule that retired or professionally established trustees have. Consider changing the time of your board meetings, providing letters of support to trustees workplaces, and support their attendance at meetings though reimbursing travel or childcare expenses.

Being a trustee is an incredible personal and professional development opportunity for any young person

If we are to equip our charities with well-informed, skilled and experienced trustees, we must value that it may require some individual development – potentially initiated or supported by existing trustees, or through sector-support organisations, recommended reading, etc. Developing these skills as part of a board also spreads this knowledge across society – building a generation of knowledgeable and capable young people.

We need to rethink how we consider leadership

Different leadership styles and skills bring different opportunities and strategic direction to an organisation. But often leadership is represented by the idea of a single individual taking charge and making decisions, yet empowering young people to lead can bring new ways of working, distributed leadership and more democratic processes to an organisation.

Scotland’s Year of Young People is only a starting point for youth engagement in charity governance

In 2018, ‘young people’ is a hot topic, with the national themed year focused on celebrating Scotland’s youth. Many events and initiatives have raised the profile of youth participation, and many organisations have hosted youth engagement projects (such as shadowing, hosting, internships) to increase inclusion and participation. However, there is a risk that with the end of the themed year, comes the end of this enthusiasm for working with young people.  Instead, we should see this year as ‘proof of concept’: a demonstration of the benefits of highlighting youth contributions, and a starting point for involvement going forward.

Young Trustee opportunities are out there: including with 2050 Climate Group!

The Charity Commission in England and Wales research notes that 71% of trustees are recruited through an informal process, which could be omitting young people from the recruitment pool. Advertising openly and widely is key to develop the internal and external message that young people are welcome and desired in board governance. The International Voluntary Service (IVS) is aiming to get organisations to commit to offering young trusteeships, Changing the Chemistry works year-round to increase board diversity, and organisations like the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) recently advertised for a youth board member.

At 2050 Climate Group, we are also actively recruiting for three new trustees (18-35 years) in the areas of Law, Fundraising and Leadership. Know any brilliant young people who should join our board? Let them know! Details and application are available on www.2050.scot/news and we’re always welcome to have informal conversations with interested individuals considering applying.

More reading:

 

Guest blog by @2050ClimateGrp

Guest blog by @Juliekhutchison – reflecting on #trusteehour 10 “how a charity should approach a capital build project”

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For our tenth #trusteehour, we took part in a collaboration with The Yard, a charity with its HQ in Edinburgh which offers a haven of adventure play for disabled children and their families.  With the prospect on the horizon of a capital build project to create another adventure play centre, we were keen to tap into insight from #trusteehour followers on how other charities had approached various aspects, including planning, fundraising and the governance involved.

During the hour, there were over 4,000 views and lots of tips shared – here’s a top 10.  We’d like to particularly thank the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice CEO Rhona Baillie for sharing their recent experience in fundraising for, and building, their new hospice; and Mark McGeachie from Youth Scotland, for sharing their experience of renovating their HQ base.

  • Consider your local geography – certain approaches may have worked well elsewhere, but they need translated and adapted to be successful in your area.

2. Choose your contractors carefully:

3. Future-proofing: @_mark_mcg made the point that your building needs to plan for future requirements, not just those of today

4. Have a contingency budget – expect the unexpected when it comes to costs.

5. Have you fully explored all the options around your building?

6. When it comes to tax and planning ahead, VAT is an important area to consider in building projects – speak to experts, as thousands of pounds may be at stake:

7. Looking at fundraising and how to identify potential major donors:

8. The approach to contracts and the design aspects generated a lot of comment. A ‘design and build’ approach seemed to be popular:

9.  Some thoughts on what value for money means:

10. Finally, the importance of communications and stakeholder engagement:

We wish The Yard all the best in their future plans as they expand their operations to a new area, offering more families access to the fantastic adventure opportunities which enable children with additional needs to play.

Blog by Julie Hutchison

Founding Editor @InformedTrustee

24 September

 

 

Guest blog by @juliekhutchison – reflecting on #trusteehour 9: looking at charity sub-committees

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With over 3,500 views, our July #trusteehour looked at charity sub-committees, and the ups and downs shared by followers online.  It looks like some of you really value the blog to bring together the contributions into one summary – thanks for getting in touch @JanineEEdwards

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Charity sub-committees can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.  Whether it’s Finance, Fundraising, Nominations, HR or Audit, there are plenty of examples of boards delegating to smaller working groups.  Are these committees always effective?  @sallyld drew out a few examples of what can make a committee worthwhile:

@sallyld replying to @trusteehour

Ah sub committees. They can be brilliant with a tight remit, clear reporting structures and a clear review process. Otherwise steer well clear (in my opinion). 

Committees can be a necessary way to focus on delivery of the board’s strategy and objectives, as @ian_mcl points out – a board does not have time to get into the detail of everything, and needs to find mechanisms to support delivery and oversight:

@Ian_mcl replying to @TrusteeLeaders @trusteehour

4 board meetings pa for 3 hrs is 12 hours a year to do everything. Create work plan and delegate spadework to cttees to get coverage without having too many. Driven by board objectives. 

However, there were some examples of poor time management, which raises questions about how meetings are being chaired:

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And Ian wasn’t alone in that experience.

We returned to the theme of the importance of a tight remit, and the way things can become inefficient if not handled well:

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Another angle we drew attention to was the opportunity offered by a committee role, as a first experience of charity governance, or a means to share your expertise without the full commitment of a trustee role.  A number of charties do co-opt external members.  External members can share their expertise on whichever sub-committee they sit, although don’t attend board meetings and are usually not trustees.

We would like to encourage more charities to consider co-opting new members onto their sub-committees.  This could be a win-win.  A great way for someone new to charity governance to gain some first experience and volunteer in a way which is less onerous than a full board role.  It enables them to get to know a charity, where later they may consider a trustee role when a vacancy arises.  This ‘getting to know you’ process works both ways, and it could also prove particularly useful as a way to involve younger people in their first role:

@TraceyMcCillen replying to @trusteehour

Will certainly give it some thought and let you know. Keen to engage Young Trustees and see change in perception on how people with learning disability can engage at all levels of governance, Board, Committees etc.

If your charity could create a committee role to expand the pipeline of future trustees, there’s a place on twitter where vacancies can be shared:

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Finally, join us for our next #trusteehour on Tuesday 14th August, 7-8pm (note earlier time) where @TheYardScotland is hosting us as we look at top tips for charities embarking on a capital build project, a theme we’re supporting to help the Yard with their forthcoming new project.  We’re keen to continue to take #trusteehour on tour – if your charity has a specific area of interest for a future #trusteehour, get in touch with us @trusteehour!

Blog by Julie Hutchison @juliekhutchison
Founding Editor of @InformedTrustee

12 August 2018

Please note: some of the graphics were unable to load on this occasion, so they are placed as text. 

Reflections on #trusteehour 8: When is it time for a trustee to step down?

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Our last  (12th June) asked the question: When is it time for a trustee to step down?  We always encourage contributions and themes and this time this one was provided by 

This is a good question in its own right. However, we have discussed in the past the need for many organisations to simply recruit more (of the right) trustees.  You don’t want anyone to resign, surely not? Well, they must, but when is the right time? We had many really interesting contributions that took us in a few different directions.

@TrusteeLeaders kicked us off by saying “If you lose your passion for the , then perhaps that would be a sign it’s time to move on”.   I have seen this happen myself – not the passion for the cause but many new board members bought in that upset the dynamics and made me feel incomfortable with the direction of travel. Another example was posted by @talktokeiran who raised the issue of an awful CEO, leading to resignations or members expending huge amounts of time and stress – this Keiran said leads to the problem being untreated.  Another example was posted by @ArloAccountancy:

We then turned to the charity governing documents by considering the kind of length of tenure participants had typically seen as a limit? @TrusteeLeaders responded to suggest that they will be putting into the governing doc a tenure limit. suggested that 9 years should be the maximum, except in expectional circumstances. Many participating in a poll posted by @weavermiles could find examples of trustees being on the board in excess of 10 years.  At least @getonboardCmyru made a joke by saying even if a board recruits a young trustee it’s likely that after 9 years, that they will still be young!

Another suggestion was posed by who noted the importance of a trustee appraisal.  He continued to note that too few do it, but it helps you have conversations that need to occur. This would provide a good opportunity to review relevance and fit between role and the board.

@talktokieran offered some interesting advice to see if the board has had any difficulty with trustees attrition. He suggests to review members under three years to see where the problem might lie (or more specifically with whom?).

@BCharitable suggested ‘Rotation’ provisions might be best for some but not others and added “whatever is used, needs to be informed decision before things are ‘locked in’ & affects board effectiveness in time”.

@Weavermiles started a poll around another suggestion that he saw happen with a board. That being a “three strikes and your out” policy to ensure good attendance. Members are of course allowed to register apologises.  @sallyld did ask us all to consider whether attendance at meetings necessarily equate to quality input and good governance. @JoGibney below said that it is a red flag and may well indicate lower input and engagement. I think this might be a good topic in its own right for another time?

I think we should end with a why not? Posed by @JoGibney:

The next trusteehour is coming up on Thursday 19th July 8 – 9pm. See you then?

 

Launching Committee Pathways, June 2018

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For those of you who have been following #trusteehour on twitter, you’ll know that Miles Weaver and I are pretty motivated by supporting others to take on a charity trustee role with confidence.  We’re both involved in a range of projects connected with this end in mind.

There is, however, a reality check sometimes.   When I was speaking about charity trustee roles with an audience from a Young Person’s Network, I was left with a sense of a roomful of 20-somethings keen to have come along to find out more, but some of whom were daunted by the prospect of what might be involved.  Some young people do indeed take on charity trustee roles, and talk positively about that experience.  These contributions to #trusteehour prove the point:

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For others, it may feel like too much too soon.

If only there could be a way to gain experience, without being exposed to the full legal duties and responsibilities involved……

At the ‘Unconference’ session during the Trustees’ Week 2017 event in Edinburgh, I facilitated a workshop group exploring ideas around how to encourage a pipeline of new (and younger) trustees.  The concept of an apprenticeship was discussed. A charity would however need to have time and resources to support the creation of this kind of temporary role.  For busy and stretched charities, this might not always be easy.

Since the Unconference session, we’ve been thinking about how to help fill this gap.  After some discussions with umbrella groups to test the concept, we’re now ready to rollout Committee Pathways.

Committee Pathways is intended to be an enabling online platform where committee role vacancies can be shared.  It lives on twitter @Pathways_C

For those following the competency pathway for trustees in use at Edinburgh Napier University, a committee role would be one way to gain some governance-related experience.  At the same time, a committee role might be exactly the right ‘fit’ for someone of any age happy to share their expertise with a charity in a non-trustee role, finding that the time commitment better reflects what they’re able to take on.

Here’s the first selection of committee roles shared:

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Now, to turn to the supply side.  Does your charity’s governing document allow non-trustees to be co-opted onto committees?  Could your charity do with a few extra pairs of hands on one or more of your committees?  If the answers are ‘yes’, then we can help to publicise your vacancies.

If your charity is on twitter, tweet about your vacancy, with a role profile and closing date.  Use the handle @Pathways_C and we’ll spot and share your vacancy online.  If you’re not on twitter, could someone else help to post your vacancy online?

The second half of 2018 will be a pilot to gauge how this approach might help to support attracting new entrants into future trustee roles.  It’s entirely possible that a committee role could later lead to a board role opportunity.   Taking on a committee role enables someone to get to know a charity, find out more about how it operates ‘on the inside’ and get to know others involved in running the charity.  It could be a positive volunteering experience in itself and a great confidence-builder and pathway towards a future trustee role.

The supply and demand side both need to emerge for Committee Pathways to have impact.  Time will tell.  We’re offering this as a pilot for the second half of the year, and we’ll see how it goes.  It’s the theme for July’s #trusteehour on Thursday 19th July 8-9pm – join the conversation online @trusteehour to explore more.

Julie Hutchison, 13 June 2018

Founder @InformedTrustee

Co-Founder @trusteehour and @Pathways_C

 

Guest blog by @juliekhutchison – reflecting on #trusteehour 7

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With over 7,000 views, our topic for May’s #trusteehour clearly struck a chord – what research should you do before saying yes to a charity trustee role? Thanks to @RummleGumption for the theme idea.
Here are the top tips shared:
1. Basic due diligence online means checking out a charity’s website; googling for news stories involving the charity; look at their accounts online; look at their information on the charity regulator’s website. Thanks to @ian_mcl for his list of these.
2. Think people and culture, as @friend_natasha points out:

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3. Look carefully to find out about the exact legal structure of the charity. There are two main kinds. One is unincorporated (for example a trust or an unincorporated association). The other is incorporated (for example a company limited by guarantee, or a CIO in England and Wales, or SCIO in Scotland). This latter type offers a bit more liability protection for charity trustees and has other benefits, such as contracts can be in the name of the charity instead of individual trustees.
4. Find out if the charity has indemnity insurance in place. Some do, some don’t. For unincorporated charities, this was seen as being particularly important:

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5. Consider practical things, like location, which day of the week are board meetings held, and at what time. Those practical points could rule a potential trustee role in or out – also check out skype/video conference options, which might be specifically enabled in a charity’s governing document:

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6. Do you get any help from your employer? There was mixed experience with this one, with some employers actively offering paid leave to support employees who take on voluntary roes:

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7. If things get to the interview stage, ask for a copy of the governing document if it’s not otherwise available online – worth a read in advance:

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8. Understand what the time commitment is going to be. Will there be committee meetings as well as board meetings? Will you be expected to ‘represent’ the charity and be an ambassador at events, as @sallyld points out:

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9. To help make sure you are not ‘out of pocket’ in taking on a trustee role, what expenses does the charity offer to refund? It’s normal to find travel expenses can be refunded, for traveling to and from a board meeting. But there might be more help available. @ian_mcl shared an interesting idea for charity boards, which may help encourage younger candidates to consider a trustee role:

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10. If you’re in Scotland, check out @GoodHQ for reviews and comments on charities in Scotland – this can help you research a role:

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Two blogs were shared.  The first was a guest blog I wrote for OSCR’s website with top ten tips on due diligence.  The second blog was from @CT_charities, which made a good point about checking if induction support is available for new trustees.
And finally, news of our next #trusteehour on Tuesday 12th June 8-9pm – the topic is ‘When is it time for a trustee to step down?’ with thanks to @MairWCVA for the theme idea.

Blog by Julie Hutchison @juliekhutchison
Founding Editor of @InformedTrustee
5 June 2018