The need and importance for fundraising experience and insight on trustee boards has never been higher. In light of changing fundraising regulations, the recent Kids Company scandal, as well as the ongoing need for charities to grow their income to deliver their great work, having the right skills and knowledge at Board level is crucial for survival, sustainability, and growth. Bringing fundraisers onto Boards has a number of benefits, to both the charity and to the individual. It can help charity boards embed an informed and innovative fundraising strategy, manage risk appropriately and ensure compliance, but it is also a great opportunity for fundraisers to develop their management and strategic skills – as well as being a fantastic volunteering opportunity to get involved in a cause and charity outside of their existing workplace.

81% of respondents thought fundraising skills and experience were underrepresented on Boards

We teamed up with the Institute of Fundraising (IoF) to explore fundraisers and trusteeship in greater detail, and look to see if we could increase the skills, experience, and confidence of trustee boards by embedding fundraising expertise within them, and by doing so developing the knowledge and furthering the careers of fundraising professionals. To kick this process off, the IoF conducted a survey among fundraisers to get their views on the areas of fundraising, governance and trusteeships.

The findings showed fundraisers appreciated the value of fundraising expertise on Boards with over 90% believing that having a fundraiser on their board of trustees would be helpful in their day job. It also clearly demonstrated that this is currently lacking in many trustee boards, over three quarters of respondents (81%) saying that fundraising skills and experience were underrepresented on Boards that they had worked with. Encouragingly, the survey showed that there’s an appetite and enthusiasm among fundraisers to get more involved – 78% told us that they thought that the idea of being a trustee appealed to them.