Recruiting trustees when nobody replies
Around 79% of charity boards report at least one vacancy, and most fill seats the same way: someone knows someone. When that well runs dry, boards conclude "nobody wants to be a trustee any more." The evidence says otherwise — people say yes at surprising rates. They're just never asked, or they're asked with an advert that reads like a summons.
Why word of mouth stops working
Word of mouth recruits from the networks your board already has — which is how a board ends up with five retired teachers and no one who can read the accounts. It also invisibly excludes everyone your board doesn't happen to know: younger people, newer residents, other communities. The fix isn't abandoning personal asks (they convert best of all); it's widening who gets asked, and what they're asked to join.
Fix the role description first
Most trustee adverts describe the charity's needs. Good ones answer the reader's four questions:
- What does this charity actually do? Two sentences, concrete, human. "We run the food bank behind the library" beats a mission statement.
- What do you need from me? Name the two or three skills or perspectives you're actually short of — and say plainly that first-time trustees are welcome and no qualification is required.
- How much time, honestly? Count everything: "six evening meetings a year, papers to read beforehand, occasional email between — roughly 3–4 hours a month." An honest number recruits; a vague one repels.
- What support will I get? An induction pack, a board buddy, expenses paid. If you can't offer these, build them first — our free induction pack template is the fastest start.
Where to post — free or nearly
- Reach Volunteering — the UK's biggest trustee-matching platform, free for most smaller charities. Candidates come pre-interested in governance; this should be your first stop.
- Your local volunteer centre / CVS — most areas have one and they broker trustee roles; they also know people who've done governance training.
- LinkedIn — as personal posts — a short post from your chair ("our little charity needs a treasurer — here's what it involves") travels far further than anything posted by a charity page.
- Local Facebook groups and community noticeboards — where your actual neighbours are; works especially well for community charities, PTAs and village halls.
- Your own channels — newsletter, AGM, a poster where your service users are. The people who already love the charity are the warmest pool you have.
- Professional bodies — accountancy and legal bodies run volunteering-and-trusteeship schemes for members wanting board experience; useful when you need one specific skill.
Widen who you're imagining
Trustees must normally be 18 or over (16 for CIOs and charitable companies) — which means students, apprentices and early-career people are eligible, bring digital and lived-experience perspectives boards chronically lack, and are almost never asked. The same goes for service users and their families: the people closest to the work often make the sharpest trustees. "We need someone senior" is usually the vacancy talking, not the need.
A process that converts a maybe into a yes
- Reply within 48 hours. Warm interest cools fast; a slow reply confirms the fear that the charity is chaotic.
- Informal chat before anything formal — chair, coffee, no application form yet. Answer their real question: "would I be useful and welcome?"
- Invite them to observe a meeting. No commitment, no vote — just a look at how the board really works. (This also motivates the board to run a decent meeting.)
- Do the eligibility basics properly — declaration they're not disqualified, and a DBS check where the role requires one.
- Then induct like you mean it — welcome letter, buddy, first-90-days plan. A third of charities give new trustees no induction at all; doing it well is your retention strategy, and it's why recruitment done rarely beats recruitment done constantly.
Frequently asked questions
Can we pay trustees?
Trusteeship is almost always unpaid (expenses are fine and should be offered prominently — they widen who can afford to serve). Paying a trustee for the trustee role itself needs explicit authority in the governing document or Commission consent.
Can the same person be a volunteer/service user and a trustee?
Usually yes, and often valuably — with conflicts of interest declared and managed where the two roles touch. Some funded roles need care; check your governing document.
What disqualifies someone from being a trustee?
The automatic disqualification rules cover unspent convictions for dishonesty offences, bankruptcy, disqualification as a company director, and a few others — the candidate signs a declaration confirming they're clear. Waivers from the Commission are possible in some cases.
How many trustees do we actually need?
Whatever your governing document says, but the Commission suggests at least three unconnected trustees, and the Governance Code points to five to twelve as a workable range for most boards.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Vacancy statistic: sector research on trustee recruitment; age rules: Charities Act 2011 and Companies Act 2006. Platform details checked July 2026 — confirm current terms on each site.
Make the role smaller before you advertise it
The honest reason people say no is workload. The Committee Room takes minutes, chasing and paperwork off your board's plate from £19 a meeting — which makes the role you're advertising genuinely lighter.
See how it works