Inclusive approaches to recruiting trustees and other volunteers

I was invited along to deliver a lunch and learn webinar, hosted by Volunteero, on Wednesday 4 December 2024. My topic was a passion area for me - inclusive volunteer recruitment and how charities and not-for-profits can improve diversity.

I covered why this is so important - diversity of thought is the goal for board discussions and the wider volunteer group should always engage and represent the community that the organisation serves and is rooted within. The charity sector has a number of issues to overcome to do better here - but it starts with recognising why it is important and then taking deliberate actions to address it. Greater diversity of thought and perspective means better and more rounded decisions.

I then detailed why I feel that organisational culture is a major component (or barrier) for success, and the two key elements that I focus on which are an open and safe environment (psychological safety is key) and clear and reinforced boundaries.

I shared some key strategies and actions to take to make recruitment as inclusive as possible. There are some simple non-negotiable fundamentals - clear role descriptions, sensible and fair selection criteria, a fair and open process, and a welcoming and thorough process to inducting (or onboarding) new recruits. These apply equally to trustee and volunteer recruitments.

I developed this further with some clear supporting actions to take to start making positive changes, followed by some takeaways for attendees.

Please get in touch to book a call if you'd like some support on getting the approach right on either board recruitment or skilled volunteer onboarding.

The full recording is available on YouTube here: