
In August 2024, I celebrated 16 years as a charity Trustee, and I’ve served 5 very different charities over that time. It got me thinking about why I do it, and why I’d encourage others to do it.
These are just some of the reasons why I’d recommend it for anyone thinking about using their skills to help a charity in this way:
1. Utilise your full range of professional skills and experience to make an impact
2. Make a significant difference to a cause that you care about
3. Learn from those around you - your fellow Trustees, staff and volunteers
4. Gain insight - if you’re a charity CEO, learn from experiencing what it is like to be a Trustee and apply that learning to your own work, or otherwise learn from a different organisation or environment to the one you’re used to
5. Zoom out and think strategically - as a first time Trustee at 24 years old this opportunity was invaluable to my future career
6. Bring a different perspective - charities need people who think differently from one another and bring different perspectives and life experiences
7. Gain confidence from your contribution
8. Enjoy the satisfaction of being a part of achieving long term goals
9. Make new connections
*in no particular order
There are of course challenging moments, tough decisions and big responsibilities that shouldn’t be underestimated - but they’re all a learning experience!

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[image: a rare board meeting in person!]