Update Charity Commission guidance: Finding and appointing new trustees

On 14 May 2025, the Charity Commission updated their Finding and appointing new trustees (CC30) guidance. 

The update is in part the result of the findings of the Commission’s Trusteeship – a positive opportunity: Understanding skills, experience and demographics in England and Wales Report, published in April 2025 in collaboration with think tank Pro Bono Economics. 

Amongst its many findings, the Report indicated that more than half of charities relied on personal contacts as a form of recruitment. This could be a barrier to potential applicants, suggesting it’s who you know, not what you know or what you can offer the charity. Other barriers, such as time commitment, often prevent charities from connecting with a wider pool of applicants and so the Commission’s refreshed guidance is aimed at helping charities refresh their recruitment processes. 

The guidance also encourages organisations consider undertaking a skills audit to determine whether the knowledge and experience required by the charity is being met by the trustees. A skills audit can also enable charities to focus their recruitment and be more specific regarding the actual needs of the board which in the long-term can increase the benefit of its contribution.

Once trustees are appointed it is key that there are sufficient policies in place for the induction process. In the updated guidance, the regulator has expanded the former induction section to encourage charities to discuss with trustees the information and learning that is needed to become an effective trustee, and how the charity can support this. Such an approach will not only strengthen the board itself but also increase the likelihood of retaining good trustees.