Board Meetings & Recruitment

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Practical guide Board Meetings & Recruitment How do you maintain a motivated and efficient board?

How do you maintain a motivated and efficient board?

Keep board members fully aware of the mission, vision and business model of the organisation.
Ensure board meetings are well-run.
Keep board members informed between board meetings.
Consider a communications protocol so board members are aware of how, when and whom to contact within the organisation (this prevents board members contacting staff members at random).
Write clear, informative papers which present options and indicate where the board is required to give advice or take decisions; send them out at least a week prior to a board meeting.
Invite board members to events, briefing them in advance on who is going to be there, and any advocacy points you wish them to make.

Related resources

Tool | Dr Oonagh Murphy (Arts & Business Northern Ireland)

Governance Health Check

This toolkit provides advice on how to develop and maintain a constructive and effective Board for your arts organisation. Published: by the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland, February 2019

Guidance | Developing Governance Group

The Code of Good Governance

The Code of Good Governance sets out the principles and key elements of good governance for the boards of voluntary and community organisations. Published 2016, updated 2020. The 2024 consultation on updating has now closed. An updated Code is expected in 2025.

Guidance | The Charity Commission

The Essential Trustee – what you need to know

A Charity Commission publication setting out all you need to know formally about being a trustee. First published: March 2012, latest updates: May 2018.

Multimedia | Nick Mott

The Essential Trustee: Key Points

Nick Mott, Head of Policy Development and Review at the Charity Commission, highlights the key points of the Essential Trustee guidance. Published: August 2016.

Interview | Yasmin Khan

What makes a strong museum board and effective governance in museums?

Yasmin Khan speaks with consultant Stephen Feber, who has been providing creation and production services to the cultural sector for over 30 years, about what makes best practice for museum boards. Published: July 2016.

Guidance | AIM

The AIM hallmarks of prospering museums

A framework bringing together the key characteristics helping heritage organisations prosper and thrive. Published: March 2018.

Guidance | Association of Chairs

Managing Difficult Board Dynamics

Getting the right behaviours and dynamics on the board and between board members is an essential ingredient in determining whether organisations succeed in their work. Published: October 2017.

Study | Hilary Carty, David Bryan and Anne Murch

Achieving Good Governance: a challenge of our time

Clore Strategic Review of Governance Development Needs 2016/17. Published: August 2017.

Guidance | Good Governance Institute

Good Governance Improvement

Specialising in conducting comprehensive governance reviews that empower organisations to excel and deliver the meaningful outcomes of good governance.

Guidance | Cultural Leadership Programme

Governance Now: the hidden challenge of leadership

Cultural Leadership Programme commissioned a series of papers on the theme of governance in the cultural and creative sector.

Website | ACEVO, the Association of Chairs, ICSA (the Governance Institute), NCVO, the Small Charities Coalition and WCVA

Charity Governance Code Toolkit

To be used in conjunction with The Charity Governance Code, this is a practical tool kit acting as a checklist against which Trustees can note their progress, actions and their points for continuing improvement.

Study | ACEVO

Realising the Potential of Governance: the Report of the ACEVO Governance Commission

In response to evidence suggesting an increase in concern regarding governance-related issues in the voluntary sector, the ACEVO Governance Commission set out to produce a practically-focused piece of work, focused on supporting voluntary organisations to understand and address the issues and challenges that can affect their governance. Guided by the concerns raised by respondents to the Commission’s consultation exercises, the report focuses on three main areas: appraisal and accountability; understanding roles and responsibilities; and board management. Published: 2013.

Guidance | Arts Council England

Culture Change Toolkit: How to find and grow diverse talent

Growing the cultural sector is, in part, dependent upon changing the perception of the sector and making entry to it more transparent to individuals while removing practices that are not inclusive. It’s not about doing everything but doing what is achievable for your organisation. Published: 2017.

Interview | Kirsty Lang

The Art of Leadership: Leadership Development

Why is leadership development so important? How do we make the time and space for it? What can we learn from other sectors, and how do we support the development of future cultural leaders? Join host Kirsty Lang and guests Suzanne Alleyne, Tony Heaton OBE and Suzie Bailey as they delve into development – both professional and personal.

Guidance | Charities Aid Foundation and ICAEW

What’s on the horizon for charity trustees?

A report from the Charities Aid Foundation and ICAEW, published in early 2022. This shares the challenges and opportunities facing trustees in the year ahead. The report discusses the six key areas they identify: financial resilience, collaboration, diversity, support and training, digital and climate change.

Website | Getting on Board

Trustee learning programmes from Getting on Board

Getting on Board produce a range of trustee learning programmes covering such areas as diversification of a board, recruitment and induction of trustees and boards behaving badly.