Greater inclusion, stronger governance
Greater inclusion, stronger governance
By Zimmie Sutcliffe, Community Development Project Manager, ELBA
The recent Governance in Focus report (NCVO, 2025) paints a mixed picture of the current state of charity governance. While organisations report that their boards are more structured and aligned with organisational purpose, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) remains a challenge – despite widespread recognition of its importance. This matters: diverse boards make better decisions and reflect the communities they serve.
One of several challenges in building boards with a diversity of backgrounds, skills and experience is the limited resources many charities have, that restricts outreach to a wide pool of candidates. This is especially challenging for small charities like Wheely Tots, who recruited trustees through BoardMatch27.
“The ELBA network allows us to access an amazingly talented pool of potential trustees we would not be able to reach through our own contacts as a small charity.”
– David Pitcher, CEO of Wheely Tots
ELBA harnesses the resources of the private sector to strengthen third sector governance. ELBA’s BoardBuilders programme has placed over 400 business employees into trustee roles with local charities, helping volunteers to find trustee roles where they can utilise their professional skills to aid a cause they care about; and supporting community organisations to recruit outstanding candidates who bring new perspectives and fill critical skills gaps.
In the words of one trustee placed recently:
“[BoardBuilders] demystified the process of becoming a trustee and ensured a well-informed and confident entry into charity governance. ELBA provided excellent guidance throughout the process, presenting me with several compelling opportunities that aligned with my aspirations.”
As part of BoardBuilders’ evolution, ELBA has created a suite of resources for community groups to get “board-ready”, with guidance on everything from setting up a charity, to writing a governing document and onboarding trustees.
We have also compiled a list of resources for existing trustees and those interested in becoming a trustee for the first time, with guidance on trustee duties and good governance.
If you are a community organisation looking to recruit trustees, then apply to take part in BoardMatch29 in March 2026.
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