Trustees are responsible for the good management and governance of third sector organisations and normally form the governing body of the organisation, which may be referred to as the Board, the Management Committee, Executive Committee or something similar.
Trustees are the governing members of the organisation and may also be called committee members or directors.
The governing members of third sector organisations are volunteers who work together as a team to ensure the organisations are well run and meet the objectives of their governing document. Between them, they should have a wide range of skills and an interest in the work of the organisation.
Normally, each board will have office bearers, which may include a chairperson, secretary, and treasurer, plus any other positions that the organisation sees fit.
The governing document of an organisation will have guidance on how many trustees are required, their terms of office, and what office bearing positions need to be filled. Information on the recruitment of trustees should also be contained within the governing document.
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) have information regarding the role of the board and its membership – Good Governance (scvo.scot)
SCVO also organise a network for trustees to share information, which is free to join, and has a regular newsletter – SCVO Trustee Network