Trusteeship in 2025 demands more than good intentions; it calls for commitment, capability, curiosity, and courage. Whether you sit on a board or recruit for one, the expectations have shifted. Governance is no longer a tick-box exercise; it’s about shaping strategy and ensuring organisations are resilient and prepared for any eventuality.
- Review your board’s skills, diversity, and capacity
A high-functioning board mirrors the world it serves. Review your collective skills through a fresh lens: do you have digital and data literacy? People who understand risk? Trustees who think long-term about sustainability, income, and impact? Diversity isn’t just about representation; it’s about perspective, challenge, and breadth of thought.
- Move beyond compliance
Good governance should strengthen purpose, not stifle it. Too many boards spend their energy checking paperwork when they should be testing strategy. The most effective trustees ask, “How does this decision advance our mission?” and “What value are we adding as a board?” That mindset shift turns governance into leadership.
- Make transparency and accountability real
Stakeholders, from beneficiaries to funders, expect openness. Trustees should ensure that conversations about risk, performance, and impact are clear, honest, and shared. Transparency builds trust, and trust builds resilience.
- Prepare for the new governance codes
The updated Charity Governance Code and education sector frameworks will place greater emphasis on digital governance, stakeholder engagement, and ESG (environmental, social, governance) principles. Don’t wait to be told, though. Why not align early? The best boards treat governance codes not as rules but as springboards for better practice.
- Stress-test your business model
Financial sustainability is a live issue for most public and not-for-profit sector organisations. Trustees must look hard at funding resilience, diversification, and contingency planning. The cost and regulatory pressures ahead make this not a finance issue, but a strategic one.
- Education boards: think strategically, not administratively
Governance must now engage deeply with big-picture issues: provision for minoritised communities, inclusion, community role, and collaboration between institutions. Too many boards are still trapped in the cycle of meeting agendas and compliance reports; it’s time to lead from the front.
Trustee Week 2025: Time to step up governance for impact, not just compliance
Trusteeship has always required integrity. In 2025, it also demands insight, adaptability, compassion and courage. The boards that embrace these qualities will not only survive a difficult operating climate, they’ll help shape the future of integral organisations, helping to deliver key services. If you’d like any advice around being a Trustee, or recruiting Trustees, contact Helene Usherwood at helene.usherwood@andersonquigley.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
