More Than a Thank You

Empowering Your Board During Trustees' Week

This week (3-7 November 2025) is Trustees’ Week, the annual event that rightly celebrates the incredible work of trustees across the UK.

They are the, nearly one million, unsung heroes of our sector: passionate volunteers who give their time, skills, and energy to guide our organisations. They take on huge legal and financial responsibilities, not for payment, but because they believe in the mission.

So, this week, while a public "thank you" is essential, what’s the most meaningful way to show our appreciation?

Give them the one thing they need most: clarity.

The Challenge of Good Governance

Being a trustee is a tough job. They are responsible for the charity's strategy, sustainability, and legal compliance, yet they are often one step removed from the day-to-day work.

To make good decisions, they rely entirely on the information they receive from the operational team.

Too often, this information comes in the form of a "data dump." We send them a 20-page report full of dense spreadsheets, hoping it contains the answers they’re looking for. They are left overwhelmed, trying to find the simple, strategic "so what?" hidden in a mountain of data.

Empowering Your Board with Better Insight

The best way to honour your trustees is to empower them to do their job effectively. This means replacing the data dump with a simple, clear, and powerful story of your impact.

They don't need to know every single detail. They need to know if the charity is delivering on its mission.
This Trustees' Week is the perfect time to review the reports you provide. Ask yourself, can your trustees answer these three questions in five minutes or less?

1. Who are we helping? (The demographics and needs of your service users.)
2. What did we do? (The key services you delivered and the volume.)

What was the outcome? (The tangible impact you made.)

Practical Ways to Provide Clarity

This isn't about expensive technology; it's about good habits. Here are three simple ways to start:

• Co-create Your Report: Sit down with your board chair. Ask them, "What are the 3-5 key numbers you really need to see every meeting?" You might be surprised. It's often not the 20-page spreadsheet you think they want. Agree on a simple 'one-page dashboard' and stick to it.

• Provide Context, Not Just Data: Numbers are flat. Your trustees need the 'why' behind them. Instead of just 'service users are down 10%,' add 'This is because we're seeing more complex cases, so our team is spending more time per person.' This one sentence turns a worrying statistic into a strategic insight.

• Be Timely and Consistent: One of the biggest gifts you can give your trustees is time. Send your reports well in advance of the meeting, not the night before. Using the same format every time builds trust and allows them to focus on the content, not on trying to find the numbers.

When your trustees have clear, concise, and regular reports, the conversation changes. You spend less time explaining what happened and more time discussing what to do next. You empower them to move from just overseeing the data to making the high-level strategic decisions that will steer your charity into the future.

So this Trustees' Week, let's go beyond a box of chocolates. Let's give our trustees the gift of clarity. It’s the most powerful way to thank them for their leadership and honour their commitment to your mission.

Find out more about Trustees' Week and its events at trusteesweek.org.