Unlock the secrets to a thriving and effective board with expert guidance on trustee skills, meetings, and decision-making!

This "Ask the Expert" series from Mike Preston Consultancy tackles common challenges faced by trustees and provides actionable strategies for success.

Inside, you'll discover how to:

• Transform your trustee meetings: Learn key strategies for productive and engaging meetings where decisions are made efficiently and every voice is heard. This includes tips on clear agendas, strong chairmanship, and effective minute-taking.

• Navigate differing opinions: Find recommended approaches for robust decision-making, even when consensus is challenging. Understand the importance of hearing all perspectives and documenting the rationale behind decisions.

• Identify and develop essential trustee skills: Learn how to conduct skills audits to map existing expertise against your charity's needs and identify future skill gaps.

• Access practical upskilling opportunities: Discover accessible ways for busy trustees to gain new knowledge and skills, including training courses, peer-to-peer learning, and online resources.

• Integrate risk management into decision-making: Understand the trustee's responsibility in considering risk and how to ensure every significant decision involves an assessment of potential risks.

Want more insights like these to empower your board and enhance your governance? Subscribe for regular expert advice!

Unlock the secrets to effective charity trusteeship with insights from Mike Preston Consultancy's "Ask the Expert" series! This indispensable guide tackles the real-world questions aspiring and current trustees have.

Considering becoming a trustee? Learn about:

• Time Commitment: Expect to dedicate around 4 to 10 hours per month, covering meetings, planning, and events, though this can vary. It's always best to discuss expectations with the charity beforehand.

• Utilising Your Skills: Your professional expertise, whether in marketing or other business areas, is incredibly valuable to charities. Skills in branding, digital marketing, strategic planning, and financial oversight can significantly boost a charity's impact and fundraising.

• No Prior Experience? No Problem! Passion for the cause is a great starting point. Charities often seek diverse backgrounds and a commitment to their mission. You can prepare by researching the charity, understanding governance basics, and talking to current trustees.

Already a trustee? Get clarity on:

• Legal Responsibilities: Understand your core duties, such as acting in the charity's best interests, managing resources responsibly, and complying with the law. While personal liability is a concern, acting honestly and with reasonable care generally offers protection, often supplemented by charity insurance.

• Navigating Financial Challenges: In tough financial times, trustees play a paramount role. This includes fully understanding the problem, seeking expert advice, developing a recovery plan, maintaining transparent communication, and ensuring strong financial oversight, all while keeping the charity's mission at the forefront.

Mike Preston Consultancy's "Ask the Expert" provides crucial knowledge for anyone involved in the charitable sector. From time commitments to leveraging corporate skills and understanding legal duties to navigating financial difficulties, these insights prepare you for the rewarding role of a charity trustee.

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Unlock the power of your data and make decisions that drive real success! This infographic from Mike Preston Consultancy reveals 5 crucial keys to becoming truly data-driven.

Want to stop wandering through a sea of information and instead pinpoint solutions to your specific problems? Learn to:

• Define Clear Questions: A focused question is your compass for relevant analysis.

• Identify Vital Data Sources: The quality of your decisions depends on the quality of your data, whether from internal databases or customer feedback.

• Ensure Data You Can Trust: Avoid misleading conclusions by cleaning, validating, and understanding your data.

• Meaningfully Analyse & Interpret: Go beyond the numbers to understand patterns and trends in the context of your initial question, using tools like visualization.

• Turn Insights into Action: Make informed decisions and drive positive outcomes by clearly defining your next steps based on your analysis.

Ready to transform your data into your most valuable asset? Subscribe to gain more insights and power up your decision-making for data-driven success!

Want your charity to grow this spring? 🌷

Our Charity Spring Growth Checklist from Mike Preston Consultancy makes it easy!

Get simple steps to:

• Plan better.

• Raise more money.

• Build a great team.

• Improve how you work.

• See what's working and get better.

This checklist helps your charity make a bigger difference.

Get more helpful tips! Subscribe for simple ways to boost your charity.

Want to keep your charity strong and its mission safe? This guide shares 5 key tips for managing financial risks. Learn to:

• Plan your money wisely: A good budget helps you see what's coming and make smart choices.

• Don't rely on one income source: Find different ways to get funding so you're not caught out if one dries up.

• Have clear money rules: Write down how you handle money for things like spending and getting supplies. This keeps things open and everyone responsible.

• Save for a rainy day: Keep some money aside for unexpected problems or if income drops.

• Make sure leaders are watching the money: Your trustees need to check financial reports and make good decisions.

Subscribe for more easy tips to protect your charity's finances!

Unlock the secrets to supercharging your fundraising and building lasting donor relationships! This insightful infographic from Mike Preston Consultancy unveils a powerful Five Point Plan designed to elevate your donor engagement strategy.

Discover how to:

• Tailor Your Approach: Harness the power of donor data to create personalized communications and appeals that resonate deeply, fostering greater loyalty.

• Show the Difference: Master the art of impact communication by vividly showcasing the tangible results of contributions through compelling stories and data, building trust and inspiring continued support.

• Go Beyond Donations: Deepen connections by offering meaningful involvement opportunities, such as volunteering or advocacy, transforming donors into passionate partners.

• Build Sustainable Support: Cultivate predictable income and strengthen donor commitment by actively promoting and nurturing regular giving programs.

• Connect Everywhere: Implement a multi-channel strategy to engage donors effectively and consistently across the platforms they use most.

Want to learn more about implementing these game-changing strategies and revolutionize your donor engagement? Subscribe for expert insights and take your fundraising to the next level!

Unlock the power of collaboration and amplify your impact! This infographic from Mike Preston Consultancy highlights why teaming up is key to success for mission-driven organizations.

Why should you consider partnering?

• Expand Your Reach: Instantly tap into new networks and audiences for cost-effective growth.

• Share Your Resources: Pool funds, space, expertise, and volunteers to boost efficiency.

• Enhance Your Impact: Achieve bigger outcomes together, tackle complex issues, and create a stronger voice.

Discover potential partners to elevate your mission:

• Other Non-Profit Organisations: Create holistic support, prevent duplication, and strengthen funding applications.

• Social Businesses & Enterprises: Introduce innovation, new income streams, and access different skills by blending social purpose with commercial models.

• Community Groups: Leverage deep local knowledge, access passionate volunteers, and ensure your services meet specific community needs.

Effective collaboration is built on leveraging unique strengths, pooling resources, and uniting around a clear, shared goal.

Want more insights like these to help your organization thrive? Subscribe for expert guidance on building impactful partnerships and achieving your mission!

Unlock your organization's full potential by investing in your trustee board. This infographic highlights how upskilling your trustees can significantly elevate your impact and strengthen your governance.

Discover the key benefits of this strategic approach, including:

• Enhanced decision-making for tackling complex challenges.

• Strengthened long-term strategy and vision.

• Improved financial, legal, and operational oversight.

• Boosted trustee confidence and engagement.

The infographic outlines a clear path to achieving these benefits:

• Know Your Board: Start by conducting a skills audit to understand current strengths, identify expertise, pinpoint skill gaps, inform training needs, and guide recruitment.

• Share the Wisdom: Implement mentoring programs where experienced trustees guide newer ones, leading to faster onboarding, increased confidence, and practical advice for mentees, while mentors develop coaching skills. This fosters a supportive culture and aids succession planning.

• Grow Your Leaders: Cultivate essential leadership skills through targeted training workshops, leadership away days, access to governance resources, and by encouraging trustees to take on leadership roles.

Upskilling is an ongoing journey, and by focusing on these areas—skills audits, leadership development, and mentoring—your board can continuously improve. This ensures stronger governance and a greater impact for your cause.

Want to empower your board for maximum effectiveness? Subscribe to access a wealth of resources designed to help you upskill your board members and transform your organization. Visit our website to learn more.

Unlock the secrets to effectively managing conflicts of interest with our "Friday Five in Five" guide! This essential infographic outlines a clear five-step process to navigate complex situations:

1. Identify: Learn to recognise potential conflicts where personal interests might sway professional decisions.

2. Declare: Understand the importance of openly disclosing any potential conflicts to the relevant parties or register.

3. Evaluate: Assess the significance of identified conflicts by determining their potential impact and associated risks.

4. Manage: Discover strategies to reduce or eliminate a conflict's influence, such as recusal or seeking external review.

5. Document: Realise the necessity of maintaining clear records of identified conflicts and the actions taken to manage them.

Feeling confident about these steps but hungry for more? Imagine having detailed guidance, ready-to-use policy templates, declaration forms, and an organisational tracker at your fingertips. Take your conflict of interest management to the next level and ensure you're fully equipped. Access our Resources Hub or purchase our comprehensive support document to master these challenges comprehensively!

Unlock the secrets to effective trusteeship! This essential guide from Mike Preston Consultancy, "The Trustee: A Guiding Hand," illuminates the critical responsibilities trustees must master.

Discover how to be a steadfast guardian of trust assets by holding and managing property responsibly, ensuring assets align with the trust deed, and making sound investment decisions. Learn the importance of truly understanding and fulfilling the trust's charitable aims, always acting in the best interests of beneficiaries, and upholding the core purpose of the trust.

Navigate the complexities of acting with utmost good faith, which includes being impartial, avoiding conflicts of interest, and maintaining honesty and integrity while prioritizing beneficiaries' interests. Understand the necessity of prudent decision-making by exercising reasonable care and skill, seeking professional advice when needed, and keeping meticulous records.

Master accountability by keeping beneficiaries informed, being prepared to answer their questions, and acting with fairness and transparency. Finally, grasp how to navigate the intricate legal and regulatory landscapes, including understanding relevant laws, ensuring legal compliance (like tax obligations), and seeking legal counsel when necessary.

Want to delve deeper into the world of trusteeship and gain invaluable insights for effective trust management? Subscribe to Mike Preston Consultancy for expert guidance and resources!