Good governance isn’t about paperwork; it’s how organisations make clear decisions under pressure and protect public trust. Trustees’ Week (3–7 November 2025) is a chance to recognise the people who keep charities steady in challenging times. That includes trustees of the BGF Foundation, an independent charitable organisation (backed by cornerstone funding from BGF) that aims to amplify the impact of charities working with disadvantaged young people.
This year’s theme for Trustees’ Week is ‘celebrating the power of good governance’. As the UK’s non-profit sector adapts to new updates to the Charity Governance Code, it’s an especially timely moment to reflect on the impact that effective boards can have on charities (and the causes they support).
Why charity trustees matter
Just like private company boards, trustees are responsible for shaping a charity’s strategy, stewarding resources, upholding values and supporting leaders, especially through periods of change or uncertainty.
Confident charity governance goes beyond compliance, enabling these organisations to make better, faster decisions that strengthen outcomes for the people and communities they serve. That’s why the BGF Foundation continues to promote effective trusteeship, including encouraging BGF team members to consider board service and connecting them to its charity partners.
Bridging the trustee gap
Charity trustees give their time, judgement and care to steward missions, support leaders and safeguard resources. The role is rewarding, but it’s also demanding. The operating environment is complex, expectations are high, and regulatory standards are always evolving.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, trustee recruitment and retention remain difficult. Over the past year, sector research has highlighted persistent board vacancies, and the difficulties many charities face in finding and keeping trustees. This is particularly acute for small and medium-sized organisations that need trustees with specific skills (such as finance, legal, risk, digital, HR and communications) but lack the networks to reach them. Without a complete and confident board, strategy suffers, and impact slows.
We’re in a unique position to help charities access these in-demand skills. By tapping into our team and wider community of experienced business leaders, the BGF Foundation’s charity partners can shorten their trustee searches, diversify their boards and strengthen decision making. Recently, one of our Value Creation team members (John Coburn) also supported BGF Foundation charity partner Go Beyond with their trustee recruitment drive.
It’s a practical contribution to a system-wide challenge, and one we continue to champion, on behalf of the BGF Foundation.
Good governance in action
The BGF Foundation recently completed its largest funding round to date, embedding strong governance throughout its grant design and decision making.
