Finding a trustee

We enrich, diversify and strengthen boards

As one of the UK’s leading trustee and board recruitment agencies, we find the right trustees for boards of all shapes, sizes and locations.

Since 2009 we’ve worked with a broad portfolio of organisations including charities, social enterprises, housing associations, mutuals, regulatory bodies, spinouts, student unions and B Corps.

We excel in handpicking trustees for large organisations, but strongly believe that every charity board should benefit from the diverse and skilled people we meet.

To serve the needs of every charity we offer three services

  • “Search & Selection / Bespoke” – for charities over £1m and for key roles such as the Chair. 
  • “SNAP” Advertising and Matching – a fast, targeted, and low-cost service, ideal for the majority of charities under £1m. 
  • “Advertising” – an option aimed at the smallest charities.
Package includes Advertising SNAP Search & Selection
Advert with TU
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Your advert hosted on our website.

30 days Yes Yes
Intelligent Trustee Matching
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Matching is done automatically using SNAP.

No Yes Yes
Selected candidates consent to shortlisting
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Candidates are contacted automatically to confirm they're happy to participate.

No Yes Yes
Charities key requirements met
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SNAP matching ensures that the organisation's fundamental matching requirements are met.

No Yes Yes
Candidates key requirements met
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SNAP matching ensures that each candidate's fundamental matching requirements are met.

No Yes Yes
TU newsletter
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Inclusion in newsletter to TU’s candidate database and promotion to our parent firm Russam’s senior executive database.

No Yes Yes
Social media promotion
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Active promotion of your vacancy on our social media channels (Linked In and Twitter).

No Yes Yes
Advert on other websites
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Your advert posted by us on additional sites (e.g. Charity Job, Women on Boards, ICAEW).

No Yes Yes
Candidate pack & job description
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Bespoke support with defining the brief and writing the advert and role description.

No No Yes
Candidate sift
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Expert review of applications, summary, and preparing a longlist.

No No Yes
Longlist interviews
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Interviews conducted by expert recruiters and feedback prepared for your review.

No No Yes
Headhunt
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Targeted headhunt involving market mapping and conversations with c. 150 people about the role .

No No Yes
Candidate checks & references
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Formal references, HMRC and Charity Commission checks.

No No Yes
NCVO members <£1m turnover FREE £175+VAT** POA
<£100,000 turnover £150* £175+VAT** POA
£100,000 - £1m turnover £150* £250+VAT** POA
>£1m turnover £150* POA POA
Choose package List your role List your role Get in touch
Information More details More details More details
*For Adverts only if you have provided your charity number you will not be charged VAT as Adverts purchased by charities are a zero-rated exemption. Adverts are free for NCVO members with a turnover below 1m.
** NCVO members receive a 10% discount on SNAP

SNAP - Intelligent Trustee Matching

‘SNAP’ our new Trustee Matching service matches potential trustees with organisations, based on the wants and needs of both boards and candidates.

If you represent a board looking for new trustees, this is the smart and hassle-free way to receive applications from a diverse range of candidates with relevant experience and a passion for your cause.

This self-service tool enables you to register your organisation, select specific desirable qualities and upload your job advert via the dashboard.

The role will be active for up to 90 days on our website, promoted via our social media platforms and in our monthly newsletter to our a database of 8,000 candidates, via our social media channels & on partner websites. These include Charity Job, Women on Boards, the ICAEW for finance trustees and GirlDreamer, an empowerment platform for young women of colour. Additionally, those who have been ‘SNAP’ matched via the system are invited to apply with their CV, ensuring targeted and suitable candidates apply.

You will be notified via email and be able to access your applications via your online dashboard.

Who should use this service?

Charities with a turnover of less than £1M with some budget to spend on ensuring they reach qualified candidates quickly.

What you pay

Gross annual income Fee
<£100,000 turnover £175+VAT
£100,000 - £1m turnover £250+VAT

Search & Selection

Charities looking for additional support to identify new trustees, Board Chairs or Committee Chairs can discuss how we can help meet your needs.

For some organisations, identifying high calibre candidates is the sole priority, whereas for others, internal capacity means our expert interviewing and advice can be invaluable.

Search & Selection is the full service option, often used for Chair and Treasurer positions, which includes a headhunt and management of the whole process.

Who should use this service?

Charities who want a full service bespoke process.

Often used to fill a critical role such as Chair or Treasurer, or difficult to source experience such as safeguarding.


Advertising

Promote your trustee vacancy to our network by posting an advert on our website.

Free for NCVO members

What you pay

Gross annual income Fee
All organisations £150*
NCVO members <£1m turnover FREE


*For Adverts only if you have provided your charity number you will not be charged VAT as Adverts purchased by charities are a zero-rated exemption. Adverts are free for NCVO members with a turnover below 1m.
** NCVO members receive a 10% discount on SNAP

COVID-19 UPDATE: All of our services can be delivered remotely, from posting an advert on our website to running selection processes via video conferencing. Do get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss how best to run a ‘non contact’ trustee recruitment process.

Our commitment to diversity & inclusion

Trustees Unlimited believes that diverse boards strengthen society. We will strive to remove the barriers that prevent people from applying to become trustees and help our clients to recruit and support people with a wide range of skills and lived experience.

Find out more