Can my employer pay for my trustee training?
- Fiona McAuslan
- Mar 15, 2023
- 2 min read
The good news is yes! Several previous participants have been successful in asking their employers to fund their place.
Several of our Charity Board Leadership Programme participants have been successful in asking their employers to fund their place. This means that employees benefit from training to become a trustee, at no cost to themselves while the programme can help your employer develop your leadership skills.
Putting together a proposal
If your employer doesn't have a funding programme in place, your first step should be to approach your HR department or line manager with a proposal. This should serve as evidence of why sponsoring your place on the Charity Board Leadership Programme would be desirable to them.
It’s worth including some information about trusteeship, and the tangible benefits to employers. Here are some useful talking points:
Trusteeship is open to all people regardless of their level of professional seniority or their role. Training to become a charity trustee is a proven alternative to conventional leadership training and allows employees to develop their talents as a leader by taking an active role in governing a charity.
It is a cost effective strategy that offers learning by doing with measurable results that benefits you, your employer and society at large.
Sharing the benefits
Leading a charity helps equip people with the skills and mindsets needed to tackle today’s leadership issues and translate that into action within their workplace.
Some of the transferable skills and benefits include:
Relationship building
Agility and adaptability
Innovation and creativity
Organisational governance
Decision-making
Conflict management
Negotiation
Better self-confidence
Critical thinking
Great well-being
Giving back to society
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, highlighted similar benefits in their Volunteer to Learn report.
What about me personally?
Also in your proposal, indicate how trusteeship will help develop you personally. Consider the following questions:
How will you fit the timing and a trustee position around your work?
What unique skills, knowledge and experience, learned and lived can you bring to trusteeship?
What steps have you taken to prepare for the opportunity? Perhaps you have done some research into the sort of charity you would like to volunteer with.
What are your future goals? How do they align with those of your employer? This could include how the experience of being a trustee might prepare you for a leadership role in your employment.
This last bit is particularly important, as it gives you the chance to demonstrate your commitment to your employer. If you can show that you see a future with them, they'll be more likely to sponsor you.
Getting more information
Getting on Board is happy to support you in asking your employer for help. We educate over 1,000 aspiring trustees each year, and partner with employers including Allen & Overy, King’s College London and global investment manager M&G to support their people into trusteeship.
Please feel free to include our email info@gettingonboard.org in the proposal and we can share further benefits with your employer.
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
It’s fantastic to see more employers recognizing the value of trustee training and supporting their team’s leadership development. Investing in such growth benefits everyone - employees gain new skills, and organizations benefit from enhanced insight and accountability. Similarly, tools like Itemit contribute to operational leadership by streamlining asset tracking and boosting transparency, making it easier to manage responsibilities efficiently across any sector.
Absolutely — trustee training is a critical piece of strong board governance, and it’s encouraging to see more organizations recognizing that. When legal responsibilities come into play, especially around liability or decision-making authority, the details really matter. That’s where working with an attorney connecticut nonprofits can trust becomes essential. At Forrest McPadden, we often help trustees and board members understand their duties clearly, so they’re not left guessing when challenges arise. Covering training costs isn’t just about skills — it’s about protecting the people and the mission. And the legal foundation you build early on can save a lot of stress later.
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