Research has found that two in five Gen Z people would now consider becoming a charity trustee, an increase on previous years.
Insurance firm Ecclesiastical conducted a survey in partnership with the Young Trustees Movement of 545 18-24-year-olds in the UK, 40% of whom said they would be interested in joining a charity board.
The last time the survey was conducted in 2019, 24% of Gen Z respondents said that they would consider being a trustee, making this year’s figure a marked increase.
The research comes at a time when trustee boards are struggling with recruitment and charities are being encouraged to increase the diversity of their trustees.
Motivation to become trustees
Of those who would consider becoming a trustee, 45% of respondents said they wanted to give back to a charity they support, 43% said it would help with their personal development, 37% said to improve their sense of wellbeing, and 34% said that they felt they could add value to a trustee board.
Meanwhile, of the 26% of respondents that said they would not consider becoming a trustee, the primary reasons given for this were time constraints; a lack of interest; fears around pressure and legal responsibilities, and too much work.
Asked what charities could do to encourage them to become a trustee, respondents said financial incentive (22%), training (19%); confidence in knowing they would be adding value (19%); time off from work (19%); if it supported career ambitions (19%) and if younger people were encouraged to get involved (19%).
The highest priorities for young people considering becoming a trustee were reassurance that they do not require any specialist knowledge or experience to be a trustee (75%), the chance to shadow current trustees (70%), having someone to talk to in order to overcome any barriers that may arise (69%) and receiving training (68%).
‘No secret what needs to be done to include young people’
Mita Desai, chief executive of Young Trustees Movement, said: “It’s no secret what needs to be done to include young people in governance - and this data makes it crystal clear.
“The positive change we’ve seen over the last five years is down to people in the charity sector taking action. These actions don’t have to be big; they can start small and there are three simple steps we’d encourage charities to take.
“Firstly, making it clear that intergenerational perspectives aren’t just a ‘nice to have’ - they’re essential to good governance.
“Secondly, rethinking recruitment. Young people often tell us that trustee packs exclude them with requirements like ‘demonstrable experience in X,’ while charity boards continue to struggle to recruit any trustees, let alone attract young people.
“Finally, to provide support to encourage young trustees to stay once they’ve joined. We know that when charities invest in training and support, everyone benefits.”
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