Behind the Scenes as a trustee

Dear Friends of Irish Church Missions,

What's life like as a Trustee?

As a trustee of ICM, I'd like to take a few moments to explain what trustees do. I'm conscious that - apart from a blurb and a photo on the website, many people might find themselves scratching their heads if they were asked to explain what these trustees actually do from day to day and month to month?! What follows is an attempt to lift the veil and shed a bit of light on all of the various trustee tasks

Legally speaking, trustees fulfil a very similar role to that of board members of companies - we carry a legal and moral responsibility for the running and good order of the charity. Simply put: we are charged with ensuring that ICM fulfils the purpose for which it exists, that it uses its resources wisely, and that we remain accountable to you and to the wider public.

In practice, that means that while many of the day-to-day operations are carried out by staff and volunteers, the board of trustees sets strategy, oversees the organisation, monitors performance, and safeguards our reputation and resources.

Here are some of the key responsibilities that trustees carry:

1. Ensure the charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
   We must make sure that ICM’s work – starting, strengthening and supporting healthy Anglican evangelical churches across Ireland – is being delivered faithfully and in a way that serves the intended beneficiaries. We must satisfy ourselves that the work we do is aligned with that mission.

2. Comply with our own Constitution and the law
   We must act in line with ICM’s Constitution and with relevant legislation (charity law, company law and privacy law to name but a few). This means having proper procedures, appropriate policies and oversight in place.

3. Act in the charity’s best interests
   We must always put ICM’s interests, and the beneficiaries’ interests, ahead of personal or other interests. We must avoid taking inappropriate risks with the charity’s assets or reputation, and ensure decisions are made with due care. 

4. Manage resources responsibly
   Our responsibility is to ensure that funds, staff, volunteers and other resources are used effectively and efficiently to further ICM’s mission. We must ensure appropriate financial controls, risk-management, and proper governance. 

5. Act with reasonable care and skill
   Trustees don’t need to be experts in everything, but we must give our time, attention and judgement to the business of the charity and we must use any specialist experience we have.

6. Be accountable
   We are accountable to our supporters, to regulatory bodies, to staff and volunteers, and to the public. We must provide transparent reporting, good governance, and ensure the charity is run well. 

A lot of this sounds very serious and might paint a somewhat sombre picture of the job at hand. And that wouldn't be a fair reflection of what is is like to be a trustee. For every meeting about or planning laws or record keeping, there is a team coffee at Rev. Coulter's to look forward to, or a supporter's evening somewhere on the island to attend and enjoy. 

The work is serious - and rightly so. We want it to be the case that when ICM asks you to give or pray, you can know that the trustees are keeping proper watch over the affairs of ICM and carefully doing what we can to plan for the future. 

But, speaking for myself at least, the approach I adopt as a Christian and a Trustee is to take the job seriously but to try not to take myself too seriously.

Thinking about Wider relationships
Without the hard work of our staff members and the generous support from our donors, the work simply wouldn't happen. And much of our thinking as trustees revolves around the questions of how to engage most effectively with the staff team and with our supporters. But there are other relationships that also matter a great deal - for example partners like ACE and Crosslinks, who share our vision and core aims, but who have their own structures and history and preferred way of working. Getting these relationships right can have a hugely beneficial impact for ICM.

Thanks for being with us on the journey 

We hope that some of this gives a bit of a flavour to what your trustees do on a week to week basis. Rather than being 'corporate suits' we do our best to get alongside the staff and our key partners to try to move the work of ICM forward. And we are very grateful to you for the vital role you play in this mission — through your giving, your prayers, your encouragement. The work of trustees may be largely behind the scenes, but it is deeply dependent on your visible commitment. You make it possible for ICM to act faithfully, boldly and wisely.

If you ever have questions about how we govern ICM, about finances or about strategy, please feel free to contact us. We believe in transparency and partnership with you, our supporters.

With gratitude and anticipation for what God will continue to do,

Andre
Trustee, Irish Church Missions

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