The charity sector governance model is “a jewel beyond price” and should be the envy of other sectors, the leader of a major new inquiry into charities told Civil Society Media’s Trustee Exchange conference this morning.
Julia Unwin, former chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and chair of the Civil Society Futures inquiry, told the conference that “the model of trusteeship is one of the most precious things that the charity sector has”.
“We should not do down charity governance,” she said. “There are problems with governance – of course there are; there are problems in every sector – but the model of trusteeship has enabled us to navigate some extremely tricky waters.
“The ability to create a diverse board driven by the values and passions of the organisation but not having a financial stake. The ability of that board to be genuinely independent. These things are a jewel beyond price. Other sectors would give their eye teeth for the quality of governance that the charity sector has.”
‘Civil society shouldn’t always be civil’
Unwin also spoke about the need for charities to fight their corner. She said that her commission would make recommendations for civil society to change itself, rather than relying on government or regulators to make the running. She said charities needed to take back control of their own destiny.
“Civil Society shouldn’t always be civil,” she said. “We were born out of anger. We are fighting for all the things that really matter to us. We convene when things are difficult.”
And she warned against charities becoming too focused on growth for its own sake.
“I’m not sure growth is right for everybody,” she said. “It might be right for the sector, and it might be right for some of you. But we’ve seen in other sectors in 2008 that growth for its own sake has all sorts of downside.”
She said the sector must be prepared to transform, however.
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got,” she said. “In a sector which feels undervalued and marginalised, that’s not a good thing.”
Diversity vital
Unwin also spoke about the necessity of real diversity on trustee boards.
“The best trustee bodies are hugely diverse,” she said. “That doesn’t just mean women and people from BME groups. That is tremendously important, but it’s not the only thing. True diversity comes from a 360 degree protection. It means people who read different newspapers and went to different schools. It means people who talk with different voices and see things differently.”
Protect your reputation
Unwin also called for charities to do more to protect their reputation, but not to do so at the expense of collaboration with others.
“Your biggest asset is your reputation and your name,” she said. “How you are regarded is a huge asset. But reputation must be protected in a new, more fluid way.
“People often say they want partnership, but when it comes down to it, they see themselves as the protectors of their name, and the shutters come down.”
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