Charities should include details of their board induction and reviews process in annual reports, according to a new report on trusteeship from New Philanthropy Capital (NPC).

Trusteeship 2010 says charities and funders should take the initiative to increase transparency and sharpen the focus on board effectiveness.

“If charities publish details of their own induction and review processes in their annual reports, and funders reward those that do so, it should encourage debate and promote a culture of transparency about how well boards are working,” says the report.

The report found that recruitment, training and evaluation of boards were under-resourced and needed to be given a higher priority by charities, funders and government.

It also found that diversity was a problem on some boards, and that good approaches to governance structures and board behaviours were lacking.