The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
Board of Trustees elections 2023
We're inviting nominations from our membership community so we can then hold a members' vote at our AGM in December to fill our vacancy.
Joining the SCVO Board of Trustees
At SCVO we're passionate about what the voluntary sector can achieve. Along with our 3,500+ members, we believe that charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups make Scotland a better place.
We’re lucky to have a Board of up to 11 trustees with a wide range of backgrounds and experience. We want our Board to be inclusive, and to reflect the diversity of the voluntary sector and Scottish society. That means striving for our board to be a mix of people with different characteristics, knowledge and experience, from different organisations and places, and with different perspectives.
Six of our trustees are elected from our membership and we have one vacancy for an elected member of our Board to be filled at our AGM on 5 December 2023.
At SCVO, we are exploring how to be an anti-racist organisation, so this year we are particularly interested in nominations of individuals who have experience and motivation to support us on that journey.
This page gives a brief overview of what being a trustee involves and explains how to apply to join the SCVO Board of Trustees.
How do I apply?
Nominations closed on Friday 20 October 2023 - thank you for your interest!
Being a trustee
SCVO is a trusted organisation, with a critical role to play in supporting the voluntary sector. As a member of the Board, you can be part of something special.
Trustees make sure the governance of the organisation is maintained to a high standard. The role is both rewarding and challenging, as we operate in an ever-changing environment with precarious funding – just like most other voluntary organisations.
Our trustees play a key role in making sure that SCVO stays true to our mission and values, serving the interests of our members and the wider voluntary sector.
Gillian Reid-McKee,"As the representative membership body for Scotland’s vibrant, essential voluntary sector, SCVO needs a dynamic, supportive board to assure success against its strategic purpose."
SCVO trustee
What are a trustee's responsibilities?
As a trustee, your responsibilities include:
- being responsible for the strategic direction of SCVO
- upholding SCVO’s values
- promoting the role of the voluntary sector wherever appropriate
- receiving reports from the Chief Executive and other staff on SCVO’s operations and finances, making recommendations as required
- making sure that all statutory requirements for SCVO are met
- agreeing on co-opting Board members to the Board of Trustees.
Fiona Gillespie,"Charities can find it hard to recruit new trustees, so if you’re thinking about joining a board, I would not hesitate. It’s not a walk in the park, or something you can float around on the side-lines - you need to bring commitment, responsibility, and obligation. But that’s all entirely manageable and extremely enriching."
SCVO Treasurer
What's the time commitment involved in being a trustee?
Trustees are asked, as far as possible, to be available for:
- meetings of the Board of Trustees [approximately quarterly]
- the Board’s annual away day – which normally includes an overnight stay
- membership of one of the standing committees [approximately quarterly]
- ad hoc meetings of the Board or sub-groups, and working groups which progress SCVO’s strategic objectives
- key internal and external events such as The Gathering and the Charity Awards
Find out more about SCVO's work and our current Board
Read about SCVO's work and learn about our current Board members
If you have questions or want to know about something that isn’t covered here,
you can contact us for support.