One of the projects we ran recently was developing a ‘Terms of Reference’ for eQuality Time’s Trustees.
There were two reasons:
- So that current trustees don’t overwork themselves
- So that new trustees know what they are getting in for.
The project ran in this GitHub issue (like, much of our work, it was done publicly) and the result looks like this:
Equality Time
Practical Expectations
eQuality Time trustees set the direction of the charity and make sure that it’s work is done well, and properly.
They read a written report every two weeks, and set up a 30 minute meeting by Skype each month so they can make decisions and question the Chief Operating Officer. Minutes of past meetings are here. Once a year there is a longer meeting. So they can check any details at any time they have full access to all eQuality Time working files.
The most practical job of trustees is to check payments from our bank account (for which they get all the supporting evidence).
Sometimes Trustee help is requested for particular projects – one is an expert in Software Engineering and one in Creative Writing, and they are often asked for help in those areas of expertise. Similarly trustees with lived experience of issues like disability and mental health issues guide us in relevant projects.
The Law
Trustees must familiarise themselves with all parts of our articles of incorporation and must accept ultimate responsibility as appropriate for directing the affairs of the charity, and ensuring that it is solvent, well run and delivering its charitable outcomes for the benefit of the public.
Useful notes
The current Chair of eQuality Time is Clare Walsh
The current Secretary and COO of eQuality Time is Joseph Reddington.