Trustee - Finance

‍Role Overview 250 million children under 5 years old across the Global South miss out on the care, play and stimulation they need during the most important years of their lives. Governments increasingly recognise the importance of early childhood development, but many struggle to find approaches that are affordable, scalable, and sustainable. Lively Minds believes the solution is hiding in plain sight: parents. For almost twenty years we have worked alongside governments and communities to develop and test a parent-powered approach that enables families, regardless of their income or level of education, to give children the best possible start in life. We have shown that this approach can be successfully integrated into government systems and delivered at scale. In Ghana alone, our model has been adopted nationally, reaching more than 700,000 children and supporting over 130,000 parents. Independent research found participating children made developmental gains equivalent to an additional year of schooling. Having demonstrated what is possible, we are now entering an exciting new phase. Rather than operating as a traditional programme delivery organization, Lively Minds has evolved into a specialist technical assistance partner. We work alongside governments to design, test, and scale parent-powered early childhood development within national education systems, building the capability, evidence, and implementation approaches that enable governments to lead sustainable, long-term change. Today we support governments in Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, and the Gambia , with partnerships in development in Togo and Senegal. Our ambition is to help many more governments transform early childhood development over the coming decade. This is an opportunity to help shape not only the future of Lively Minds but also how governments across the Global South deliver early childhood development for generations to come. We are looking for a finance trustee who shares that ambition and can help ensure we have the financial stewardship, strategic judgment, and governance needed to achieve it. The Opportunity This is not a traditional finance trustee role Lively Minds is at an important strategic inflection point. As we expand our technical assistance model across multiple countries, we are asking new questions about organisational sustainability, financial resilience, growth, risk, and investment. We are looking for someone who enjoys helping ambitious organisations navigate those questions. As finance trustee, you will bring independent judgment, financial expertise, and constructive challenge to the Board. You will help ensure we remain financially strong while enabling the organisation to pursue ambitious goals responsibly. Working closely with the chair, CEO, COO, and finance director and chairing the finance & audit committee, you will help the board make confident, well-informed decisions about the organisation's future. You will join a board that believes its role is to help the organisation realise its potential. That means asking difficult questions, opening doors, sharing expertise, encouraging innovation and supporting the executive team to succeed, while respecting the principle that the Board governs and management manages.‍ Key Responsibilities As Finance Trustee you will help the Board to Provide financial stewardship Act as a trusted sounding board to the FinanceDirector Help strengthen financial reporting and governance where appropriate Share expertise and experience that builds organisational capability Chair the Finance & Audit Committee and oversee the charity's financial health and long-term sustainability Review financial performance, budgets and forecasts Oversee the annual audit and approval of statutory accounts Monitor reserves, financial controls and risk management Ensure resources are used effectively and deliver value for money ‍ Strengthen strategic decision-making Bring financial insight to discussions on strategy, growth and organisational development Help assess the financialimplications of major strategic decisions and investments Support the Board in balancing ambition with affordability and risk Contribute to discussions on the long-term financial model needed to support international growth ‍ Support organisational capability Act as a trusted sounding board to the FinanceDirector Help strengthen financial reporting and governance where appropriate Share expertise and experience that builds organisational capability Contribute as a Trustee Like all trustees, you will contribute to the overall leadership and governance of Lively Minds, participating fully in board discussions on strategy, organisational performance, risk, people, and governance. We also expect trustees to champion the organisation actively, using their networks, credibility, and relationships to open doors, support fundraising, strengthen partnerships, and increase Lively Minds' visibility in the spaces where it matters most. T