Independent Trustee

About UKCF UK Community Foundations (UKCF) brings together 47 accredited and independent community foundations across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, connecting people who care with causes that matter. UKCF exists to strengthen, support and champion community foundations as long-term, place‑based funders rooted in local communities and committed to social justice, inclusion and sustainability. Community foundations are uniquely positioned to connect local insight, lived experience and trusted relationships with philanthropy, public funding and policy. Collectively, our movement supports thousands of grassroots organisations and community groups in every part of the UK, responding both to immediate need and to long-term, structural challenges facing places. In the 50 years since the first community foundation was established in the UK, our members have collectively distributed over £2 billion to grassroots community groups. UKCF’s role is enabling rather than directive: frontline delivery sits with local community foundations and the groups they fund, while we provide national leadership, coordination and representation. Our mission is to enable investment in communities to transform people’s lives – now and for generations to come. We do this by amplifying community voice in national decision making, growing regional and place‑based philanthropy, strengthening grant‑making practices and convening effective local systems. Learning, collaboration and insight run through everything we do. UKCF’s current strategy reflects both the scale of opportunity and the complexity of the environment in which community foundations operate. We are increasingly working alongside government, national funders and professional advisers, helping to ensure that policy and investment decisions are informed by what is happening in communities on the ground. At the same time, we remain accountable to our members and focused on supporting a diverse network with different histories, capacities and local contexts. Our values shape how we work: we are inclusive, relational and ambitious. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and to ensuring that power, voice and resources are shared more fairly. We place a strong emphasis on trust-based, flexible funding; on relational ways of working; and on acting with integrity, clarity and respect in all our partnerships. Environmental stewardship and climate justice are also embedded in our approach, recognising the disproportionate impact of climate change on communities already facing disadvantage. UKCF is governed by a Board that brings together elected member trustees and independent trustees, working in partnership with an executive team committed to high standards of governance, financial sustainability and organisational wellbeing. We are ambitious about our role and impact, while being realistic about capacity and risk. That balance – between confidence and humility, ambition and stewardship – is central to how we lead the organisation and support the wider community foundation movement. About the role As a trustee of UKCF, you will help provide thoughtful, strategic and accountable leadership for the organisation. You will work collectively with other Board members and the executive team to support UKCF’s mission, make well-informed decisions and ensure we remain focused on the needs of our members, partners and the communities they serve. Trustees share legal responsibility for ensuring that UKCF operates for public benefit, complies with its governing document and relevant law, and acts in the charity’s best interests. Just as importantly, trustees help shape the culture and direction of UKCF: bringing curiosity, constructive challenge, sound judgement and a commitment to inclusive, values-led governance. We are looking for trustees who are committed to UKCF’s purpose and values, and who want to play an active role in supporting a national movement rooted in local communities. You do not need previous trustee experience to make a valuable contribution; we are interested in the insight, perspective and experience you can bring, and in your ability to work well as part of a collaborative Board. Shared duties of the Board of Trustees Set direction Keep UKCF’s vision, mission and strategy under regular review, ensuring they remain rooted in our charitable purpose and responsive to the needs of members, communities and the wider environment Support strategic choices that balance ambition, impact, financial sustainability and responsible stewardship Provide oversight and assurance Approve plans, budgets and key policies, and monitor progress against agreed priorities, performance measures and resources Ensure UKCF remains financially resilient, well managed and able to deliver its charitable objectives Oversee the identification, management and escalation of risk, seeking appropriate advice where specialist input is needed Champion good governance Ensure UKCF comp