Charities are crying out for great leadership. To thrive and grow, they need trustees with fresh skills, innovative ideas and vibrant leadership qualities.
That’s why Corporate to Community has been launched in Scotland. It will help charities to unlock their full potential by putting skilled middle and senior business managers on their boards.
Corporate to Community is run by BTA, Scotland’s leading charity consultancy and recruitment agency, which works with dozens of charities each year.
“Everybody wins with this programme,” said BTA Joint Chief Executive Abeer Macintyre. “Charities need exceptional leaders – never more so than now. More companies want to help charities through their CSR programmes. And their managers want the opportunity to develop personally and professionally through rewarding charity trusteeships.”
BTA will work with businesses in Scotland and across the UK to link middle and senior managers with rewarding charity board opportunities. The agency will offer specialist and expert trustee training courses and a matching service to ensure the managers get valuable experience and the charities benefit from skilled leadership and advice.
BTA has run a pilot programme with the Royal Bank of Scotland, placing several managers on to the boards of Scottish charities. They include David Rennie, an RBS relationship director, who is now a trustee of Children’s University Scotland. The charity said: “David is making a great contribution to our board and supporting us to extend our network with private sector companies. He has a passion for our cause and energy that inspires others to action.”
David McIntosh, another RBS relationship director, said: “The full extent of my charity involvement before was tidying gardens and painting doors. I have joined the board of Care and Repair Edinburgh – it’s really interesting and it feels as if I am adding real value. Both sides benefit. It gives me a more strategic feel and I get the chance to meet lots of different people.”
BTA is being supported by Business in the Community on the programme. BITC Scotland Director Alan Thornburrow said: “It’s common sense that BITC supports Corporate to Community as it meets the needs of both businesses and charities, for the good of Scotland.
“Businesses need to nurture and develop their talent to create long-term resilience and sustainability and charities need effective trustees to achieve their charitable objectives. This initiative does both, so it’s a win-win.”