Trustee

Cord is an international peacebuilding NGO working to make peace a reality in places where people lack freedom to exercise their rights. Cord works across Southeast Asia and Africa with people in sensitive and oppressive contexts to transform dysfunctional relationships into those that create peaceful & inclusive societies.  

Currently, Cord’s board has five (05) dedicated trustees with a wide range of experience from both the corporate and charity sectors. We strive to be a board where everyone has a voice and an opportunity to use their unique skills to help take Cord further. 

Being a Cord Trustee is a valuable and influential role, helping contribute towards the organisation's current peacebuilding activities and its future direction.  

TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES 

Cord is a limited liability company that is registered as a UK charity. The Trustees are both the Directors under Company law and the Trustees under Charity law.  Trustees are expected to perform a number of duties as part of their service and the list below outlines the main duties.  

• To fulfil the statutory duties of Trustees as set out by the Charity Commission. 

• Ensure that the charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction  

• Be responsible for the performance of the charity and for its “corporate” behaviour; 

• Ensure that the charity’s governance is of the highest possible standard; 

• Provide expert knowledge to the Board in their specialist area; 

• Raise the external profile of Cord and expand our networks 

In line with our commitment to Safeguarding, Trustees must also:-  

• Practice, promote and endorse the culture of safeguarding among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.  
• Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place and encourage others to do so.  

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR? 

We do not require trustees to have prior Board experience and are open to seeking trustees with a variety of skills and experiences.  

We are interested in hearing from individuals who not only share our Christian values but have an active Christian faith. We celebrate difference in all its interpretations, and applications are actively encouraged from individuals from diverse backgrounds, in particular, those who reflect and represent the communities we work in.   

At this time, we particularly welcome applications from those with skills/experience in charity fundraising (either public or trusts/major donors or institutional), and legal/charity governance 

ESSENTIAL FOR ALL TRUSTEES 

• Committed Christian, typically this would involve being active in a church or Christian community, with a willingness to engage in times of prayer or reflection and uphold the Christian ethos of the organisation. We welcome applicants from all denominations. 

• Passion for Cord’s peace-building work, and a commitment to Cord’s values, mission and vision. 

• Excellent, proven interpersonal and communication skills: ability to work collectively, courage to challenge constructively where appropriate, whilst being self-aware.  

• An awareness of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship and a willingness to grow in understanding. 

• An awareness of the boundaries between governance and the executive function, whilst still being willing to roll up your sleeves and help out operationally when needed. 

The below outlines the skills and experiences we are ideally looking for. However, we know not everyone will have all these skills- but if you have something to offer, please get in touch either for an informal conversation or to apply. 

DESIRABLE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE  

Fundraising or Resource Mobilisation 

• Demonstrable experience in fundraising or resource mobilisation (ideally having held a senior fundraising role), including the expertise and knowledge to inform strategy development. 

• Demonstrable experience of overseeing a range of income streams such as individual giving, major donor relationships, grant making trusts, philanthropic organisations/individuals, government, institutional (international and regional bodies), or corporate funding. 

• Ability to provide operational fundraising advice to the Executive where needed and contribute to governance committees or working groups. 

• Up to date knowledge of fundraising trends in the sector.  

• Knowledge of Institute of Fundraising Code of Practice, UK tax law and data protection legislation. 

Legal 

• Knowledge and understanding of Charity Commission regulations and Charity law 

• Familiarity with and ability to advise on a range of legal aspects regarding charity operations and/or programmatic work.  

• Experience of risk mitigation and organisational crisis response.