Chairs in Need

Chairing can be a heavy responsibility. Don’t shoulder it alone. Contact our support service for chairs and their boards.

Support you can get

We know that chairing a non-profit can be very demanding. As a chair or vice-chair, you’ll regularly have to deal with both practical and interpersonal challenges in your role.

Thanks to funding from Garfield Weston Foundation, the Association of Chairs is running a pilot scheme to provide extra guidance and support for chairs and vice-chairs.

Whatever issues you are facing, we or someone we know will have faced something similar, or will know where you can go for guidance.

Three kinds of support depending on your needs:

Peer support: WhatsApp Group and online support sessions

Talk to fellow chairs in our friendly Whatsapp group or at our monthly online peer sessions about issues you face as a chair. Get quick replies and different perspectives and experiences from a large group of chairs. Particularly helpful for issues around process, policy and recruitment, and to get suggestions for further resources.

Mentors: connect with experienced chairs

Connect with an experienced mentor who can act as a sounding board to help you find solutions. Short and longer term mentoring available (up to six sessions). This service is great to help you unpick different challenges you might have as a chair. Some examples include: relationship between you and your CEO, dealing with communication problems on the board, situations around founders and mergers, and being new to chairing.

Governance consultants: for expert advice

When specialist help is needed, we can give you access to governance consultants, who have specific professional expertise in areas such as charity law/compliance, charity finance, conflict resolution and mediation. Our consultants offer a range of services. These include: one-off calls offering advice and signposting, a series of 1-1 or group coaching, and mini board reviews.

How to get support from Chairs in Need

Get in touch with us via our contact form or by email. Please mention Chairs in Need and tell us a bit about the issue you want help with. We will be in touch with you within 48 hours to explain what help we can offer. Read about our Chairs In Need terms and conditions.

Fill in our online contact form

Email us

I’m not a member, can I still access the service?

Chairs in Need is for Association of Chairs members only (chairs and vice-chairs). If you are a chair or vice-chair looking for support but not yet a member, we have a limited number of free bursary memberships available.

Become part of our collaborative community of chairs

Join our community today and enjoy bespoke resources, expert training, exclusive webinars, and opportunities to network.

Find out more about membership

Find out about bursary memberships

We know that many small charities are under increasing financial pressures. If you chair a small charity and would like to talk to us about a free bursary membership, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Email us about bursaries

What chairs say about Chairs in Need

I contacted Chairs in Need because we had a particularly knotty and delicate problem to solve. I made a telephone appointment to speak to an advisor; he and I discussed the problem for a good half hour, looking at alternatives. His advice was wise, thoughtful and extremely helpful. We followed it and the problem speedily resolved itself. Chairs in Need is first rate in helping to resolve the inevitable dilemmas that arise as part of chairing a charity.”
AoC member

I can’t overstate the impact that being able to work with an Association of Chairs mentor has made to me but also to the charity I chair… Anyone who has been in this role knows it can be lonely, overwhelming and sometimes even toxic. My mentor has helped me through those times and I’m now better able to protect and serve myself as well as the board and organisation I lead. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength, so do it now.”
AoC member

Knowing this service exists gives me confidence that I can deal with some of the trickier issuesthat being a chair throws up. It can be a very rewarding role when things are going well, but isolating when it’s not. I am also really aware of the power a chair has, and having this service available helps me to feel comfortable that that power is being used correctly and fairly.”
AoC member