The Association of Chairs has been the leading voice for charity and non-profit chairs for well over a decade. Every day we support and champion the ordinary people with extraordinary roles: leading non-profits.
But we have learned that effective chairs need effective boards alongside them. A confident, collaborative group of trustees has a hugely positive impact. Equally, underperforming boards are detrimental to their organisations.
To help boards lead their charities better, we have launched a new type of membership.
What is board membership for the Association of Chairs?
Board membership helps your whole board to be more resilient, effective, and inclusive. We’ve seen the confidence that chairs gain from our individual membership, and we want to extend that to their colleagues.
Board membership includes the tools and connections to help board leaders of non-profits collaborate effectively. It is designed to help your board to:
Learn and develop – events, training, resources, and updates to help trustees at any stage of their journey. Succession planning and leadership development made easy!
Connect – members become part of our community of board leaders. Chair-only spaces will always remain, but board members can tap into our diverse network of peers.
Join forces – Your whole board can access our member-only support. Unlock discounts from trusted partners and suppliers.
Save – Exceptional value per person: your entire board enjoys all the benefits of an individual membership and more.
Our chair Joe Saxton says: “Trustees should be given the opportunity to have ongoing learning and development. Offering board membership is an ideal way for charity CEOs to encourage stronger governance.”
Helping to close skills gaps on boards
April 2025 saw the Charity Commission for England and Wales and Pro Bono Economics publish a report on trustee skills, satisfaction, and demographics. Their research showed how positive non-profit leadership is in the lives of trustees, with a mere 1% of those surveyed saying they would not recommend the role to others.
The report also highlighted slow progress on board diversity, and significant skills gaps. Some key skillsets, including strategy and governance, relied on external sources.
Liz Lowther, our Interim Chief Executive, says: “It’s clear there is a huge need for non-profit board support, and the Association of Chairs wants to help meet that need. There is some great training and resources out there already, but we’ve confirmed with partners that there’s plenty of room for more, particularly following the sad closure of Getting on Board last year.”
We tested appetite for trustee training with Board Essentials, a series of free webinars about finance skills, legal essentials, and increasing diversity on boards. Board Essentials proved unanticipated demand for leadership development, with each session quickly reaching capacity multiple times over, and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback.
As of 12 May 2025, we already have 24 organisations signed up for board membership! Will yours join them?
Deciding which membership is best
Our individual membership for chairs is still on offer. We have over 1000 members enjoying the benefits of our individual membership, from resources to discussion groups.
If you’re considering joining the Association of Chairs community, here are five reasons why board membership may suit your organisation best:
- Your non-profit is seeking a home for its trustee/non-executive director development
- The board would like to strengthen its succession planning
- Other trustees want to step up to support the chair and the senior leadership more effectively
- You would like free access to our Board Essentials events, and all of our member-only sessions
- Inclusion is a key aim of your board, with trustees able to connect with others in their industry
How much does board membership cost?
Every non-profit should be able to access the support they need to help their board lead effectively. Cost is based on organisational income to make membership as accessible as possible. For a board with 10 trustees, that means a year’s worth of support starts at just £17.50 per person!
We have two offers to help make board membership as affordable as possible:
- A three-year membership can be purchased for a 15% discount
- Current individual members can upgrade to board membership and receive two extra months free
Email [email protected] if you’re a member who would like to take advantage of the upgrade offer.
How does board membership work in practice?
We know that chairs already have lots of responsibilities. Board membership shouldn’t be ‘yet another thing’ to manage.
Board membership includes features and support to make signing up and taking part as easy as possible:
- Any team member can be the named administrator, not just the chair
- Organisation staff members can sign up their boards
- Board members receive an email with all the instructions for activating their account
- A how-to guide walks administrators through each stage of set-up
- Our membership team is always on hand to help with any questions
It’s time to develop your leadership
Strong boards are the backbone of strong non-profits. Plus, behind every effective chair is an active and supportive board. We hope to welcome yours to the Association of Chairs soon.
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