Support for chairs

Chairing can be a heavy responsibility. Don’t shoulder it alone. Contact us if you need some support.

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 provides 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:

Get peer support through the AoC community and regular support sessions

Talk to fellow chairs in our friendly online community, or at our regular online and in-person peer sessions about issues you face as a chair. Get insights 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.

Connect with an experienced chair to talk through a challenge

Connect with an experienced chair who can act as a sounding board to help you find solutions. They will help you unpick the challenge you’re facing and talk about potential ways forward. Some examples of tricky issues they can help with include: the relationship between you and your CEO, dealing with communication problems on your board, or situations around founders and mergers.

Talk to 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

Get in touch with us by email. Please 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 support terms and conditions.

Email us

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

The support service 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 our support

I contacted AoC 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. The service 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