In our latest Trustee Troubleshooter column, a reader writes in seeking advice on a gift for a trustee who is stepping down. Penny Wilson, Inclusive charity governance consultant, shares her thoughts below
Question: I’m the manager of a charity. A brilliant and longstanding trustee is retiring soon and the chair has asked me to buy them quite an expensive gift. I’m concerned that this isn’t allowed. What is allowed in terms of thanking trustees?
Penny: This is a great question and I’m pleased to hear that you have such brilliant trustees. However, the fact that you feel uncomfortable with the size of the gift is a good reason to raise your concerns with your chair. After all, if it makes you uncomfortable, it might make colleagues, other trustees, volunteers, clients and funders uncomfortable too.
So, let’s explore this area in more depth.
What is actually allowed in terms of gifts to trustees?
The Charity Commission's guidance on small payments and honorariums specifically includes payments to retiring trustees to thank them for their service. Although it doesn’t explicitly mention gifts, it seems reasonable to interpret the guidance as covering them too.
But that doesn’t mean charities have a free pass to spend significant amounts on leaving presents. The guidance sets financial limits and makes clear that trustees must consider whether the expenditure is in the charity’s best interests and how it might look to beneficiaries, supporters and other volunteers. Check the rules carefully, including your governing document, and seek clarification if you’re unsure.
‘Trustees don't give their free time in exchange for a diamond-encrusted carriage clock’
What is an appropriate gift?
My view is that gifts to retiring trustees should be very small, and ideally something we know they’ll appreciate.
The more interesting question is whether your longstanding trustee would actually want an expensive gift. I suspect most wouldn’t. Trustees spend a lot of time worrying about their charity’s finances and may not consider an expensive present a good use of funds.
What’s more, trustees don’t give their free time in exchange for a diamond-encrusted carriage clock. We become trustees because we want to make a difference. It’s nice to be thanked, but we’re certainly not in it for material gain.
Good ways of thanking trustees
Below are some suggestions.
A thank-you card with thoughtful, personalised messages from trustees, staff and beneficiaries about what they’ve valued and the difference the trustee has made.
A small, personal gift: a plant for a keen gardener, chocolates for someone with a sweet tooth, funny socks with a relevant message, or a framed photograph from a charity event.
A few words of thanks at their final meeting. If it’s in person, bring a cake. Present them with a card. Help them go out with pride.
An opportunity to say goodbye properly to staff or beneficiaries.
A chance to reflect on their trusteeship. What are they proudest of? What have they learned? What advice would they give their successor?
Sometimes, a public thank you, perhaps in your newsletter or on social media.
Be sensitive about how people like to be thanked. Some would be mortified by a public tribute.
In short, prioritise thought and effort over financial value.
And be consistent. A piece of expensive art for one departing trustee and a card for the next (a real example) is going to leave a bad taste.
When we should spend money on trustees
There's an irony here. While I think trustees are right to be cautious about spending charitable funds on gifts for themselves, I also think we’re sometimes far too reluctant to spend money on trustees.
In my experience, most trustees are pretty stingy when it comes to themselves. Usually that’s admirable, but sometimes it’s counterproductive. For example, refusing to spend money on our own development can be to the detriment of the charity we serve.
We need to distinguish between spending money on trustees as a reward and investing in trustees, so they can do their jobs properly. A £200 leaving present might be hard to justify. Spending £200 on training which helps a trustee understand charity finance could be money extremely well spent.
Let’s get better at saying goodbye to trustees
We’re really bad at trustee endings. In a healthy charity, trustees should come and go as part of a normal cycle of renewal. Leaving should be normal, not a crisis, and charities should have a well-trodden process for saying goodbye. We shouldn’t need to make someone ‘king patron sir president’ or buy them a skydiving voucher to make their departure more palatable.
And a good ending isn’t just about the departing trustee. It’s an opportunity to reflect on what they’ve contributed, celebrate the charity’s achievements and make space for someone new.
You describe your trustee as ‘brilliant’, so I don’t think you’ll struggle to write something in their thank-you card which will mean a lot to them.
Most trustees don’t want a monogrammed Rolex. We just want to leave knowing that we made a difference.
And that someone noticed.