As the dust settles after the result of the US Presidential Election, I’ve been reflecting on what the outcome means for charity trustees in this country? This is of course Trustees’ Week in the UK, which runs from 7-13 November 2016.
Trustees’ Week is an annual event to celebrate the wonderful work which trustees do and to encourage people from all walks of life to consider becoming a trustee. The focus of Trustees’ Week in 2016 is on Stronger Charities through Good Leadership. I’ll return to this theme in a later blog. In this piece, I want to reflect on the lessons of the Presidential Election for trustees, in an apolitical way.
For me, there are two key lessons for trustees, which are distinct but linked. The first is that the US (and the UK following the BREXIT Referendum) are deeply divided politically. We mustn’t turn our backs on these divisions or wish them away. Rather, we must celebrate diversity in all its guises.
UK charity trustees have a role to play in that charities have a proud tradition of celebrating diversity, in their work to deliver public benefit. A charity is a safe and trusting environment, where beneficiaries and other stakeholders can explore and address divisions. Division can spring from inequality and a fear of the other. Charities work to address inequality and to emphasise what we have in common, as opposed to what divides us.
The second lesson for trustees is perhaps more difficult. A number of US politicians and commentators (and indeed some in the UK during Brexit) misunderstood public opinion. As a result, policies were developed which didn’t match what the public were looking for and were presented in ways which didn’t resonate with the public’s expectations.
It’s a challenge for trustees to see the world as it is and not as trustees may see it themselves or wish it to be. Trustees need to see the world as it is to be able to develop and deliver plans which are relevant and tailored for their beneficiaries. This can involve listening, stepping back to reflect from time to time and acting with humility.
I’m sure that trustees will meet these challenges, for the benefit of those who they work with. I’m reminded of a comment in the Quaker Social Action Annual Report 2016:
‘What we do matters, but how we do it matters too — our focus is on the person not the problem. We believe that people in poverty are the real poverty experts.’
The Presidential campaign and BREXIT share some common roots, but with key differences too. The common factor seems to me to be concerns about each country’s identity, locally, nationally and globally. I wonder how best to describe and understand the identity of our charities and what this means for our country?
Paul Gibson 10 November 2016