Board Member Onboarding Checklist Template

What the Board Member Onboarding Checklist Covers

1. 1
   Phase 1

   Phase 1: Nomination & the Role

   7 tasks

   Start this checklist when someone is nominated or shortlisted for the board. Enter the date of the meeting that will decide the appointment on the first task: every task before the decision counts back from it in business days, the decision is due on it, and every later due date counts forward from it.

   • Set up the onboarding: the nominee, the role, the meeting date and who is involved — the nominee’s name, their role on the board, where the charity is registered, whether it is also a company, whether it works with children or adults at risk, how its governing document says board members are appointed, the date of the meeting that decides the appointment, and the people who run each step
   • Check what the governing document says about appointing board members — who appoints, how, any conditions on who can serve, the lowest and highest number of trustees, the quorum, how long a term lasts and whether a trustee can be re-appointed; an appointment that breaks these rules is not valid
   • US: check the bylaws and state law on electing directors — the number of directors, how they are elected or appointed, terms of office, the quorum and any officer roles, as the bylaws and the nonprofit law of the state of incorporation set them; take advice if you are unsure
   • Confirm the skills the board needs and the role description — the skills, experience and knowledge the board is missing, what the role involves and the time it takes, and which requirements are needed from the start and which can be learnt in the role
   • Record how the nominee was found and assessed — how they were found (an advert, a trustee finder service, a nomination by members or an outside body, or a personal contact), how they were shortlisted and interviewed, and who took part, so the board can see a fair process
   • Meet the nominee and explain what the role involves — the charity’s purposes and work, a trustee’s legal duties, how many meetings there are and when, the time the role takes, that trustees are usually unpaid but can claim reasonable expenses, and any other expectations such as helping with fundraising; offer them the chance to observe a board meeting first
   • Ask for and check references — personal or employer references, which the Charity Commission says you should usually collect and check, with who gave each one and when it came back
2. 2
   Phase 2

   Phase 2: Eligibility Checks & Declarations

   10 tasks

   The law disqualifies some people from being a trustee, and acting while disqualified is usually an offence. Finish these checks and get the signed declaration before the decision, so the charity never appoints someone who cannot serve.

   • Check the minimum age and the capacity to act — that the nominee meets the minimum age for this type of charity and any other condition in the governing document, and is able to manage their own affairs
   • Get the signed disqualification declaration — a written declaration from the nominee that they are not disqualified from acting as a trustee, signed before the appointment is made and kept with the charity’s records
   • Search the official registers — the insolvency register for each nation where the nominee has lived, the register of disqualified company directors and the register of removed trustees, with the date of each search and what it showed
   • Company: check the nominee has verified their identity with Companies House — a new director needs a Companies House personal code, which they get by verifying their identity through GOV.UK One Login or an authorised agent, and the code is given in the appointment filing; they only need to verify once
   • Get the criminal record check the role is eligible for — the level of check the trustee role is eligible for, done before the appointment, with the date the result was seen and whether it is acceptable for the role
   • Ask about conflicts of interest and record the nominee’s interests — their job, other boards and charities, business interests, and links to the charity’s staff, suppliers, funders or the people it serves, so the board knows of any conflict before it decides
   • UK: ask for a fit and proper persons declaration — a charity that claims UK tax reliefs such as Gift Aid needs its managers, including trustees, to be fit and proper persons; HMRC suggests asking each new manager to read its helpsheet and sign a declaration based on its model, kept while they serve and for 4 years after
   • Assess the declared conflict and how it would be managed — how serious and how frequent the conflict would be, whether the appointment adds to the number of conflicted trustees, whether enough unconflicted trustees would remain to form a quorum, and how it would be managed; sometimes it is right not to appoint
   • Record the result of the eligibility checks — whether every check is complete and nothing stops the appointment, so the chair can put the nomination to the decision; note any advice taken
   • Stop or postpone the appointment and tell the nominee — do not put the nomination to the decision; if the nominee is disqualified or not eligible, tell them, record why, and mark the later tasks not applicable, or keep the checklist open while a waiver application is decided; if the checks could not be finished in time, move the meeting date on the first task to a later meeting and record what is still outstanding
3. 3
   Phase 3

   Phase 3: The Appointment Decision

   6 tasks

   The board appoints, or the members or an outside body where the governing document says so. Take the nomination to the meeting with every check complete. The appointment decision is the gate: nothing after it can be completed until it is recorded.

   • Members: give notice of the general meeting and the candidate’s details — notice of the meeting as the governing document requires, with the candidate’s profile and the skills the board is looking for, so the members can vote on the facts
   • Outside body: get the written nomination from the appointing body — a letter or email from the body with the right to nominate or appoint, naming the nominee; tell it the skills the board needs, and that its nominee must act only in the charity’s interests
   • Send the nomination papers to the decision makers — the role description, why this nominee was chosen, confirmation that the checks and declarations are complete (without the personal details), and any declared conflict with how it would be managed
   • Board or members approve the appointment — the decision taken as the governing document says, at a quorate meeting or by the members, with the minute reference and, if it is approved, the date the appointment takes effect; nothing after this task can be completed until it is done
   • Confirm the appointment in writing — a welcome letter or email to the new board member with the date the appointment took effect, the term, their role and what happens next in their induction
   • Not approved: tell the nominee and close this checklist — tell the nominee the decision promptly and kindly, record the reason, and mark the remaining tasks not applicable or archive the checklist
4. 4
   Phase 4

   Phase 4: Registrations & Records

   7 tasks

   Tell the regulator, Companies House if the charity is a company, and everyone else who needs to know, as soon as possible after the appointment.

   • Add the new trustee to the charity’s entry with the regulator — the details the regulator asks for, entered online as soon as possible after the appointment, then a check that the public register shows the right name
   • US: record the election and update any state filings — the board or member resolution in the minutes, the list of directors in your records, and any state filing that names directors, as your bylaws and state law require; take advice if you are unsure
   • Update the charity’s own register of trustees and register of interests — the new board member’s name, role, appointment date and term in your list of trustees, and their declared interests in the register of interests
   • Company: file the director appointment with Companies House — within 14 days of the appointment, with the new director’s personal code, a statement that they have consented to act, and the date they became a director
   • Add them to board communications and the meeting calendar — the board email list or portal, the dates of this year’s board and committee meetings, and how papers are sent
   • Update bank mandates and HMRC details if they will sign or act for the charity — add them as a signatory if they will authorise payments; in the UK, tell HMRC if they become an authorised official, online or with form ChV1; and if the charity holds property in trustees’ names, check whether it needs to be transferred
   • Tell the people who need to know — staff, the auditor or independent examiner, advisers, funders who ask to hear about board changes, and the charity’s insurer if its policy covers trustees
5. 5
   Phase 5

   Phase 5: The Induction Pack

   6 tasks

   The Charity Commission lists what a new trustee should be given. Send the pack in the first two weeks, so there is time to read it before the induction meetings.

   • Send the governing document and the latest annual report and accounts — the current governing document with any amendments, and the most recent trustees’ annual report and accounts; every trustee should have an up to date copy of the governing document
   • Send the latest management accounts, budget and recent board minutes — this year’s budget, the latest management accounts and the minutes of the last few board meetings, so they can see where the charity stands and what the board has decided
   • Send the key policies — safeguarding, expenses, conflicts of interest, social media and internal financial controls, and any others the board relies on, such as reserves, risk and complaints
   • Send the strategy, plans and risk register — the charity’s plans, priorities and values, this year’s operating plan and the current risk register
   • Send the regulator’s guidance for trustees — the regulator’s main guidance on a trustee’s duties, with a note of which parts to read first
   • Agree what information and learning they need in the first year — a conversation about what they already know, what they need to learn and how the charity will help, written down so it can be reviewed after the first year
6. 6
   Phase 6

   Phase 6: Induction Meetings & a Visit to the Work

   9 tasks

   Introduce the new board member to the people and the work. The Charity Commission suggests meeting key people and, over time, visiting services and meeting the people the charity helps.

   • Introduce a mentor trustee — an experienced trustee they can ask about papers, meetings and how the board works during the first year
   • Meet the chair: the board’s priorities and how it works — the board’s current priorities, how meetings run, the committees, how decisions are made and recorded, and that trustees decide together and act only in the charity’s interests
   • Meet the chief executive: the work, the staff and current issues — how the charity delivers its purposes, the staff and volunteer structure, current risks and opportunities, and what the executive needs from the board
   • Meet the treasurer or finance lead: the finances and controls — income and spending, reserves, restricted funds, the budget, the financial controls, and how the accounts are examined or audited
   • Brief them on safeguarding and serious incident reporting — the safeguarding policy, who the safeguarding leads are, how concerns are raised, and how the charity reports serious incidents to its regulator
   • Chair: hand over the chair’s duties — the outgoing chair or vice chair hands over the agenda planning, the working relationship with the chief executive, any delegated authority and the matters still open
   • Treasurer: hand over the treasurer’s duties — the bank access and signatory arrangements, the financial controls, the accounts timetable, the independent examiner or auditor, and any finance committee
   • Safeguarding lead trustee: brief them on the role — the safeguarding policy and when it is next reviewed, the staff safeguarding lead, recent concerns and how they were handled, training, and how serious incidents are reported
   • Visit the charity’s work and meet the people it serves — a visit to a service or project and, where appropriate, a meeting with the people the charity helps, its staff and volunteers, so board decisions are grounded in the work
7. 7
   Phase 7

   Phase 7: The First Board Meeting

   4 tasks

   This template expects the first board meeting about seven weeks after the appointment; change these due dates if your next meeting is sooner or later.

   • Send the first board papers in good time and offer a briefing — the agenda and papers early enough for a new board member to prepare, with a short call to explain any item that needs background
   • Record their attendance and declarations at the first meeting — their attendance, any interests they declare on the agenda items, and anything they asked to follow up
   • Check in after the first meeting — a short conversation about how the meeting went, whether the papers made sense, and what would help them contribute next time
   • Agree any committee or lead role — which committees they will join or lead, if any, and the terms of reference they should read
8. 8
   Phase 8

   Phase 8: Review After the First Year

   4 tasks

   About a year after the appointment, look back with the new board member and refresh the records. These due dates count 12 months from the meeting date.

   • Ask for a fresh disqualification declaration — a new signed declaration, since the Charity Commission says charities should check at reasonable intervals that trustees have not become disqualified
   • Update their interests and check the public records — their entry in the register of interests, and that the regulator’s register and, for a company, Companies House still show their details correctly
   • Review the first year with the chair — how they have settled in, the support they need, progress on the learning plan, and whether the role is working for them and for the board
   • Agree training for the year ahead and improve the induction — the training or development they want next, and what to change in this induction for the next new board member