Trust members can be individuals or organisations.
Trust members can include businesses, local authorities and other public bodies and charitable organisations. The trust member will be responsible for appointing trustees. Local authorities must represent no more than 20% of the trust members nor hold more than 20% of the votes of Trust members.
Trust members take decisions about the organisation of the trust and are able to make changes to the trust’s ‘constitution’, as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Trust members decide how trustees are to be appointed and will each have a right to appoint a certain number of trustees. Trust members hold trustees to account. They act as guarantors for the trust. The financial liability of members is limited to the sum they guarantee when they join the trust, usually the sum of £10.
Charity trustees are the named individuals who serve on the governing body of a charity. Charity trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the administration of a charity. Local authority officers must make up no more than 20% of trustees. Together the Trustees will chose and appoint the foundation governors who sit on the governing body of the school. Trustees should appoint at least two foundation governors to the school’s governing body or more if requested
Trustees are responsible for the day-to-day management of the trust ensuring it is solvent, well-run and delivering the charitable outcomes for which it has been set up. All decisions by the trustees concerning a charity are taken by all the trustees, acting collectively and as a team.
The charity trustees (deciding as a group) may wish to invite non-trustees to some of their meetings (see trust partners). No-one, apart from the charity trustees, can vote at trustees' meetings or make decisions. Charity trustees cannot delegate their responsibilities in this area and cannot ask someone else to vote on their behalf. Trustees always have the ultimate responsibility for running their charity.
A trust partner has no legal status within a trust, but organisations can be invited to work with the board of trustees. They can attend meetings, either occasionally or regularly and contribute to the work of the trust. They have no decision making powers or voting rights. It is important to distinguish between this role and the differences to that of a trustee.