Leaders take responsibility. They have vision, build relationships and take action. As a community, we are blessed with thousands of people who are currently in or have previously stepped up into leadership positions. Many of those leaders are trustees of our communal organisations. The guardians and stewards of our vital services. Working alongside professional teams, they take on the responsibility of leading and governing our organisations to secure them for future generations.
Being a trustee is a privilege. It is also a responsibility. At our trustee tables, we have seen the challenge of constant decision making, pivoting, re-focusing and many difficult conversations over the last two years especially. Leaders have navigated through the most difficult of situations and are now beginning to emerge to consider the ‘what next’….
We know that people become trustees for a myriad of reasons, from wanting to give back to their communities to meeting new people, learning valuable skills to wanting to make a difference in the world. It has been encouraging to see a focus on increasing diversity in trustee boards in recent years. As we scan the communal landscape, we have boards with increased diversity in gender, age, background and experience. We have witnessed many organisations actively seeking to ensure underrepresented groups are present as a voice around their tables. Much has changed and much is still to change.
As we continue to consider what next and are able to take time to vision the future of our sector, there are many issues that will be of high priority for our communal charities. We are all too aware that the challenges ahead are complex. We have learnt that things can change, overnight. That as leaders we need to skilfully balance strategic long-term planning with agility and flexibility.
In 2016, the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) estimated that there were approximately 2,300 Jewish charities registered in Britain with a combined estimated income raised of over £1bn a year. Our small corner of the charitable sector accounts for approximately 1.4% of all charities in the country – these figures speak to the huge generosity of time and giving within our community, as well as an example of us once again punching above the weight of our 0.3% population size.
It could be easy to become complacent about our achievements but our size alone is not a measure of success. Good governance matters. With such huge numbers of people, volunteers and donors within the sector, and with the responsibility of using charitable funds properly, it requires detailed oversight and excellent leadership from hard working trustees.
Leading through ever more challenging times will take commitment, effort and determination. As a community we are fortunate to have many leaders and future leaders who have all these qualities and more. Our task is to seek these leaders, support them and enable them to ensure our organisations can thrive. Our charities sit as part of a wider national sector and our trustees will need to consider diversity, fundraising, sustainability, crisis management, inclusivity and a wealth of other challenges over the coming decade.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Jewish Community Trustees’ Conference run by Lead, the leadership development division of the Jewish Leadership Council, and the Jewish Volunteering Network. As two organisations supporting leadership and volunteering, we hope that this year’s conference will provide a springboard to thought and action for the coming years.
The conference will be held in London and also for the first time in Leeds this year providing opportunities for participants to connect, consider challenge and hear from many experts in their field who will prompt conversations and action for those leading their organisations. The London event will be hosting Tony Bloom, founder of the Bloom Foundation and Chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion football club as the keynote whilst Leeds will be hosting the new Yorkshire County Cricket Chair Lord Patel of Bradford. They will be sharing their thoughts on the charity sector and dealing with a crisis respectively.
This flagship event, sponsored by The Bloom Foundation, is returning on Sunday 10 July as an ‘in-person’ event having been online for two years.
We warmly invite you to join us. It will be a chance to connect with fellow Chairs, Trustees and aspiring Trustees as well as CEOs of our communal charities. To vision together. To consider the challenges of our current and future landscape. To learn together, celebrate success and share ideas. An opportunity to consider the future.
For further information and to book your place, please visit this page or contact the event lead, Laurence Rosenthal at laurence@thejlc.org.
Michelle Janes is Co-CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council and Executive Director of Lead
Nicky Goldman is CEO of the Jewish Volunteering Network
