2026 Trustee Week - Day 1: If You Can't See It, You Can't Manage It

Receiving information at a board meeting isn't the same as understanding what's happening in a charity. In this first episode of my 2026 Trustees' Week series, we explore what meaningful visibility looks like, why accurate financial reports don't always tell the full story, and what trustees need to know to make informed decisions. With insights from Kathryn Shepherdson (Hertfordshire Dyslexic Association), Jonathan Jelley MBE (Peterborough Council for Voluntary Services) and Kahvan Bryan (Young Trustees Movement), we consider the importance of clear reporting, curiosity and asking questions. Free resource: Download the Trustee Visibility Check from the Resources page at www.bancservices.co.uk . Tomorrow: When Everyone Knows But Nobody Has Written It Down. KEY TAKEAWAY Good governance isn't about how much information trustees receive. It's about whether they can see and understand what matters, recognise what may be missing, and ask the questions needed to make informed decisions.A budget isn't necessarily wrong because circumstances have changed. BEST MOMENTS “Receiving information isn't the same thing as having visibility.” “You can only understand the information that you're being given.” “A well-presented board paper doesn't necessarily mean a well-understood organization.” “I'm not afraid to say, ‘Sorry, I don't actually understand what this means in context.’” TRUSTEE FINANCE BRIEF If you're a trustee or charity leader who would like more practical prompts to help you engage with charity finances and ask useful questions around the board table, you can join my Trustee Finance Brief. Sign up to receive practical, plain-English finance and governance insights designed to support better board-level conversations. ABOUT YOUR HOST Aishat is a charity finance professional with over 25 years' experience in the nonprofit sector and founder of BAnC Service , a practice supporting charities and nonprofits with financial management, reporting, governance and strategic financial advice. Through The Nonprofit Bookkeeper, she helps charity leaders, trustees and finance professionals make sense of financial information, ask better questions and make informed decisions, while recognising the people and work behind the numbers. She is also the author of Charity Finance from A to Z , a practical guide to making charity finance more accessible. Work with Aishat: www.bancservices.co.uk CONNECT Instagram TikTok