Challenge to Change

Finding opportunities for innovation and change whilst tackling communal crises or systemic challenges

This award is for boards that show bold and generous leadership in addressing specific challenges to create lasting, meaningful change for the charity and its mission. We want to hear from trustee boards that are looking at the bigger picture and providing strategic leadership to their charities, navigating systemic issues, crises or emergencies, and making a sustainable impact.

Borge Andreassen, Managing Director of Prospectus, explained, ‘We are really looking forward to receiving submissions that highlight how governance has driven innovation and provided real leadership to organisations as they adapted for the long term and are building back better following a challenging period.’

What the judges are looking for

The charity could be operating on a local, regional or national level, and the Board has decided to look at a big issue more strategically.

For example, the board might have decided to stop delivering some services in order to focus on tackling root causes of an issue; or it might be forging partnerships or building movements to address systemic problems such as poverty, racism or climate.

The entry may highlight the work of sub-committees or working groups, but we are looking for examples of board-level leadership that should ultimately include the main board, its decision making and its actions for addressing the issues described.

Tips from past judges of other awards

Identify the risks and the opportunities: All opportunities come with risks, and it’s the board’s job to make sure they’re both effectively identified. When Missing People’s choir entered Britain’s Got Talent the board commissioned a far-reaching risk assessment to scope what might go wrong for the people involved, and their families.

Gather the right support: Fully embracing an opportunity means getting the right expertise on board to make sure it’s a success. For example, when EVA Women’s Aid invested in a new service for older women, they harnessed the board’s network to secure vital legal and financial advice.

Focus on your strengths: Focusing on your charity’s core strengths can give you the confidence to seize new opportunities for the future. For instance, Family Fund’s board doubled-down on what they knew they could do well to go after an exciting new opportunity.

Inspiration for your entry

Click here for advice from past judges.

Hear from the past award winners, such as Recovery CYMRU and MQ Mental Health Research.

Hear from the other past winners and shortlisted charities talking about governance in their organisation and what it meant for them to win.