CSW - everyone free to believe

Join CSW as a trustee. You'll be part of a global team determined to tackle injustice and make religious freedom a reality.

 

Trustee (voluntary)

CSW is looking to recruit 3-5 new trustees to ensure that CSW remains true to its calling and is accountable to its stakeholders for its impact.

Successful candidates will be strategic thinkers, who are able to review, advise on and shape organisational plans, and are comfortable offering new ideas, perspectives and solutions. They will need to demonstrate a commitment to the Christian faith and to CSW’s vision of a world free from religious persecution, where everyone can practise a religion or belief of their choice.

About CSW

CSW’s team of specialist advocates work on over 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, to ensure that the right to freedom of religion or belief is upheld and protected. Our vision is a world free from religious persecution, where everyone can practise a religion or belief of their choice.

CSW seeks to challenge and change the laws, behaviours and policies which lead to abuses of the right to freedom of religion and belief. We have over four decades of experience advocating for freedom of religion or belief around the world. To learn more, download a copy of An Introduction to CSW.

Key responsibilities:

As a trustee, you will be responsible for championing CSW’s vision, maintaining CSW’s Christian ethos, and safeguarding the organisation’s reputation. You will support in:

• Setting or approving policies, plans and budgets to achieve CSW’s charitable objectives, and monitoring performance against them.
  
• Setting and maintaining a framework of delegation and internal controls.
  
• Making decisions on matters which might pose significant risk to the organisation, financial or otherwise.
  
• Actively contributing to the strategic direction of the charity, and evaluating performance.
  
• Ensuring the solvency, financial resilience and effective administration of the organisation.
  
• Representing CSW positively to external communities (e.g. the Church, charity sector and public bodies).
  
• Fulfilling the statutory responsibilities of a trustee as set out by the Charity Commission.
  

Commitment required:

Trustees are usually elected to the Board for an initial three-year term, with the possibility of re-election for two further three-year terms. As a CSW trustee, you will be required to participate in:

• Three Board meetings each year.
  
• An annual Board of Trustees Away Day
  
• One of CSW’s subcommittees – up to three additional meetings each year
  

Most Board and Committee meetings are held in the evening, starting at 7.30pm or 8pm, and take place online. In addition, ad-hoc advice may be sought from trustees between meetings, as required.

Essential qualities (full and desirable qualities listed in the role description pack):

• A committed and mature Christian, able to demonstrate an understanding and acceptance of CSW’s Statement of Faith (The Apostles’ Creed).
• A personal commitment to Jesus Christ, reflected in their devotional life and involvement in a Christian community, including an individual commitment to prayer and a willingness to uphold CSW’s work in prayer.
• An ability to analyse information, think creatively and, when necessary, challenge constructively.

CSW is particularly keen to hear from candidates with expertise in or experience of: charity law; fundraising or income-generation; advocacy; personal and/or lived experience of issues relating to freedom of religion or belief; or an association with someone who has first-hand experience of discrimination, harassment or persecution on the basis of their religion or belief; experience of working in or volunteering with a faith-based charity or the Church. Although we are particularly looking for trustees who meet one of the above criteria, we will consider all applications we receive.

Please download the letter from the Chair of Trustees and the role description pack. If, after prayerful consideration, you would like to apply for the role of CSW Trustee, please email your CV and cover letter to Jane Bave (Head of People and Culture): janebave@csw.org.uk

Closing date: Thursday 20 March 2025.

This post falls within the definition of an Occupational Requirement as per the Equality Act 2010. 

General Data Protection Regulation 

CSW takes seriously the storing of personal data in line with the General Data Protection Regulation.  Your application and any information you provide will be stored securely either on paper records or a computer system and then destroyed in line with the data protection law.