Trustee - Investment Committee Member

The Sir John Fisher Foundation is a grant-making charity investing in organisations that serve needs and grow ambitions in the area around Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. We are looking for new trustees to join our board, one of whom should have investment expertise and be willing to join the Investment Committee.

This is an excellent way to make an impact, through influencing how grant funding is spent in the local community around Barrow-in-Furness and South Cumbria.

Being a trustee of The Sir John Fisher Foundation is an outstanding opportunity to deepen knowledge of philanthropy and the charity sector, or to build skills in strategy, governance, impact and charity finance.

As a Trustee, your role is to work with other trustees to set our strategic direction, oversee the effective running of the charity and participate in the Foundation’s grant-making decisions:

• Assess grant applications
• Attend two full-day board meetings per year, in person, in or near Barrow-in-Furness
• Participate in site visits to applicants (around your availability)
• Contribute to planning and implementing the Foundation’s strategy
• Oversee the financial sustainability of the charity to fund our grant-making programmes, including our investments, mainly our shareholding in James Fisher & Sons
• Support the Foundation’s staff team with the general management of the charity
• Ensure the Foundation meets its legal obligations as set out by the Charity Commission

We estimate that being a trustee will take 8-12 hours per month, with more hours required to read applications in advance of the grants meetings, which are around May and November each year.

For our full recruitment pack or a discussion about the role, please email our Executive Director, Pippa Smith, on eo@sirjohnfisherfoundation.org.uk. We expect to close applications on 20th January 2025.