Case study: Trustee Recruitment | The Elephant Group.

The Elephant Group is a school-led charity that helps talented students in non-selective state schools develop metacognitive skills and get into top universities. The charity works directly with schools, universities and employers to tackle the gap in who gets these opportunities and who doesn’t.

We supported The Elephant Group in the appointment of two new Trustees at a time when the organisation was preparing to scale its work. The Board understood that to sustain and expand its work, it needed more hands-on experience around commercial decision-making, fundraising and partnerships.

Context.

The Elephant Group had reached a point where its model was working and generating income through its own programmes and partnerships, rather than relying primarily on grant or foundation funding. This opened up new opportunities, but also meant the organisation had to be more deliberate about how and where it grew.

The charity started to think seriously about how its core programmes, including its university access work and the emerging ‘Meta Method’. could be developed and shared more widely. However, this required more experience and capacity on the Board to help shape and test these decisions, particularly in commercial thinking, product development and how it would reach schools and students at scale.

Alongside this, there was a growing need to strengthen income generation through networks, partnerships and fundraising. These challenges made it clear that the Board needed to evolve and bring in Trustees with practical experience across both commercial growth and income development.

Brief.

We were asked to find two Trustees who could strengthen the Board in distinct areas. The first was for a commercial trustee with the experience of developing and scaling products or services, able to help the Board make clearer decisions about what the organisation offers, who it’s for and how it grows.

The second priority was a professional with extensive experience in income generation, partnerships and fundraising with the networks needed to help the organisation build stronger funding relationships with corporates, donors and sector partners.

Working closely with the CEO, we refined this brief, going beyond a list of skills to think about how each appointment would affect the overall shape and effectiveness of the Board. This included carefully looking at existing strengths and gaps, and being clear about the perspectives that were missing and needed to be added.

We looked beyond the immediate charity sector, drawing on targeted search and personal outreach to engage people with relevant commercial and partnership-led experience. Throughout the process, we were clear with candidates about what the roles would involve and the contribution expected, so those who applied were well informed and genuinely motivated by the organisation’s mission and focus on social mobility.

Outcome.

The campaign resulted in 17 applications, with five candidates shortlisted for interview. Given the strength and breadth of the field, the Board decided to appoint three Trustees instead of the initial two, reflecting the quality and fit of the candidates.

The appointments changed the mix of experience around the Board table. One Trustee brought hands-on expertise in fundraising, partnerships and income generation within youth and education-focused organisations, alongside prior trustee experience. This strengthened the organisation’s approach to network-led growth and sustainability.

The second brought senior commercial leadership experience from a global corporate environment, including board-level accountability for significant P&L. This gave the Board more confidence and a rigorous commercial lens to challenge and shape decisions about growth, priorities and partnerships. The third appointment added CEO-level experience of scaling organisations through organic growth and M&A, adding practical insight into governance, organisational change and building at pace without losing control.

Collectively, these appointments have strengthened the Board’s ability to support the executive as the organisation grows, helping it balance mission, financial sustainability and strategic ambition. The Board is now better equipped to make clear, informed decisions about how its programmes should develop and reach a wider audience.

The process also embedded a skills-based approach to Board composition, reinforcing the importance of aligning governance capability with organisational ambition.