Are you enthusiastic about philanthropy? Are you a trained accountant with experience of the charitable sector and/or experienced in a finance role? Could you actively contribute to setting the strategic direction of Quartet? Would you enjoy taking an ambassadorial role to advocate for the work of Quartet in the wider community? Are you willing to take on a lead role on the board advising on our finances, budget, investments and management and chairing our Finance and Investments committee? If so, you could be our new accountant Trustee, and we would love to hear from you.
We’re looking for:
Our charity is seeking a new Trustee with finance and accountancy skills, training and experience – ideally in the charitable sector – to join our dynamic and committed Board. This is a key role for the board and supports the board’s assurance of Quartet’s financial compliance and prudence. You would ensure the Quartet is compliant with charity finance requirements, oversee our audit and act as the board’s lead on financial compliance, financial risk and chair the Finance and Investment committee. You will need to have an understanding of investments; Quartet has an endowment of £63 million, built up over many years which is key to our grant giving capacity.
You would work closely with our Head of Finance and CEO to understand and guide our finances, and with the rest of the board, to help to set strategy, make key decisions and oversee the governance of our organisation. Quartet distributes approximately 1,000 grants each year to support local communities and charities. You do not have to have previous experience of working in a charity, but clear financial skills and a strong commitment to our aims and values are essential. Our board are a strong team with a variety of backgrounds in the business, charitable, finance and public sector. We aim to give you a shadowing period of 6-9 months with the current board lead on finance as their term of office comes to an end in autumn 2026.
About Quartet Community Foundation
Quartet Community Foundation is the local community foundation for four regions covering Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The West of England is a place that inspires people to put down strong roots and to care deeply about the issues facing people living here.
Quartet is here to inspire local philanthropy, channelling people’s generosity to help our region become fairer, greener and a place for all to thrive. We do this by awarding approximately £5 million in grants each year to a wide range of local charities and community groups addressing pressing social needs. Funding for these grants comes from our growing permanent endowment fund and from “flow-through” funding provided by revenue funds. We hold almost 300 individual funds.
We were established thirty-eight years ago and are part of a national network of 47 Community Foundations across the UK matching people who want to give money locally with organisations and charities working to help local communities on the ground. Our main office is in central Bristol at Royal Oak House, and we have a satellite office in central Bath.
We encourage a diverse board
Trustees and Committee members come from all walks of life, and we make sure the whole organisation represents the diverse communities of the West of England.
So, if you have never been a charity trustee or sat on a board before, please do still consider applying or getting in touch to discuss the role. All joining Trustees will have the opportunity to shadow a more experienced member of the board, and will be supported by the board and staff team via induction, training and support.
Shortlisting for this role will assess suitability of skills and experience in the following areas:
- Trained accountant
- Finance and accountancy skills
- Experience in a finance role, ideally in the charitable sector
- Experience of the charitable sector
- Commitment to the charity’s work
- Understanding of investments
Quartet is passionate about ensuring the organisation is representative of the diverse communities across the region, and therefore we’re particularly interested to hear from candidates with the following backgrounds and lived experience, which are currently under-represented on our board and committees:
- People who identify as deaf, disabled or have a long-term health condition.
- People who identify as female
- People from Black, Asian and minoritised communities
- People who identify as LGBTQIA+
How to apply
For full details about the role and how to apply please download the recruitment pack below, which includes further details about the roles and responsibilities of Trustee members.
If you are interested in this opportunity and feel that you have skills and experience that would be beneficial on the board, please do apply or get in touch:
To apply, please first download and read the Recruitment Pack on this page, and then also download and complete the Application Form and Equality and Diversity Form on this page . Completed forms should be sent via email, along with a copy of your current CV, to: recruitment@quartetcf.org.uk
If you would like to arrange an informal conversation prior to applying, please contact Quartet’s CEO Anna Smith via email anna.smith@quartetcf.org.uk who will be very happy to arrange to speak with you. All applications will be responded to in advance of interviews being held.
Closing date for applications: 10am on Friday 17th October
Interview dates (subject to changes): Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th October, between 9am-5pm in Bristol. Interviews will be held with a small, friendly panel of trustees and the CEO and will last less than one hour.