Chair of Trustees vacancy - Cambridgeshire Community Foundation

Cambridgeshire Community Foundation is the charity for Cambridgeshire, working towards a better quality of life for people across the county. We identify the most critical needs of local communities, raise funds and award grants to non-profit organisations that make a big impact in addressing those needs.

Over the past 22 years, we have awarded grants totalling over £40 million through over 10,000 grants and built a permanent endowment worth £16 million. From 2025 to 2026, we awarded almost £3.5 million in grants. We work with local businesses, individuals, councils and the NHS. We distribute grants to projects across the county, addressing issues including health and wellbeing, homelessness, social isolation, education, and the environment, among others.

The Chair of Trustees provides strategic leadership to the Board and works in close partnership with the Chief Executive to advance the mission of Cambridgeshire Community Foundation. The Chair ensures effective governance, supports high-quality decision-making, and represents the Foundation externally to key stakeholders, donors and partners.

Becoming Chair – Our offer to you

By becoming Chair of the Foundation, you will join the largest placed-based grant maker in the county. You will support and shape our work and strategic direction to ensure that we are providing the best possible support to local non-profit organisations and our community. You’ll bring your unique perspective to board discussions and help us innovate in ways that truly reflect the communities we serve.

The role is a great way to get involved in your local community and be part of a network of people and organisations who want to make a positive difference.

The role also offers professional development opportunities, including:

Strategy and leadership in the not-for-profit sector
Non-executive director experience
Skill development, including influencing and negotiation, and managing risk.

As Chair, you will be part of a team and will have opportunities to apply your unique skills and experience while learning from others. Working closely with a passionate team of people who have different perspectives is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the role.

Our Chair position is available to people of all ages, backgrounds, and skills and we welcome applications from all in our community. It is particularly important for us to have a diverse Board of Trustees, for strong representation of the communities that we serve through our work. People identifying as disabled, from Cambridgeshire’s minority ethnic communities, young people, and from areas outside Cambridge are currently under-represented on our Board so we particularly welcome applications from those groups.

Download the Chair recruitment pack

Recruitment process

To register your interest, please send a copy of your latest CV or biography, together with a supporting statement explaining the following:

Your motivations for applying for the role
How your skills, knowledge and experience match the requirements sought
What you might additionally bring to the role.

To ensure fairness to all applicants, the shortlisting will be based solely on the information that you supply. Therefore, it is important that you provide as much information as possible regarding why you wish to apply and what you think makes you a suitable applicant.

Cambridgeshire Community Foundation is an equal opportunities organisation and welcomes applications from all in our community. It is particularly important for us to have a diverse Board of Trustees, for strong representation of the communities we serve. Your ideas and insights will directly shape our work and future. We work in ways that fit your life including in-person meetings, online sessions, or a hybrid mix of both.

Your application should be emailed to Michael O’Toole, CEO, at: michael@cambscf.org.uk

Application deadline: 31st October 2026 at 5pm

Interviews will commence in November 2026.

Thank you for your interest in the role and we look forward to receiving your application.