The Institute of Fundraising has announced a partnership with the trustee recruitment group Trustees Unlimited to encourage more fundraisers to join charity boards.

The move follows publication of the report Taken on Trust, which was released on Monday and highlighted concerns about whether trustee boards had sufficient fundraising skills and expertise.

Ian Joseph, the chief executive of Trustees Unlimited, told Third Sector the IoF would encourage its members to sign up to Trustees Unlimited and would explain the value of trusteeship, both as an act of altruism and as a career development opportunity in its communications with them.

“We will I hope be sitting on the largest-ever bank of fundraising professionals who are actively seeking at trusteeship, and we will be able to take that to the trustee market,” Joseph said.

In a statement on the Trustees Unlimited website, the two organisations said the initiative would help to achieve higher standards of fundraising, raise public trust in charities, improve understanding of fundraising and its impact, and develop the next generation of fundraising leaders.

Joseph said: “The Taken on Trust research makes it clear that a lack of fundraising skills on boards is a real issue. The IoF encouraging their members to join trustee boards and share their skills will make a real difference.”

Adam Bryan, IoF director of partnerships and innovation, said it was excited about the initiative.

“The initiative will not only support charities’ strategies and ability to raise the resources they need, but will also help to achieve higher standards of fundraising and improved leadership and governance experience,” he said.