Costa Foundation Trustee

Costa Foundation; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A charitable organization supporting education is seeking a Trustee to join the board. The role involves reviewing project proposals, ensuring strategic direction, compliance with charity law, and overseeing financial stability. Ideal candidates will have a strong commitment to education and experience in international development. This voluntary role entails quarterly board meetings, including in-person sessions in London. Interested individuals should submit a CV and cover letter by January 12, 2026, to make a lasting impact in global education.

Benefits

Travel expenses covered

Opportunity to visit funded project communities

Qualifications

• Experience relating to education, ideally in an international context.
• Practical knowledge of community development or international education projects.
• Strong experience in monitoring and evaluating impact of projects.

Responsibilities

• Review proposals for new projects and decide funding.
• Give strategic direction and set overall policy.
• Ensure compliance with governing documents and charity law.
• Safeguard the mission and values of the organization.
• Oversee financial stability and investment of funds.

Skills

Passion for education

Strong interpersonal skills

Strategic thinking

Experience with international education

Job description

Are you passionate about transforming lives through education? The Costa Foundation, Costa Coffee’s global charity partner, is seeking a new Trustee to join our board and guide the charity through our next exciting phase of development. As a member of our Projects Committee, you’ll work with our Executive Director to decide which education-focused projects to fund with our long-standing partners to change children’s life stories in rural coffee growing communities around the world and in the UK.

You’ll have a strong commitment to the Costa Foundation’s mission and values, think strategically with sound judgement, have a collaborative nature, with strong interpersonal skills, ability to be a critical friend and willingness to dedicate time and energy to the role. Prior board experience is helpful but not essential.

Qualifications and Expertise

• Education: Passion and experience relating to education, ideally in an international context
• International Development: Practical knowledge of international education (or other relevant area) projects, community development, or working with global partners, especially in coffee-growing regions.
• Monitoring & evaluation: Strong experience of measuring impact from projects and programmes on communities beyond numbers
• Academia: Research or teaching in relevant subject area at higher education academic institution
• Safeguarding: Experience of developing and applying safeguarding policies and practices strategically in an international setting

Key Responsibilities

• Review proposals for new projects as part of our Projects Committee to decide which projects receive funding, as well as monitoring and evaluation data collated annually from current projects.
• Contribute actively to the Board’s role in giving strategic direction to the Foundation, setting overall policy, defining goals and evaluating performance.
• Ensure the charity complies with its governing document, charity law, and other relevant legislation or regulations.
• Safeguard the vision, mission, reputation and values of the Costa Foundation.
• Oversee the financial stability of the organisation and ensure proper investment of the Foundation’s funds.
• Engage with stakeholders and represent the Foundation as an ambassador.

Our board meets quarterly, including an in-person strategy day, and the Projects Committee meets a further three times a year. Both are a mix of in-person meetings in central London and virtual meetings. We’re keen to enrich our board with experience from around the globe and particularly welcome applicants from coffee-growing communities.

This is a voluntary role (travel expenses will be covered). Trustees may be given the opportunity to visit the communities where the Foundation has funded projects with all expenses covered.

If you’re eager to make a genuine, lasting impact, we want to hear from you! Share your CV (max two pages) and a cover letter (max one page) outlining what inspires you to join our board, and how your talents align with the expertise we’re seeking, by emailing [e-mail] or applying through LinkedIn by Monday 12th January 2026.

Join us in changing children’s life stories!