Applicants' guide to writing a supporting statement for education and not-for-profit roles

Overview of your experience 

Use this opening paragraph to set the scene and establish credibility.

Introduce your background

• Years of experience in your area of expertise
• Years in executive or leadership roles
• Any Board or Committee experience

Mention relevant qualifications

For example, finance, governance, legal, or any relevant sector credentials.

Give organisational context

• What type of organisations have you worked for?
• What was their mission?
• What scale (budget/turnover, staff size, team size)?

Include metrics

This is especially important if you have a finance, commercial / growth or fundraising/income generation background.

Example:

With over 20 years’ experience in senior finance and operations roles within the commercial sector, overseeing budgets up to £200 million, I bring deep expertise in governance, financial planning, and risk mitigation. As a current Trustee of a national charity, I also have a strong understanding of Board dynamics and effective strategic oversight.

Example:

As Finance Committee Chair for a leading University, I led a comprehensive review of our risk management processes, resulting in a 30% reduction in audit recommendations. In my executive career, I have overseen budgets up to £500 million and led teams through significant periods of change, resulting in a restructuring and saving £20million.

How you meet the criteria and what you bring to the role

This is the heart of your statement. Demonstrate how you meet the role requirements and why you would add value to the Board.

• Use evidence and examples with clear outcomes or metrics
• Highlight professional and voluntary experience
• If you don’t have previous non-executive experience, highlight any experience of working with a Board / Committee and demonstrate your understanding of the nuances between an executive and non-executive role

Motivation and commitment

This section is essential. Candidates sometimes write generic statements—make it personal, specific to this organisation, and authentic.

Explain why you are applying for this non-executive position

Describe why this particular organisation matters to you

• Do you have a personal connection to the cause? Have you followed their work or been inspired by their impact?
• How are you aligned to their strategic plan, vision, mission and values?

Acknowledge the time commitment

• Confirm you have considered how you will meet it. It’s important to highlight how this opportunity fits in with other commitments, and if you live further away, mention how you will attend meetings.