Treasurer (Trustee)

Location: London / remote

Voluntary Trustee position, approx. 1-2 hours per month + 6 meetings per year

Would you like to play a crucial role supporting campaigns for the rights of Indigenous people and against racism? Do you have financial expertise that can help guide a bold international movement defending Indigenous peoples' rights around the world?

Survival International is seeking an Honorary Treasurer to join our board of Trustees. This is an opportunity to play a key governance role within a small but mighty campaigning organisation, helping to ensure its long-term financial health, sustainability, and impact.

For more than 50 years, Survival International has worked with Indigenous peoples from Amazonia to the Kalahari to the Pacific, with a focus on those who are least likely to have access to decision-makers and the world’s media. Our campaigns support their fights against the colonialist forces—of resource extraction, fortress conservation, and other land-grabbing—that threaten their lands, their livelihoods, and their lives. We do not accept any government funding, and are supported instead by small donors—making us independent and resilient. As Treasurer, you will provide strategic financial oversight and help our Trustee board fulfill its responsibilities for the organization's financial governance. Working closely with fellow Trustees, the Executive Director, and staff, you will help ensure that the charity's finances are robust, transparent, and aligned with its mission. Your guidance will support informed decision-making, effective risk management, and the long-term sustainability of our work.

What you’ll do:

• Financial monitoring: Review monthly management accounts, monitoring forecast and actual income and expenditure.
• Guidance: Provide strategic guidance to the senior leadership and Trustees on corporate finance matters.
• Budgets: Review and, with fellow Trustees, approve the annual budget, ensuring it supports strategic objectives and long-term financial sustainability.
• Salaries: With the Chair of the board of Trustees, review and approve annual salary budget recommendations, ensuring they are fair and transparent.
• Investments: Oversee the organization's investment activities, ensuring funds are managed responsibly and reflect the charity's financial strategy and risk appetite.
• Risk management: Oversee the charity's financial risk management, including monitoring liquidity and cash flow, and ensuring compliance with the Board-approved Reserves Policy.
• Audit: Support staff engagement with the external auditors, providing oversight of the process on behalf of the Board.
• Expenditure: As needed, occasionally review and approve high-value expenditure, in accordance with the organization's financial controls.
• Review meetings: Attend three (virtual) meetings each year of the organisation’s Finance Sub-Committee to review financial performance, budgets, forecasts, investment performance, and financial policies before making recommendations to the Trustees.
• Trustee meetings: Attend and actively participate in three Trustee meetings each year (in person as far as possible), presenting financial updates and advising on key financial matters to support informed decision-making. The expected time commitment is approx. 1 to 2 hours per month, in addition to the three Finance Sub-Committee meetings and three full Trustee meetings.