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Trustee spotlight: Funding futures through Forvis Mazars Foundation UK
InsightsPublic and social sector insightsTrustees’ Week 2025
Trustee spotlight: Forvis Mazars Foundation UK
22 October 2025
Phil James, Manager in our Corporate Tax team, brings his professional expertise and personal purpose to the Forvis Mazars Foundation UK, which supports under-resourced young people to build brighter futures.
| What is the charity you are a trustee for, what do they do, and what inspired you to get involved? |
I am the team member trustee of the Forvis Mazars Foundation UK (and formerly the Mazars Charitable Trust) which decides how to spend the annual donation from the firm’s partners. The foundation’s strategy and purpose is ‘Supporting under-resourced young people to achieve their potential and feel positive about their future’. |
| What is the best part of being a trustee? |
It is rewarding to support charities doing incredible work and play a small part in it. The Forvis Mazars Foundation UK funds other charities so our role as trustees is primarily identifying the right charities to support, deciding how best to utilise the partners donation, and managing risk. This is both complex and challenging but also rewarding when you do finally select the charities or causes to support, because you can hear and see the incredible success stories and what the partners generous donation goes on to do. The trustee role allows me to use my skills in an entirely different setting to (hopefully) do some good in the world. |
| What are some of the challenges? |
I am a manager in the Corporate Tax advisory team in Birmingham, with a young child, so the main challenge is the added workload. As a trustee, you are not involved on a day-to-day basis, but there is still a time commitment so you can provide effective governance and fulfil your responsibilities as a trustee. For our foundation, it can be challenging to weigh up and choose between competing charities – but that is part of the role, and I enjoy delving into charities and trying to make objective decisions. |
| What would you say to anyone thinking of becoming a trustee? |
| As accountants and tax advisors, we are well placed to provide charities with the benefit of our experience so if you are considering it then know that charities are crying out for support. The role is a ‘win-win’- you will benefit from it (personally and professionally) and the charity will benefit from having you. |
| What is the role of trustees in today’s environment? |
| The Forvis Mazars foundation faces different challenges to a lot of other charities and trustees – we have a single major donor (the accountancy firm), so we do not have the continual pressure to locate funding. Instead, we’re solely focussed on putting the funds to the best possible use and demonstrating value for money. My role as trustee in this context, and key challenge, is to manage conflicts of interest and ensure that the foundation is being used solely for the public benefit by managing the influences and wishes from our major donor. |
| What does Trustees' Week mean to you? |
| I think it’s a great way to showcase what trustees do and encourage as many people as possible to become a trustee – the more diverse experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds that you have on a trustee board, the greater the debate and (hopefully) decision making. |
22 Oct 2025
Trustees’ Week 2025
At Forvis Mazars, we’re proud to work alongside trustees both within our firm and across the sector. Across Trustees’ Week, we’re shining a light on their stories, sharing insights on effective governance, and encouraging others to explore the value of trusteeship.