Charity officer

Charity officers play a crucial role in both the running and success of charitable and not-for-profit organisations

The exact nature of your role will depend on the size and focus of the charity you work for. In larger organisations, for example, you may specialise in a specific area of the charity's work, such as project management, business development, finance, marketing and public relations, fundraising or volunteer management.

In smaller charities, however, you'll often be involved in multiple aspects of the work and may manage several projects simultaneously, including administrative duties and community engagement.

Job titles vary depending on the nature of the role and include charity administrator, community liaison officer, charity coordinator and charity or project development officer.

Regardless of the specific job title or focus, charity officers are essential in ensuring that charitable organisations operate smoothly and effectively, ultimately helping to achieve their mission and make a positive impact on society.

For specific details about charity fundraising see charity fundraiser.

Responsibilities

Your activities will vary depending on the size and type of charity you work for.

However, as a charity officer you'll typically need to:

• carry out marketing and public relations activities to raise the profile of the organisation's services and campaigns
• design fundraising materials such as leaflets and flyers
• create and organise fundraising initiatives and events
• approach potential donors and maintain donor and supporter lists
• build positive relations with donors, as well as with sponsors and supporters, to ensure ongoing support
• liaise with external agencies, including voluntary sector organisations, the media, local authorities, business contacts, trustees and other stakeholders or clients
• recruit, train and coordinate the work of volunteers, ensuring that you foster a strong sense of community
• lobby government and other policymakers on behalf of a cause or a client group
• carry out administrative tasks such as applying for grants and other sources of funding, managing budgets, gathering data, preparing reports, database management and clerical work to meet the charity's needs
• ensure compliance with the legal and regulatory requirements relevant to the charity’s operations.

Salary

• Salaries at entry level are typically around £24,000 to £28,000, depending on the role. However, starting salaries can be much lower in certain job areas such as administration, support work and operations.
• Average salaries for experienced specialists, professionals and managers are typically between £30,000 and £47,000. Salaries for those with managerial responsibilities will be at the higher end.
• Salaries at senior executive and director level can range from an average of around £55,000 to in excess of £75,000, depending on the type of role, size of the charity and location.

Salaries can vary widely depending on a range of factors such your location, the size and type of charity you work for, the nature of the role, your experience and skills, and your level of responsibility.

For example, finance roles typically attract the highest salaries, followed by HR roles. The charity officer roles that typically pay the least are administrative roles and jobs in support work. Salaries in London are usually higher.

Additional benefits may include flexible working hours, opportunities for professional development and training and a pension.

For details of average salaries in different specialisms, levels of role and sizes of charity, see the CharityJobs Annual Salary Report.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll typically work standard office hours, particularly if you're in an administrative, training or volunteer coordinator role.

If you're working in fundraising or on a project-based assignment, for example, you may have to work some evenings and weekends to accommodate events or campaigns.

Flexible working patterns such as part-time work or job sharing may be available. There are opportunities for hybrid working.

What to expect

• Work is often office-based, but may involve travel to meet service users, attend promotional events or to carry out campaign work. Some charity officers cover a particular region or even a whole country.
• Job opportunities at small, medium and large charities and not-for-profit organisations exist throughout the UK. Jobs are more likely to be in major cities and towns.
• Some charities second staff to another part of the organisation or similar organisations. International charities sometimes let staff volunteer abroad to develop their knowledge of the organisation's beneficiaries.
• Fluctuating funding means that many jobs are on temporary contracts, typically from six months to two or three years. The lack of job security can have financial and lifestyle implications.
• Depending on the charity's focus, you may have to travel during the working day to visit local communities, other branches or partner organisations, for example. Some roles may also involve occasional travel overseas if the charity operates internationally. There are some opportunities for paid employment overseas, but these may require specialist qualifications and experience.

Qualifications

Although this area of work is open to all graduates, a degree, HND or foundation degree in the following subjects may increase your chances:

• business administration
• communications
• community development
• community studies
• finance or accounting
• law
• marketing
• public relations
• social sciences

Although you don't necessarily need a degree, HND or foundation degree, it can be useful as the sector is competitive.

Entry requirements vary depending on the type of charity you're applying to and the nature of the role. For some roles, employers will look for evidence of genuine passion, commitment and relevant skills. For other, more specialist roles, you may also be expected to have relevant qualifications and/or significant related work experience.

Qualifications in areas like charity law and governance can also be useful for some roles.

A small number of the large charities run graduate or trainee schemes. Graduate schemes are often in key areas of work such as technology, retail or people and organisational development.

You can also apply for a 12-month paid trainee programme run by Charityworks, where both graduates and non-graduates work full time for a partner charity (such as Age UK) or housing association and also take part in a leadership programme.

Entry without a degree, HND or foundation degree is possible. Employers are interested in your voluntary experience, personal qualities, commitment and knowledge of the charity's work. You'll also need a good understanding of the charity and voluntary work sector and its relationship with other sectors.

You'll need to undergo some training and security vetting before an employer will allow you to work directly with service users.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• excellent oral and written communication skills for engaging with stakeholders, writing reports and promoting the charity's aims and objectives
• well-developed interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive relationships and partnerships with volunteers, donors and partners
• teamworking skills and the ability to collaborate with both colleagues and volunteers
• commitment to, passion for and belief in the charity's aims
• organisation skills to ensure the smooth running of the charity
• strong administrative skills, including numeracy and IT
• initiative, good forward thinking and a creative approach to problem solving
• research, analysis and planning skills
• time management skills with the ability to multi-task and prioritise
• understanding of the key role volunteers play in a charity
• commercial awareness
• the ability to learn quickly and adapt.

Work experience

Charity work is a popular career choice and getting a job can be competitive. Getting some voluntary experience with a charitable organisation is vital as it shows employers your commitment to the sector and individual charities. It also shows that you have initiative, are developing relevant skills and are not solely motivated by money.

There are a small number of paid internships available with some of the larger charitable organisations, such as Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and Wellcome.

The majority of charity internships and work placements are voluntary, however, and are usually offered by large charities such as:

• Barnardo's
• Macmillan Cancer Support
• Marie Curie
• Oxfam
• The Children's Trust.

Getting experience, either paid or voluntary, in areas such as fundraising, marketing, events and PR, administration, project management, finance, social media or managing volunteers will help boost your application. Smaller charities may also have useful work experience opportunities.

You can look for voluntary work experience opportunities on the websites of charitable organisations or on websites such as:

• CharityJob
• Doit
• Vinspired (opportunities for young people aged 14-30)
• Volunteering Matters.

Other bodies that provide information on volunteering include:

• NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations)
• Volunteer Now (for Northern Ireland)
• Volunteer Scotland
• Volunteering Wales

Work shadowing, setting up a community group or student society, or organising fundraising events are also useful activities and give you something extra to discuss at interview.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Charity officers in the UK work for a variety of employers within the charitable and not-for-profit sectors. These organisations range from small local charities with only one or two paid staff and a handful of volunteers to large national and international charities and not-for-profit organisations with thousands of employees and volunteers.

Typical employers include well-known charities such as Cancer Research UK, Oxfam and the British Red Cross. These organisations often have structured roles and clear career progression paths.

Alternatively, you could work for one of the many smaller, community-based charities that focus on local issues, such as homelessness, youth services or environmental conservation.

Charity officers can also find employment with not-for-profit organisations that may include some:

• philanthropic organisations
• housing associations
• trade unions
• lobby groups
• educational institutions
• professional bodies and associations
• think tanks.

Additionally, some charity officers work for grant-making foundations, where they are involved in the distribution of funds to other charitable organisations.

You can search for contact details of UK charitable organisations via the online directory Charity Choice.

Look for job vacancies at:

• CharityJob
• Goodmoves - civil society, charity and voluntary sector jobs run by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO).
• Recruit3 - jobs in the third sector in Wales.
• Third Sector Jobs
• local and national press.

Specialist recruitment agencies such as Charity People also advertise vacancies.

Voluntary sector exhibitions and recruitment fairs are a useful way of learning about organisations and jobs. Some of the larger voluntary sector organisations recruit at fairs organised by careers services.

Volunteering is a good way to gain experience and create a network of contacts.

Professional development

You'll usually receive a mixt of on-the-job training, learning from more experience colleagues, and training through external courses. Undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for staying up to date with trends and best practices in the charity sector. You can do this by:

• attending workshops, webinars and other events
• attending conferences
• taking short courses or professional training related to areas such as fundraising, not-for-profit management and leadership
• networking with people in similar roles.

Relevant providers include:

• Directory of Social Change (DSC) - offers short training courses, covering areas such as management, fundraising, finance and law, governance, personal development and communication
• Chartered Institute of Fundraising - offers short courses, conferences, webinars and leadership programmes
• NCVO - offers a range of courses on all aspects of charities management
• SCVO - provides short courses, webinars, and e-learning for people working in Scotland's voluntary sector.

There are a small number of postgraduate courses available in voluntary sector or charity management aimed at charity managers wanting to further develop professionally.

Career prospects

Opportunities for career development vary according to the size and aims of the charity you work for and the budget available for staff training and development. It will also depend on your own personal aims, skills and experience, and determination.

In larger charities and not-for-profit organisations, there is usually a structured route for promotion, and bigger budgets and larger remits often mean more travel, training and professional qualification opportunities.

Smaller charities and voluntary sector organisations often lack the same level of structure and resources. However, you're likely to be involved in more aspects of the organisation's work and may have a greater degree of responsibility early on. This provides good opportunities to develop a range of skills that can help when looking to progress your career, although you may need to move jobs to find a more senior role.

Promotion may be to a senior charity officer or charity manager role. These types of roles often involve taking on a more strategic role and/or overseeing a team of paid and voluntary staff. You may have the opportunity to work more closely with senior management and help shape the organisation's overall direction.

There are a small number of roles available at director or CEO level, which require a combination of vision, business acumen, leadership skills, the ability to think strategically and to inspire and motivate others, as well as a thorough understanding of the charity sector.