Should you work for a small or large charity?

When it comes to charities, does size matter? Is bigger better, or do the best things come in small packages?

As with most things in life, there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer. It boils down to your priorities and what you want from your job.

To help you decide, let’s look at some of the pros and cons of working for large and small charities.

Small Charities

Advantages:

• 97% of charities in the UK are small (they have an annual income of less than £1 million). That’s a lot of organisations to choose from and a wealth of potential job opportunities.

• Smaller organisations have fewer staff, so they tend to look for multi-taskers. If you’re willing to muck in and cover a variety of functions, you’ll pick up a ton of valuable skills and experience.

• Smaller organisations tend to be more agile in their decision-making. And let’s face it, getting a team of six on board with a new initiative is a lot easier than convincing hundreds of stakeholders across multiple time zones.

• The working environment in small charities tends to be collaborative and close-knit. On the downside, it’s tricky to avoid employees you don’t get on with.

• You’ll be close enough to beneficiaries to see the difference you’re making.

Disadvantages:

• If career stability is a priority, a small charity might not be for you. Positions are often funded for a set amount of time and there’s no guarantee they’ll be extended. And there tend to be fewer opportunities for promotion, so you may have to leave to advance your career.

• Smaller budgets mean smaller salaries, although most charities try and offset this with perks such as increased holiday allowance or flexible working opportunities. Speaking of which, if you need a flexible job, smaller organisations are a good call, as they’re more likely to be looking for part-time employees.

Large Charities

Advantages:

• Large charities have clear structures and multiple levels of hierarchy. Job roles are rigidly defined, so if you’re looking to specialise in a particular area, this may be the way to go.

• If career progression is a priority, job responsibilities, promotional opportunities, and pathways to leadership tend to be clearly defined, making it easy to see where and when you could progress.

• Big charities have big budgets. This means you’ll get to work on projects with a large scope and potential impact. You’ll also have access to more resources, support, technology, and training. However, because of the large amounts of money involved, large organisations tend to be risk-averse. Every project will be carefully evaluated and approved by multiple stakeholders, which can limit spontaneity and innovation.

Disadvantages:

• One of the main attractions of working for a large charity is the salary. On average, large charities pay 8% more than smaller charities. Senior roles in particular tend to attract higher salaries. On the flip side, competition for senior roles can be fierce.

• It can be difficult to get noticed in a large charity, as you’re a small cog in a big machine. Individual achievements are more widely recognised in smaller charities.

Final Thoughts

We've made some sweeping generalisations here, but whatever way you cut it, both large and small charities offer fantastic career opportunities and experience.

A lot of the fundraisers we work with move between both, and they’re stronger candidates for it.

Looking for your next fundraising role? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to get started.

Three face-to-face fundraising tips

As a result of two years of COVID restrictions and lockdowns, charitable giving has officially gone digital.

In a recent report, the Charities Aid Foundation revealed that, since March 2020, there’s been a large and sustained increase in contactless giving (from 13% to 24%).

The question is, does it signal the end of face-to-face fundraising?

No. Because face-to-face fundraising provides something that no digital platform can: Human connection.

What is face-to-face fundraising?

Face-to-face (F2F) fundraising is where professional fundraisers approach members of the public to sign them up for regular donations.

The practice has been around for 25 years. And, while it faded out during the pandemic, charities are starting to ramp up their F2F activity.

There are various types of face-to-face fundraising:

• Door-to-door fundraising: We’ve all encountered them. Those insanely enthusiastic folk in high-vis jackets who knock on your door.

• Street fundraising: This one is self-explanatory. They’re usually found in city centres.

• Private site fundraising: Takes place in indoor venues such as train stations and shopping centres.

Does F2F fundraising work?

We may live in a digital-first world, but the value of face-to-face interaction shouldn’t be underestimated.

If in doubt, check out these stats from Ascenta Group:

• Face-to-face donors give 10 x more than donors acquired from other channels.

• Non-profits see up to an 80% conversion rate for personal interactions.

With data like that, it’s hard to dispute the value.

So, we know f2f is effective, but what can you do to boost your success rate?

Here are four top tips.

1. Give a ‘face’ to your F2F fundraisers

One of the reasons why f2f fails? It’s hard to tell a legitimate fundraiser from a phony. Thanks to design programmes like Canva, you don’t need to be a design wizard to knock up a convincing flyer and ID badge.

The onus is on you to ensure donors feel confident enough to sign up.

The best way to do it? Take a leaf out of Unicef’s book. On their website, they provide a summary of their face-to-face fundraising programme, including:

• The geographic areas where people might run into one of their fundraisers

• A description of what their fundraisers wear (both clothing and ID)

• A rundown of what they talk about

• Images of the team in full gear.

2. Talk less, listen more

In their haste to get all the information across, F2F fundraisers often make the mistake of talking too much and forgetting to listen.

Once you deliver your pitch, ask a couple of key questions and shush.

Allow the person to respond without interruption. And listen out for keywords or phrases that align with your mission, so you can draw a connection between their story and your cause.

3. Don’t dwell on the negatives

Sure, you’re going to need to highlight the gravity of the situation faced by the people the charity serves, but don’t dwell on the negatives.

Move the conversation on to what the charity is doing to help. Share success stories, facts, and a few statistics that demonstrate the difference the charity is making

What next?

The key to face-to-face fundraising success is having the right people on board. This is where we come in. If you’re looking to build a solid f2f team, give us a call on 0203 750 3111 for an informal chat. 

Charitable donations hit by energy price hike

The UK is in the midst of a financial crisis. Bill-payers aren’t just tightening their belts, they’re tightening their shoelaces. And many were living on a shoestring in the first place.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 4 in 10 Brits are struggling to pay their energy bills. And, in six months, they’re due to rise again.

Unfortunately, it’s not just energy prices that are increasing: fuel, water, council tax, and food are all going up, but wages aren’t.

No money to burn

With energy prices soaring, people don’t have spare cash to give to charities. Enthuse’s Spring 2022 Donor Pulse report claims that over half of us (53%) are finding it harder to donate to charity than we were six months ago.

Strapped for Cash

Despite being squeezed, charity-minded individuals are continuing to do what they can to help the less fortunate. You only need to look at the response to the Ukraine crisis to see that the good in people persists in hard times.

However, with costs set to rise again, the situation is going to get worse before it gets better.

Wondering what you can do to protect your charity? Here are a few tips.

1. Assess your financial situation

Before anything else, you need an accurate picture of your financial situation.

So, dig out those bank statements, log on to your online banking, and do some number crunching.

The key things to identify are:

1. The number and value of payments the charity will need to make over the next six months.

2. The amount of cash available to cover the payments

3. You also need to figure out how much the charity is likely to receive over the six months

This information will help you identify whether the charity is at risk of running out of cash, and how long you’ve got to address the issue.

2. Renegotiate deals with suppliers

Are you on the most cost-effective tariffs with your suppliers? Now is the time to check and re-negotiate. You don’t want to be paying through the nose unnecessarily.

3. Speak to your funders

Explain your financial situation to your funders. They may agree to relax the restrictions on how you spend their money or bring forward a payment to help you out of a rut.

4. Team up with other charities

When times are tough, it pays to collaborate.

Why not look at joining forces with another charity?

You and your charity partner could save money by:

• sharing office space and equipment

• providing joint training for your staff

• splitting the cost of fundraising activities/events

Bonus tip: Check out the Charities Buying Group. The organisation exists to help charities save money when making purchases.

Final Thoughts

The energy price hike is a real blow for charities. But it’s also an opportunity to innovate and find new ways to fundraise.

Are you looking for a fundraiser to help boost your income? Contact us on 0203 750 3111 to get the ball rolling.  

What does a fundraiser do, anyway?

When people hear the term ‘fundraiser’, they often think of people in high-vis jackets with clipboards. You know, the ones that chase you down the road, trying to get you to sign up for direct debits.

This is a legitimate type of fundraising (known as face-to-face or street fundraising), but it’s just one of the ways charities generate money.

Before we delve into the different types of fundraising, let’s go back to the original question: What does a fundraiser do?

In a nutshell, fundraisers raise money for charitable causes. And they do it using a combination of research, marketing, and sales tactics.

What type of fundraising roles are there?

Large charities usually have a team of fundraisers that carry out specialist fundraising functions, (Major Donor Fundraising, Corporate Fundraising, Event Fundraising etc.,) while smaller organisations will typically recruit one person to do it all.

Here’s the lowdown on the various roles.

Community Fundraiser

Community fundraisers are the main point of contact for fundraising involving members of the public.

Go down this route and you’ll enjoy a varied workload. On any given day you could be recruiting volunteers, attending community events, preparing thank-you letters, or managing relationships with donors.

A key aspect of the role is building positive relationships in the community.

If you can get on with people from all walks of life and happy to get involved in a variety of fundraising activities, this could be the role for you.

Corporate Fundraiser

Corporate fundraisers specialise in cultivating relationships with businesses.

When done well, this can be an extremely lucrative form of fundraising.

Corporate support can take many forms, from matched giving to donations of goods and services.

To succeed as a corporate fundraiser, you need to be persuasive and outgoing, have a good head for business, and a knack for building relationships with corporate clients.

Events Fundraiser

An ‘event’ can be anything from a local charity pub quiz to sponsorship of an international sporting competition.

As an events fundraiser, you’ll juggle lots of plates and work to tight deadlines. You’ll be required to develop, manage and promote events, whilst working to meet monthly fundraising targets.

To succeed, you need to be organised, calm under pressure, able to multitask, and great at communicating with everyone, from volunteers to event suppliers.

Legacy Fundraiser

A legacy is a financial gift left in someone’s Will.

The job of a legacy fundraiser is to navigate the legal and administrative aspects of securing donations. and nurture relationships with supporters, with the view to persuade them to leave donation in their Will.

As a legacy fundraiser, you need to be empathetic, patient, and well-versed in legal and regulatory issues.

If you have an interest in law or accountancy, this role may be right up your street.

Major Donor Fundraiser

Some charities rely on a small number of high-net-worth individuals to fund their activities. These individuals are called major donors.

The job of a major donor fundraiser is to seek out potential donors and build long-term relationships with them to secure lasting income.

Because of the large sums of money involved, relationships with major donors require a lot of time and attention. Therefore, relationship building is key to the role. You also need to be level-headed, as the people you’ll come into contact with are super wealthy.

Trust Fundraiser

Charitable trusts and foundations are legal entities set up specifically to donate money to charities. There are more than 10,000 of them in the UK. And each has different funding priorities and criteria for giving.

The role of a Trust Fundraiser is to identify appropriate trusts and foundations to approach and complete formal funding applications.

If you’ve got strong writing and research skills, Trust Fundraising could be a good option.

What next?

If you think a career in fundraising might be for you, check out our jobs. If you want some advice on your next move, contact us for a chat on 020 3750 3111.

4 ways to build a strong workplace culture

What do you think the top priorities are for job seekers? A huge salary? A short commute? An easy job?

The answer is all of the above. However, another must-have for job seekers in the current climate is a strong workplace culture.

What do we mean by ‘workplace culture’?

In a nutshell, ‘workplace culture’ is as a ‘mixture of an organisation’s leadership, values, beliefs, relationships, attitudes and behaviours’.

Why is workplace culture important?

A recent Glassdoor study found that ‘56% of workers rank a strong workplace culture as more important than salary, with three-in-four workers saying they’d consider a company’s culture before applying for a job.’

This tells us that a strong workplace culture isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’. It’s integral to attracting talent.

With this in mind, here are four things you can do to build a strong workplace culture.

1. Focus on employee’s mental health

80% of leaders identified mental health as ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to their organisation’s success in the 2021 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends study.

So, what can you do to support your staff’s mental health?

• Make sure they know your door is always open for a chat.

  That said, some people may not want to discuss concerns with a manager. They might feel more comfortable speaking to a counsellor. You can arrange this through an organisation such as Perkbox.

• Organise mental health awareness training/workshops

• Offer flexible working and/or remote working to give staff a better work-life balance. This will make them feel supported and valued.

2. Optimise the work environment

The physical workspace can have an impact on employee morale, relationships, and productivity.

Different people work best in different spaces. So, provide a range of options A mixture of open plan, breakout areas, and private spaces will enable employees to choose where they work, based on their preference and the needs of the project.

3. Create strong lines of communication

Modern technology has made it easier than ever to communicate at lightning speed.

More than 269 billion emails are sent each day globally and workforces are increasingly relying on online communication tools like WhatsApp, Slack, and Zoom.

However, too much choice isn’t always a good thing.

Messages can get missed. In fact, research has shown that employees only open 24% of their emails.

Poor communication can negatively impact every aspect of your charity, from employee retention, and customer service, to productivity and morale.

As such, it’s crucial to think about how you communicate with employees.

A few suggestions:

• Keep employees engaged by implementing organisation-wide monthly catch-ups, where you highlight successes and share financial progress.

• Emphasise face-to-face communication. Nothing beats human interaction.

• Ensure your managers are trained to communicate and provide the necessary tools needed to succeed (i.e. handouts/presentations)

4. Take the Breathe Culture Pledge

This is a commitment you can make towards investing in your workplace culture. It’s a promise to put your people first, invest in their success, and supercharge employee engagement.

Looking to fill an upcoming role? Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to find out how we can help.