Charity and Voluntary Work

There are a wide range of jobs available including:

• Fundraising
• Policy and research
• Human resources
• Charity administration and management
• Volunteer management and Co-ordination
• Human resources
• Infrastructure roles
• Marketing, communications and campaigning
• Service delivery

ACEVO - the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations - provides advice and support for those working in the voluntary sector.

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is also a good source of information on this sector.

Third Sector has news, information and resources to help you start or develop your career in the voluntary sector as well as jobs.

Check out the professional bodies own entries in the Profession Finder

There are a number of professional bodies covering these sectors.  Here you will find information on:

• Jobs and salaries
• Routes and Qualifications
• Funding

Jobs and salaries

Why work in the Charity sector?

What do employers look for in a fundraiser?

For tips on how to be a successful fundraiser, how2fundraise has been developed to help fundraisers become more successful.

What do employers look for in a campaign manager?

As well as sector-specific jobs, non-profit organisations also look for graduates in many other areas, such as business managers, marketing managers and public relations officers.

You will find jobs and careers advice on the Charity Job website.

Routes and Qualifications

There are many routes into Charity and Fundraising. Internships are often a good way to gain experience and get a foot in the door.

Charities, such as Barnardos, also offer internships. Barnardo’s volunteer internships offers a 13 week voluntary placement, which runs in one of Barnardo's offices, children’s services or retail outlets across the UK.

Institute of Fundraising offers courses on how to fundraise.

Funding

The Institute of Fundraising offers grants of up to £1,000 for courses in Fundraising Management.

What’s it like to work in this sector?

• Workplaces can vary from charity to charity with some jobs office bound while others are on site delivering services.
• This is also true of working hours with some people working Monday-Friday 9-5 while others working mornings, evenings and weekends.

• Working For A Charity  promotes the voluntary sector as a positive career option for those seeking paid employment in the sector. They provide general information as well as info on training and work placements. You will find career profiles and useful resources 

Where can I work?

• Most national and international organisations have their headquarters in London and the South East and almost one-third of UK voluntary sector employees now live in these areas. However voluntary organisations operate throughout the UK and there are indications that the growth of the voluntary sector has been higher outside London and the South East between 1996 and 2005 (Career Pathways for graduates into the voluntary/community sector, HECSU).
• Due to charities often international concerns there are also often opportunities to work abroad.

What do employers look for?

• There is often fierce competition for paid charity work with significant work experience, postgraduate study or a combination of both necessary for most roles.
• Charities expect candidates to be highly motivated and committed to the mission.
• Interpersonal, planning and organisational skills are essential to many roles.
• There are also specialist skills specific to this sector which include fundraising, volunteer management and campaigning.