Working in the Voluntary Sector

This page contains information about getting involved with the voluntary sector as volunteers or paid workers.

Introduction to the world of charities

The voluntary sector in the UK is complex and dynamic, ever changing to meet the needs of society and growing at a significant rate as an employer and provider of services.

Working For A Charity exists to improve understanding of the voluntary sector and to encourage new people to contribute their skills as effectively as possible.

We hope that the information which follows will help those people who wish to get involved as volunteers or paid workers to find the best way in.

Its an exciting and demanding environment and the individuals who work within it, whether paid and unpaid, know that they can have a real impact on the world and the lives of the people their organisations exist to help.

What is the voluntary sector?

As well as voluntary sector, you will also hear the terms not-for-profit sector, voluntary and community sector, third sector and charity sector. Sometimes these terms refer to the same group of organisations and initiatives and sometimes they don't.

The broadest definition of this sector includes not only charities registered with the Charity Commission but also small voluntary groups, housing associations, universities and colleges, schools and places of worship, trade unions and trade associations, sport and recreation clubs and NHS Trusts.

For the purposes of this introduction Working For A Charity uses the narrower definition of "general charities" which includes the well known national charities such as NSPCC and Shelter and the vast numbers of local charities serving their local communities.

General charities are defined by four key criteria which are that they

  1. are independent of government and business;
  2. are non profit-distributing;
  3. provide a wider public benefit that goes beyond any membership;
  4. are non-sacramental religious bodies or places of worship.*

*(Source: The UK Voluntary Sector Almanac, NCVO.)

Opportunities for paid or voluntary work

There are about 169,000 general charities within the UK employing 608,000 paid workers (231,000 part-time) and a further 13.2 million unpaid volunteers (volunteering at least once per month). In addition there are an estimated 750,000 trustees who take responsibility (unpaid) for the governance of individual charities.

The scope is therefore enormous and the sector is a significant employer within the UK economy. With new organisations and initiatives a constant feature of the sector, the need for new people, talent and skills is set to continue.

Jobs in the voluntary sector - which ones are right for you?

Once you begin to explore the world of charities and to look out for the type of job or volunteering role that will suit you, you will be encouraged and perhaps a little overwhelmed by the range of job descriptions and job titles which are out there.

The voluntary sector has developed its own jargon and ways of working and it is useful to think about how your skills might match a charity's needs.

The sector has much to gain from individuals transferring their skills and experience from other backgrounds and charities will always be keen to recruit people who can communicate well, learn quickly, and manage effectively on limited resources.

Many small charities have no paid staff and all the work is undertaken on a voluntary basis by the trustees. Those small organisations which can afford to pay need someone, often part time, who can turn their hand to anything and have both the flexibility and confidence to be spokesperson and decision maker as well organise the admin systems.

As organisations grow so do the jobs and because of the unique nature of each charity the parts of the organisation which grow first will depend on where the organisational priorities lie. Broadly speaking the first key jobs to be added may be a fundraiser, a project manager, a finance/admin worker and an information / PR post.

The largest charities have highly complex structures with very specific and specialist job functions comparable with those found in the commercial and public sectors.

What skills do you need to work in the sector?

Competition will be fierce for jobs in the better known charities and for those paying reasonable salaries so be prepared to make a good case for why you are the right candidate.

When considering whether you have the right mix of skills for a particular job it would be useful to have identified which skills you have already and whether you can learn the others with reasonable speed. The types of skills each job requires should be summarised in the advertisement and spelled out in detail in the person specification which accompanies the application form and job description. When completing your application ensure that you demonstrate, by giving examples, that you have the skills and attributes listed as essential in the job requirements.

To help you prepare, try this five step exercise:

  1. Choose 5 skills that you have (and that you value).
  2. Think of specific examples of situations where you have used each of these skills (these may be work or home related).
  3. Think about the skills you might need to do a particular job or type of work.
  4. Have you got them?
  5. If not, how are you going to develop them?

Once you have identified your transferable skills make sure your C.V. is geared to the voluntary sector and include any experience of the sector which you may have

N.B. it doesn't have to be paid experience.

Practical tips to finding the right job

  • do voluntary work and become a member of a charity you are particularly interested in. Volunteering can provide you with new skills and a better understanding of the ways in which the charity operates.
  • think very carefully about the type of organisation you will be joining and whether you are temperamentally suited to it.
  • make sure you are wholly in sympathy with the aims and objectives of the charity you plan to work for.
  • meet as many people as you can who work in the voluntary sector and ask their advice.

Where to look

1. Job advertisements

National press

  • The Guardian (Monday- PR and marketing; Wednesday - public sector and general charity; Saturday - general)
  • The Voice (weekly)
  • The Times (Thursday - executive and senior management)
  • The Independent (Monday - media; Thursday - general; Sunday - management)
  • The Daily Telegraph (Thursday - general)
  • The Sunday Times
  • The Observer
  • The Economist

Local press

  • The Evening Standard (Monday - London Jobs supplement, Wednesday - Public and Community) for London based charities
  • The Metro (Wednesday - Public and Community)

Check your local and regional press for jobs in local charities and in national charities with regional offices or with head offices outside London.

Charity press

  • Third Sector (Haymarket Group)
  • VS Magazine (NCVO)
  • Professional Fundraising (Brainstorm Publishing)

Specialist press

If you have a specialist background check your own trade press - charities seeking to fill a specialist job will often advertise in the journals read by that profession eg. for PR and marketing:

  • PR Week
  • Marketing Week
  • Campaign might feature ads.

Specific charities' magazines; newsletters and notice boards

Some jobs are only advertised internally and unless you have access you won't hear about them - this is one of the many advantages of volunteering....

Websites

Many organisations now use their own websites for advertising vacancies and there are an increasing number of recruitment websites which advertise voluntary sector jobs. See the weblinks on this site.

2. Charity recruitment agencies

You may want to call them first to check which particular areas or levels of experience they require - and whether your skills mix is of interest to avoid wasting CVs and postage. Often they recruit for a charity by placing an advertisement as well as trawling their own database. In addition to those listed below some individual consultants offer recruitment advice to their clients and some of the major recruitment consultancies operating in the commercial sector will also occasionally have briefs from charities - usually the big ones.

  • Charity Action Recruitment 5-13 Trinity Street London SE1 1DB 020 7378 5441/ 5442
  • CF Appointments 52 - 54 Grace Church St, London EC3V 0EH
  • CR Search and Selection 40 Rosebery Av., London EC1R 4RX, 020 7833 0770
  • Eden Brown 222 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4QD, 020 7422 7300
  • Execucare 10 Exhibition Road, London SW7 2HF, 0800 288 8677
  • Flow Caritas Langdale House, 11 Marshalsea Road, London SE1 1EN, 020 7089 2644
  • Harris Hill Ltd The Atrium Suite, Bishops Palace House, Riverside Walk, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey KT1 1QN, 020 8974 9990
  • Kage Partnership Linton House, 164-180 Union Street, London, SE1 OLH, 020 7928 3434
  • Kingston Smith Devonshire House, 60 Goswell Road, London EC1M 7AD, 020 7566 4000
  • Oxford Human Resource Consultants 69 Observatory Street, Oxford OX2 6EP, 01865 510980
  • People Unlimited The Gateway Building, 72 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1XF, 020 7939 7439
  • ProspectUs 20-22 Stukeley Street, London WC2B 5LR, 020 7691 1925
  • TPP Not for Profit 1st Floor, 52 Lime Street, London, EC3M 7AF, 020 7198 6000
3. Direct approach

You can also select a few of your favourite charities and write to them or email them directly. Always send a covering letter with your CV in which you outline clearly what your skills are (don't forget to include word processing and any other IT skills) and the type of work you feel you can do for them.

Find out the name of the person to write to rather than use Dear Sir /Madam and DO enclose a stamped address envelope as it tends to ensure a speedier reply and shows you are sensitive to the limited resources of your chosen charity.

Useful organisations

  • Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) King's Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA, Tel: 01732 520 000
    (provides services to help donors make the most of their giving and charities make the most of their resources - in the UK and overseas; it publishes an extensive range of reports and directories on the voluntary sector and runs the annual charities conference each Autumn.)
  • Charity Commission Harmsworth House, 13-15 Bouverie St, London, EC4Y 8DP Tel: 0845 3000 218
    (central regulatory body for charities in England and Wales)
  • Directory of Social Change 24 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2DP, Tel: 0845 0777 707
    (publishing and training organisation for the voluntary sector - it also has a library, a bookshop and runs the annual 3 day Charityfair event each Spring.)
  • Institute of Fundraising Park Place, 12 Lawn Lane, London SW8 1UD, Tel: 020 7840 1000
    (membership organisation offering training, information and advice to fundraising professionals and those wanting to become fundraisers)
  • National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) Regent's Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL Tel: 020 7713 6161
    (a membership organisation which provides information, publications, training, conferences as well as legal, financial, IT and fundraising advice)
  • Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action 61 Duncarin Gardens, Belfast BT15 2GB Tel: 02890 877 777
  • Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh Eh5 6BB Tel: 0131 556 3882
  • Wales Council for Voluntary Action Baltic House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay CF10 5FH Tel: 02920 431 700

Voluntary work - how to find it

1. Your own network: family, friends, neighbours, colleagues

Start talking to all these contacts and telling them what your plans are, you will find that many of them, unbeknown to you, volunteer. They are best placed to talk about their charity and what it is like to be a volunteer there, and if you are interested, to introduce you to the relevant person.

2. Volunteer Bureaux

Volunteer Bureaux keep files on a large number of local charities requiring volunteers and their role is to match the skills (and time available) of prospective volunteers with the sort of work the charities need doing.

Many areas have one and you should find details in your local telephone directory or ring Volunteering England on 0845 305 6979.

3. Advertising / PR

From time to time charities will promote their need for volunteers through the local media and it is also worth checking the noticeboards in your local library and community centres. The Guardian once a month on Wednesdays (Society section) and The Evening Standard on Mondays (London Jobs supplement) publish pages of ads from charities looking for volunteers; The Big Issue also carries ads.

More useful organisations

Community Service Volunteers (CSV) 237 Pentonville Road, London N1 9NJ, 020 7278 6601
have 4 types of volunteering opportunities:

  • young volunteers (16 to 35 year-olds) who are placed in projects all over the country, living away from home e.g. helping elderly people / children and adults with disabilities/ homeless people. 0800 374 991
  • retired and senior volunteers (age 50+) who work on projects in education, the environment and community care in the local community.
  • student tutors who volunteer in local schools for a morning / an afternoon a week
  • employee volunteering: employees encouraged to volunteer in their community with the support of their employer.

Volunteering England Regent's Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL 0845 305 6979
helps increase awareness of the opportunities and benefits of volunteering.

REACH 89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TP, 020 7582 6543
finds part-time voluntary work for business and professional people which uses their skills and experience.

Useful publications

Reference and wider reading about the sector

Employment/ Volunteering
  • The International Development Directory Directory of Social Change
  • How To Work For A Charity on a Paid or Voluntary Basis by Jan Brownfoot and Frances Wilks, (out of print though available in some libraries), Directory of Social Change
  • The Voluntary Agencies Directory National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
  • Top 3000 Charities Caritasdata, London
  • Charity Trends Charities Aid Foundation
  • The UK Voluntary Sector Almanac (NCVO)
Management
  • Just About Managing? Effective management for voluntary organisations and community groups by Sandy Adirondack, London Voluntary Service Council
  • Managing Without Profit The art of managing third-sector organisations by Mike Hudson, Penguin
  • Understanding Voluntary Organisations by Charles Handy, Penguin
  • The Complete Fundraising Handbook by Nina Botting and Michael Norton, Directory of Social Change in association with the Institute of Fundraising

Training

For people already working in the sector there are a number of training courses, conferences and exhibitions which are organised annually and some of the key providers have already been listed.

In addition several universities provide courses in management of the voluntary sector and two of the distance learning options are listed here.

  • Open University Business School The Open University Business School Information Centre, PO Box 625, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6ZS 08700 100311 website:oubs.open.ac.uk
    (courses: The Professional Certificate in Management ,Public and not-for-profit version; Winning Resources and Support - a fundraising course developed in association with the Institute of Fundraising)
  • University of Wales, Lampeter Personal Development Unit,Centre for Education and Development, Texaco Building, University of Wales, Lampeter, Ceredigion SA48 7ED, 01570 424 785
    (courses: Certificate in Interpersonal Skills for Volunteers, BA in Voluntary Sector Studies)

Working For A Charity provides training for individuals wanting to enter the voluntary sector and can tailor make in house courses and seminars for organisations and careers services.

For further information on Working For A Charity's training courses go to the training pages on this site or telephone 020 7520 2512 / 2493 for a brochure or write to Working For A Charity, NCVO, Regent's Wharf, All Saints Street London N1 9RL