Six things about the charity sector which should be better known
I have spent my career working in the charity sector, along with about a million others in Britain. However, while most people have never worked in the sector, they may have volunteered or fundraised for a charity, and so it can be easy to think that they know what it is like to work for a charity. But, then, of course, we have all been to school, but that does not mean we know everything about being a teacher.
A few years ago, I started a podcast called Better Known. In it, a guest selects six things which they should be better known. So, for the benefit of all those who have only seen it from the outside, here are six things about the charity sector which should be better known.
Most charities are very small
There are 168,000 charities in the UK. We can all name the really big organisations, but they are not very representative of the sector as a whole. Most charities are very small, work in relative obscurity and do not have grand missions like curing cancer or saving children. Some of their missions may even seem a little frivolous (e.g. Free Cakes for Kids). Others only work in a specific postcode or local area. There is a lot more to the sector than just the household names.
If most of your interaction with charities has been people shaking tins, then you can easily assume that all charity’s services are undertaken by volunteers. One of the chief difficulties of trying to persuade young people leaving school or university to come and work in the charity sector is that lots of them do not realise it is an option. They assume you have to work for free. In fact, not only can you have a career in the charity sector, it is even possible to earn big money working for a charity. Of course, the pay is not as good as the private sector, but a small minority of charities work primarily with paid staff and, on average, chief executives of the 100 largest charities are now paid £175,000 a year.
While you would expect that people who work in charities are more likely to be motivated by some of the nobler virtues, like compassion and selflessness, they are not immune to the downsides of human nature. In charities, there are, as everywhere else, disagreements about who wields power and how. There are occasions of stress, insecurity and anxiety, which naturally can provoke us all into conflict. However, my experience of people in the charity sector has been hugely positive, with colleagues routinely rallying around when the need arises, but those who work in the sector are humans, not angels, and it would be wise to treat them accordingly.
Charities tend to be efficient
Linked to the idea that everyone in a charity is nice is the idea that charities themselves are inefficiency. In fact, according to the UK Civil Society Almanac, 86% of the charity sector’s expenditure related to activities directly linked to a charity’s purpose. Charities spend much less than other organisations on salaries, pension contributions and hospitality.
A report, Dispelling Common Myths About Charities, published by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), said that one of ten myths about the sector is that charities spend too much on fundraising. We are all understandably anxious to know that our donations are being spent on the cause we care about. But, in fact, most charities are doing exactly that.
Charities care about diversity
Although Campaigns like #charitysowhite have highlighted that the charity sector is not immune to the biases of society as a whole, there is a clear sense now that charities are trying more than ever to open themselves up to people from all backgrounds. Richard Kramer, the chief executive of Sense, has said that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) must be put at the heart of all his charity’s work. He has said, “Every charity should report on disability pay gap and ethnic minority pay gap, it should be mandatory for employers”
You don’t have to have a background in charities to work in the charity sector
In charities I have worked for, there have been people who have had career backgrounds in the NHS, in management consultancy and in the army. The charity sector is not just for people who have always worked there: organisations are always on the look-out for able and committed people from other sectors too. Indeed, David Holdsworth, the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, who previously worked in FTSE100 companies and in government agencies, did not previously work for a charity.
The charity sector is not, as you can see, exactly as it is portrayed in the media. So, if you like the idea of working for a charity, it is never too late to come and join us!
Ivan Wise's charity senior leadership career has included roles at Think Ahead, a mental health graduate social work programme, which has trained nearly 1000 social workers, and at The Challenge which was the UK's leading provider of National Citizen Service. You can listen to The Better Known podcast here.
Contact Ivan if you are interested in working him.