Charity and development work : Typical employers

Big players  

Charities Direct  has an extensive directory of 170,000 charities where it is possible to search for the top 500 charities according to income, expenditure and funds.

Some of the top 25 charities according to income include: 

• Barnardo’s
• Cancer Research UK
• CITB - Construction Skills
• Oxfam 
• Royal Mencap Society
• Royal National Lifeboat Association 
• The Arts Council England
• The British Council
• The British Red Cross Society
• The National Trust 
• Wellcome Trust

SMEs are organisations with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of around £26million. Working for a smaller charity can be rewarding because you are more likely to forge a path for yourself within the organisation. It can provide you with the opportunity to experience all aspects of charity work.

SMEs are unlikely to use the testing and assessment techniques of larger organisations, or follow lengthy recruitment procedures. SMEs are more likely to advertise their vacancies through the local press, university careers service bulletins, local graduate vacancy listings, jobcentres and word of mouth, rather than rely on their reputation and a presence at graduate recruitment fairs.

Your university careers service should have listings of jobs within small charities. See also the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

Self-employment

Charities are set up by individuals with an entrepreneurial vision who see a need in society and wish to do something about it. The Charity Commission for England and Wales  provides guidance on how to set up a charity. This includes factors to think about before setting up a charity and understanding how a charity must operate.

It is possible to work as a consultant in this sector, often for infrastructure organisations. Having significant experience and knowledge plus a network of contacts will be essential. Opportunities exist for consultants to work in a variety of different fields including fundraising, strategic review and finance.

Find out more about self-employment.