Voluntary & Charity

Charity Administration

Fundraising
Provision of Client Services
Voluntary

Campaigning
Care Work
Charity Administration

The role of a charity administrator varies considerably depending on the size and type of organisation. The large national charities such as Mencap and NSPCC will have a large number of paid roles covering the main business areas like accountancy, personnel etc. The types of skills required are those expected by any large organisation.

Smaller charities may have few, one or no paid members of staff. Multi-tasking is a key feature of this type of work and even the most senior people can be involved in day-to-day activities alongside the policy development and decision-making.

Charity administrators will be involved in some or all of the following tasks:

- Liaising between the organisation, the members and the general public

- Recruitment, training and supervision of volunteers

- Arranging meetings

- Policy development

- Liaising with local authorities over contracts, funding etc

- Collaborating with national bodies

- Routine administration eg filing, stuffing envelopes

- Taking telephone calls

Specialist roles in the larger organisations can include:

- Accountant

- Information Systems Manager

- Personnel Officer

- Public Relations Officer

- Volunteer Co-ordinator

- Fundraiser

- Solicitor

Further information about working for a charity is available from

http://www.wfac.org.uk

There are very few Graduate Training Schemes within the charity sector. Most people will be entering directly into a specific role. Experience of volunteering in charities is very useful to build up skills, awareness of issues and contacts within the sector. It can also demonstrate a genuine interest in the aims of your chosen charity. If you are a long-standing volunteer with an organisation, it can put you in a good position if a paid opportunity becomes available.

You may choose to develop skills and experience in paid work in other sectors, which you can then transfer to the voluntary sector after a few years, eg finance, marketing, personnel.

Voluntary organisations in Yorkshire range from very large international organisations like Oxfam and the UN Volunteers, to very small local groups such as Bradford Toy Library. Different charity aims are very varied, but common categories are helping animals and the environment, assisting people with disabilities and health issues, working with children and education and supporting overseas development.

For a list of charities in your area, go to http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/

Useful links:

Vacancy Sources

There are national recruitment websites which display vacancies in the voluntary sector. These include:

http://www.charityjob.co.uk

http://www.jobsincharities.co.uk

http://www.charitypeople.com

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk

http://www.edenbrown.co.uk

http://www.crsearch.co.uk

http://www.kagep.com

http://www.voluntarysectorjobs.co.uk/index.htm

Also look in local and national newspapers, charity websites and newsletters. If you have a particular interest in working for a specific charity, you should approach them speculatively to enquire whether there are any opportunities available and perhaps to arrange some volunteering with them.

Sectors within Voluntary Sector

    * Campaigning

    * Care Work

    * Charity Administration

    * Fundraising

    * Provision of Client Services

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