Working for a charity, NGO or a voluntary organisation can give you the satisfaction of doing ethical work like relieving poverty or protecting the environment. There are many well paid jobs available like being a fundraiser or working in charity shops.

If you are looking for employment opportunities within the charity and voluntary sector then you have come to the right page. On this page we will give you career advice and information on the different types of charity jobs in London and the UK that are available to you, and the training and requirements required to apply for them.    

Although most people involved in charities are volunteers, and receive no pay apart from perhaps expenses, there are many types of paid jobs vacancies open to those looking for work in this sector. From administrators and office staff, to manager jobs, fundraising jobs, or you could even find charity shop jobs, serving behind the counter. One common theme running through all of these vacancies is that you will be doing ethnical work for the common good, like helping disabled people, endangered animals or the environment.

It would be a great advantage if you are passionate about the field you are working in. For instance if you care about pollution and the rainforests then if you work for a charity that specializes in planting trees and cleaning rivers you will find it very rewarding work.

Charities are generally speaking not for profit organisations [also known as a NPO], and they tend to focus on philanthropic work. The work these organizations do could involve healthcare work or education or focus on religious or ethnic issues, the list is very big. In the United Kingdom all charities must be registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales.

Some different types of charity jobs

Trustee jobs
A Charity trustee is usually a volunteer who do not receive a wage, but who does have their expenses covered. Their job is to oversee the running of the charity and to help in the decision making and management of it. For instance in deciding on which projects to spend grant money on, and also in assisting with fundraising and recruiting.

Support worker jobs
Support workers are another role that is common in many community projects run by charity organisations. Here you could for instance be working with people with learning difficulties in going shopping with them, or conducting home visits. You will be reporting to higher management and liaising with other voluntary agencies. These are paid positions.

Fundraising charity jobs
As a charity fundraiser your main role would will be to raise money for your charity organisation. This could involve you in holding events and parties for the public, or approaching companies and other potential donors. All with a view to building relationships with them and to eventually obtain funding from them. You could be involved in putting together a team of volunteers to go around house to house asking for donations. Most fundraising jobs will almost certainly at some point involve you in approaching charitable trusts and major corporation to try to get them fund a specific project of yours.

NGO jobs
Working for international non-governmental organizations [NGO] usually means you working in third world foreign countries, however if you have a job with a national NGO then you will only work in your home country. Now there are many different types of work you could be doing, for example if you are employed by a development NGO then you will more than likely be doing humanitarian work on international development projects. You could be involved in delivering humanitarian aid to remote parts of Asia, organizing publicity for charity events or even lobbying politicians for a change of policy. An interesting point to note is that many of the major established charities in the world today like Oxfam started out as NGO’s. NGO’s have been called grass root organizations in the past because they tend to be non profit outfits and they work directly at reducing poverty in poor countries, and to improve living conditions.

 

Fundraiser CVs
Fundraiser CV sample
Fundraiser CV template 1
Fundraiser CV template 2

 

Fundraiser cover letters
Fundraiser cover letter
Fundraiser cover letter 1
Fundraiser cover letter 2
Fundraiser cover letter 3
Fundraiser cover letter example 4
Fundraiser cover letter example 5
Fundraiser cover letter example 6

 

Volunteer CVs
Volunteer CV sample

 

Volunteer cover letters
Volunteer cover letter
Volunteer cover letter 1
Volunteer cover letter 2
Volunteer cover letter 3

 

Other useful related topics:

Charity organisations

Charity shop jobs

Not for profit jobs

CV template

CV examples

How to write a CV

Interview questions and answers