16 Mar, 2022
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Careers
If you want to continue to make a difference after leaving the Armed Forces, a career in the charities sector offers a way to earn while also supporting a good cause …
The charity and voluntary sector, commonly known as the ‘third sector’ and increasingly referred to as the ‘social impact sector’, focuses on creating social rather than material wealth. This sector includes a diverse array of organisations dedicated to a range of causes. The landscape of registered charities in England, Wales, and Scotland often changes, with numbers fluctuating due to mergers, closures, and new initiatives. As of 2025, the sector continues to include a wide range of organisations, from prominent household names to smaller, local charities addressing specific community needs.
Roles in the industry call for a range of skills, so if you have a desire to help make the world a better place the charity and voluntary sector offers you plenty of opportunity to do so. The sector's scope is extensive, impacting various aspects of societal well-being. For the latest developments and resources, Third Sector remains a valuable online platform, supplemented by other emerging digital resources that provide insights and opportunities for engagement in the not-for-profit world. Click here to find out more.
There are hundreds of Services-related charities. You may even have benefited from their help or advice yourself.A number of Service people also become involved in the management of charities as part of their duties – acting as museum trustees, managing funds or running large fundraising events. Some Service people also wish to continue working for a good cause when they leave the Forces, and a second career in charity management, for instance, can help them achieve this.
Service charities are largely staffed by ex-Forces people, although some posts that require specific expertise are filled from external sources. While service rank previously influenced appointments, modern service charities now prioritise relevant skills, leadership capabilities, and specific sector experience over military rank in their recruitment processes. Non-service charities continue to value the leadership, organisational, and administrative skills of senior officers, yet they increasingly seek individuals from a variety of professional backgrounds, including those with significant commercial experience. This approach ensures a richer blend of perspectives and skills, catering to the multifaceted challenges faced by the sector.
To qualify as a charity under Charity Act legislation, an organisation has to be involved with:
Skills and attributes that are important in charity sector work include:
It is important to distinguish between the paid employees of a charity and its volunteer workforce. The former generally cannot be members of its governing council, while some of the latter may be on the council, and all will have a view on its activities.
Web portals like CharityJob and Third Sector can be a useful source of information on job availability and salaries across the sector.
Charity management is not an easy job and often involves out-of-hours work. While it may be personally satisfying to serve a good cause and be motivated by something other than money, charities can be complex organisations with challenging ‘people issues’. Management training schemes within large charities have evolved, often incorporating virtual components and interactive modules that address current challenges in the sector. These schemes are designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the charity’s operations, encompassing a range of departments and skills.
Apart from general and financial management, those thinking of working for a charity might consider roles that involve:
We will now look at each of these in turn.
Fundraising managers are responsible for the various ways that charities collect money, and for organising staff and volunteers. In small charities, fundraising managers will probably run all the different revenue-collecting activities; in larger ones they may be responsible for only one or two. Methods of raising funds include:
Many fundraising managers are graduates and mature people who have previously worked in relevant areas like marketing, PR or sales. Working in other charities or as a volunteer are also ways to enter the profession.
Volunteer organisers recruit, train and manage unpaid volunteers. They interview, match candidates to vacancies, and organise training and ongoing support. They will probably supervise the volunteers in a particular geographical area, so the work involves administration, budgets, record keeping, report writing, applying for grants and organising fundraising. Some posts are part-time, depending on the size and location of the charity. Entrants are often mature people with experience in other fields. Experience as a volunteer, or of organising people, committee work or fundraising can be an advantage. There are courses and qualifications available in this specialism.
Case workers are increasingly required to navigate complex multidisciplinary environments, integrating services from their own charity with external agencies. Specialised training and a deeper understanding of social services and digital resource management are now common prerequisites for this role. They will often become involved in counselling, and helping with tribunals and paperwork to assist in getting the right result, and will often need to understand complex laws and regulations. There are no set entry requirements except that some case workers may need to be professionally qualified. Training is often on-the-job, although some large charities run courses.
Under the ELC scheme, a wide range of learning can be taken, provided it is offered by an approved provider listed on the ELCAS website and is at level 3 or above. For full details of how to make the most of your ELC, refer to the in-depth features elsewhere on the Quest website
Due to the diversity of charities and the evolving economic landscape of 2025, providing a precise average salary range remains challenging. However, compensation across the sector has adjusted to reflect the current cost of living and inflation rates, offering a competitive salary structure in many areas, but the following guidelines from prospects.ac.uk may help.
Salaries in the charity sector vary significantly with factors such as organisation size, location, and job function. Starting salaries for assistant roles now range from £18,000 to £25,000. Charity officers, encompassing roles like administrators and project developers, typically earn between £20,000 and £30,000. Volunteer coordinators see salaries ranging from £18,000 to £28,000. At the senior management or director level, salaries generally start at £45,000, with top executives in large charities earning upwards of £120,000, reflecting the demands and responsibilities of their roles.
CHARITY WORK APPRENTICESHIPS
Click here to read CareerMap’s blog post on how to get into charity work and related apprenticeships.
Additionally, some of the larger national charities (such as Christian Aid, ActionAid and Plan UK) offer apprenticeship schemes for those wishing to get into work in this sector. Use your favourite search engine to find out more, or click here to browse options near you.
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