We use cookies to improve and customise your experience, for analytics and metrics, and to track any purchases you make both on this website and on others. To find out more about the cookies we use see our cookie policy
More info
- Run a charity focused on an important cause or way of helping people, animals or the environment
- Requires leadership, motivational, and project management skills, and the ability to work in a team
- With experience, option to become a consultant, advising charities and government on policy
Charity directors are responsible for the daily operation of the organisation. This could include the roll-out of the charity's strategic vision, financial viability and reporting to the board of trustees.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Planning policies and raising income
- Representing the charity at meetings, events and in the media
- Managing relationships with partners, funding bodies and service users
- Presenting information about the services your charity offers
- Writing funding bids and negotiating contracts
- Making sure policies meet changes in law and regulations
- Meeting regularly with the senior management team and trustees
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You'll be based in an office but spend much of your time attending meetings, visiting projects and fulfilling media commitments, which could include some evenings and weekends.
You'll need
To become a charity director you need leadership, motivational, and project management skills, and the ability to work in a team.
You'll need a lot of experience at senior management level, and of building partnerships and fundraising. you'll also need excellent presentation and confident public speaking skills are essential. Furthermore, you'll also need an excellent knowledge of the challenges faced by your charity's service users, what can be done to help them, and a very strong commitment to the charity's aims.
Volunteering is often a good way to start. You could volunteer with organisations that promote the causes you're interested in and then apply for paid roles as you get more experience. With further training on the job, you may be able to move up to senior positions within your charity.
You could also do a college course like a Level 4 or 5 Diploma in Business Management. You'll usually need 1 or 2 A levels, a level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a level 4 or level 5 course.
Alternatively you could do a business management foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree to learn the general management skills needed for this job.
Another option is to do a degree in the subject area you want to do charity work in, and work your way up into management and director roles.
You'll usually need 1 or 2 A levels for a foundation degree or higher national diploma and 2 to 3 A levels for a degree.
CAREER PROSPECTS
You could move to a bigger charity, work for an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), or become a consultant, advising charities and government on policy.