Photograph: Aubrey Wade
When looking for a fundraising job, the charity’s cause is priority, says fundraiser Niki Barton, head of supporter retention and development at Oxfam GB. “Then you look at the brand and the opportunities. So if you are interested, like me, in international development, the obvious one to pick is Oxfam.”
The reasons behind Barton’s choice of charity are typical of fundraisers. Recruiters say that if fundraisers aren’t driven by the cause then it makes their job impossible. “A good fundraiser needs to champion the cause they are raising money for. The values and the story of the charity are crucial when it comes to picking a job,” says Jamie Fraser, senior account manager for jobs website CharityJob.
The most popular charities to work for in fundraising are those devoted to health or medical issues followed by international development, he points out, adding: “It’s no accident that fundraising candidates go for these charities. These are causes that a large number of people can identify with and are really emotive”. But charity brands are also influencing decisions: “Employer brands have become crucial,” says colleague Judith Jones.
That’s particularly true of Cancer Research UK, which receives about 30 applications for each fundraising vacancy. Its resourcing business partner Rachel Howard admits that its brand plays a big part: “There are two main reasons people give for wanting to work for us: the cause and the brand. A lot of people join us driven by a passion for the cause and a desire to help our work to beat cancer. We’re a hugely ambitious organisation, in terms of both research and fundraising, and people want to be part of the pioneering work we do”.
Salary and employee benefits, such as flexible working, are next on the list of priorities for jobseekers, but equally important is a distinct career path, something that can be a challenge for smaller charities. Stephen Vickers, senior advanced consultant for charities at specialist recruitment agency Eden Brown, says: “Very few fundraisers job-hop, so a big part of making a decision about the job is career progression.
“That can be difficult for some smaller charities, which then have a problem retaining staff. On the other hand, bigger charities, such as the British Heart Foundation, the Prince’s Trust and Diabetes UK, are really good at it because they have larger fundraising teams and can nurture their talent.”
This view is shared by Barton, who has been with Oxfam for nine years: “I’m a good example of the movement you can have with a large charity. I’ve had five or six different roles since I’ve been here and moved up the levels at the same time”. She has also visited two Oxfam programmes in action: “You see the results of your efforts and the programmes you’re funding. It’s tangible and highly motivating”.
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