Charity Events Organiser jobs
(Also known as
Events Organiser,
Administrator,
Fundraiser,
Volunteer) Salary
Responsibilities
Qualifications
Skills
Working Conditions
Experience
Employers
Career Progression
Testimonial
Charity events organisers work in the charity sector organising fundraising social events and concerts.
Charity events organisers plan and manage parties and fundraisers for charities in order to raise the profile or boost the budget of the charity concerned. In the case of certain arts and theatre charities, promotional arts or theatre events are an intrinsic part of the sponsorship of struggling artists for which the charity was founded.
The job involves many of the same elements of work as party planning or PR, but because the work is undertaken for a charity, a good knowledge of the third sector is also a requisite of the job.
In an increasingly media-powered society, the importance of the events organiser as someone who creates the public image of the charity and oversees major fundraising drives is rising.
Because events management is a role born of a world of commerce and celebrity, a world far from the stereotypical image of charity work, there can be a negotiation of different professional roles in this job which many find exciting and challenging.
Charity events organisers need the following skills and qualities:
It is increasingly necessary to gain experience as a volunteer before candidates are considered viable for a paid position. Almost everyone who works for a charity has had some experience at the unpaid end of the ladder.
On the plus side, many charity workers are dedicated to the cause for which they are working and do not begrudge finding the time, money and enthusiasm to complete a period of unpaid work.
Other events organisers start their careers in commercial PR events or party planners before crossing over to the third sector.
Charity events organisers usually go on to other jobs in the third sector, working in other departments such as marketing and fundraising, or moving up the rungs of larger events departments of the big charities. Some events organisers go on to found their own events companies, or even their own charities.
Salary
Unfortunately, charity events organisers rarely earn the high salaries that their peers in the commercial sector command, with salaries starting at zero for volunteers. Salaries for junior events assistants at small charities can be anything from £17,000 to £20,000, rising to £25,000 for those with more experience. At the very top end of the job market, the handful of events managers who head up the large international operations of bigger charities will be earning executive salaries, from £40,000 to six-figure sums.Responsibilities
The responsibilities of a charity events organiser vary greatly depending on the charity. Events organisation and management for larger charities will involve greater quantities of work with a press team and with the media, while events for smaller charities will involve a wider scope which could involve anything from writing funding applications to setting out the chairs prior to functions. Jobs can include any of the following:- brainstorming events ideas
- contacting artists, venues and agents
- working with PR, marketing and press teams to ensure that the charity’s public profile is being developed according to plan
- planning the logistics of events: venue, food, seating and so on
- dealing with health and safety
- writing press releases
- attending industry functions
- making funding applications
- necessary administration and record-keeping
- managing teams of assistants and volunteers
Qualifications
Specific qualifications are rarely compulsory for events organisers, though most are educated to degree level.Skills
Charity events organisers need the following skills and qualities:
- Sociability (essential)
- Enthusiasm (essential)
- Good communication skills, both written and spoken
- Office skills such as time management and computer literacy
Working Conditions
Charity events organisers, like all events organisers, are sometimes expected to work beyond normal office hours, including at weekends and, particularly, late nights. Many charities will offer Time Off In Lieu (TOIL), in which hours off during expected working hours are substituted for extra work at evenings or weekends. In smaller charities, the events organiser may be held responsible for health and safety requirements. Working for small charities may also involve a degree of physical work, such as moving furniture or equipment, if the work-force is not large enough or rich enough to hire specialist professionals to undertake this task. On the other hand, organising events can also mean being office-bound for weeks at a time, with the attendant stress or boredom of being constantly in front of a computer.Experience
Charity events organisers can come from many different sectors, though most come from within the third sector. While some experience organising events is desirable, it is not always necessary for those who have been working in related positions that involve events management. Some events organisers cross over from commercial work for PR firms into charity work. Some experience in events organisation, as well as some knowledge of and a genuine enthusiasm for the charity for which you’re working, are essential.Employers
Larger charities such as Amnesty or UNICEF have whole departments dedicated to fundraising events, while music and theatre charities have one or two members of staff whose jobs involve scheduling concerts. Some charities contract their events management to commercial PR firms. Charity Choice (see links, below) is a database of all UK charities, to which you might apply for voluntary experience.Career Progression
It is increasingly necessary to gain experience as a volunteer before candidates are considered viable for a paid position. Almost everyone who works for a charity has had some experience at the unpaid end of the ladder.
On the plus side, many charity workers are dedicated to the cause for which they are working and do not begrudge finding the time, money and enthusiasm to complete a period of unpaid work.
Other events organisers start their careers in commercial PR events or party planners before crossing over to the third sector.
Charity events organisers usually go on to other jobs in the third sector, working in other departments such as marketing and fundraising, or moving up the rungs of larger events departments of the big charities. Some events organisers go on to found their own events companies, or even their own charities.
In Reading£30k - £40k/annum 