Charity recruitment challenges and how to overcome them

As we advance into 2025, the charity sector continues to grapple with its unique challenges. While no stranger to adversity, recent years have highlighted specific difficulties in attracting and retaining exceptional talent—issues that remain a pressing concern for charities of all sizes.

Drawing on insights from over 1,000 non-profit professionals who contributed to our 2024 Non-Profit Salary, Rewards & Retention Survey, this guide provides a clear, actionable overview of the recruitment challenges facing the sector. From salary constraints to evolving candidate expectations, we’ll explore the key barriers charities encounter and share practical strategies to overcome them.

Whether you’re hiring for charity jobs in fundraising, marcomms, or leadership or looking to build a more resilient talent pipeline, this guide is designed to equip you with the knowledge to secure exceptional talent for your charity roles.

A snapshot of the past year in non-profit 

Over the past year, the charity sector has navigated significant challenges, from economic pressures to shifts in government funding. Despite these hurdles, notable trends and adaptations have allowed organisations to continue delivering their vital services.

Impact of the economy and government funding

Economic uncertainty and a decrease in government funding have continued to impact charity recruitment. However, many have adjusted by diversifying their income sources and seeking alternative funding models to ensure the continuation of their work. While external pressures persist, public trust in the sector has grown, with a 0.3% increase since 2020, showing the ongoing support and belief in the value of charitable work.

The rise of flexible working

Flexible working practices have been increasingly adopted across the sector. Many organisations have reported success in attracting and retaining staff by offering more flexible hours or remote work options, particularly in areas such as marketing, finance, and fundraising. This shift has expanded the pool of available candidates and contributed to improved staff satisfaction and retention.

Focus on diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion remain central to the charity sector’s recruitment efforts, with 78% of TPP’s survey respondents identifying diversity as a key focus in their strategies. While there is a clear awareness of its importance and a strong appetite to improve, the sector still struggles with representation—particularly at executive leadership and board level. Many charities recognise the need for diverse perspectives to address complex social challenges, but achieving meaningful change remains a work in progress.

Key challenges in charity recruitment

Recruitment in the charity sector has become more challenging over the last five years, driven by various factors, including financial constraints, a competitive job market, the pandemic and shifting workforce expectations. These challenges are not only about finding talent but about retaining the right people in charity roles that require specialised skills and sector-specific knowledge.

Despite the ongoing resilience of charities, attracting candidates remains a mixed picture. While some organisations are still struggling to compete with the private sector’s higher salaries and benefits, others have seen an improvement in recent months, with higher advert response rates and a greater availability of candidates. However, challenges persist in securing the right talent for specialist and senior roles, where competition remains strong.

In the face of these issues, charities must find innovative ways to address recruitment gaps and adapt to the evolving job market. Here are the key challenges affecting charity recruitment today:

1. Limited Budgets

Charities often face the challenge of limited financial resources, making it difficult to offer competitive salaries and benefits compared to private-sector employers. This financial constraint is one of the biggest barriers to attracting qualified candidates, particularly in high-demand areas like HR, finance, and fundraising. 

While salary isn’t always the deciding factor, economic pressures continue to shape candidates' priorities. With the cost of living remaining high, many are still seeking higher salaries to maintain financial stability. Inflation has begun to stabilise, and with that, candidate confidence appears to be improving—reflected in increased movement in the job market. More candidates seem willing to explore new roles, potentially indicating greater optimism about their prospects.

Despite these pressures, charities are focused on keeping recruitment costs low, which makes it harder to attract the right talent. 64% of survey respondents cited higher salary as a top motivator for moving to a new role, underscoring the challenge for charities in offering competitive compensation.

2. Skills Gaps

Many organisations find it challenging to recruit for positions requiring technical expertise and an understanding of the charity sector. This is particularly evident in specialist roles such as digital marketing and legacy fundraising, where over three-quarters of hiring managers report a lack of high-quality applications.

3. Candidate Shortages

Despite an increase in job applications in 2024, nearly 40% of managers reported difficulty recruiting suitable candidates over the past year. The shortage is often linked to candidates lacking essential skills or sector experience, making it harder to fill vacancies efficiently.

4. Changing Candidate Expectations

Today’s jobseekers prioritise flexibility, career progression, and alignment with an organisation’s values. These shifting expectations mean charities need to look at adapting their recruitment strategies, offering more flexible working arrangements and clear development opportunities to remain competitive.

5. Retention Challenges

Attracting talent hasn’t been the only issue—keeping it is just as important. Survey findings revealed that 42% of respondents would consider leaving the sector for better pay, greater responsibilities, or more engaging roles. This highlights a need for charities to focus on employee satisfaction and career development to reduce turnover.

Strategies for Overcoming Recruitment Challenges

Recruitment in the charity sector continues to pose challenges, but there are clear opportunities to adapt and refine approaches. Financial constraints, skills gaps, and shifting candidate priorities are influencing how organisations attract and retain talent. However, charities are in a strong position to appeal to individuals who value purpose, impact, and meaningful work.

Understanding what motivates candidates and addressing specific barriers can help charities create strategies that attract and retain the right people for their teams.

1. Finding value beyond salaries

Charities often face the reality of being unable to compete with private-sector salaries. However, candidates don’t base their decisions on pay alone. The opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause, enjoy flexibility at work, and feel supported in their role are highly valued factors that can make all the difference.

Candidates increasingly seek organisations prioritising work-life balance, wellbeing, and growth. These factors, combined with the unique sense of purpose charities can offer, are often more compelling than a higher salary alone.

Ideas to consider:

• Share stories about your charity’s mission, using tangible examples of how staff contributions create positive change. For example, use case studies, quotes from beneficiaries, or impact data to connect candidates with your purpose.
• Provide wellbeing initiatives, such as confidential counselling services or team wellbeing workshops, and ensure staff know how to access them.
• Be clear in job adverts about flexible working arrangements like remote roles, condensed hours, or tailored schedules. Use feedback from current staff to highlight how these arrangements have been successful.

For more insight into incorporating flexibility, well-being, and purpose into your recruitment strategy, discover our guide on 6 tips to make your team feel more valued.

2. Building a strong employer brand

A clear and authentic employer brand gives candidates a reason to want to work with your organisation. Beyond salaries and benefits, it’s about communicating what makes your workplace unique—whether that’s your mission, your values, or the way your team works together.

Organisations that demonstrate the impact of their work involve employees in shaping culture, and clearly share their purpose are more likely to attract candidates driven by shared values. A strong employer brand appeals to new hires and helps retain current staff by creating a sense of pride and connection.

What could help:

• Use your careers page to showcase what it’s like to work at your charity. Include real stories from employees about their experiences, short videos from team members, and examples of how your organisation’s values are brought to life.
• On LinkedIn and other platforms, highlight achievements from staff and teams, whether they’re delivering successful campaigns or completing training. Content that feels personal and authentic can give potential candidates a better understanding of your workplace.
• In interviews and job adverts, make your organisation’s culture clear. This could include how teams collaborate, how diversity is championed, or how staff are involved in shaping the charity’s direction.

3. Retaining talent through development

Retention is often about giving employees a reason to stay. Many charities face skills gaps in key areas like digital fundraising or marketing, but few are actively addressing this through development or entry-level recruitment. While salaries play a role in retention, most employees are looking for opportunities to grow, take on new challenges, or see a clear career path ahead.

Focusing on development is not just about filling immediate gaps but creating a sense of belonging and progression. Staff who feel supported in their growth are more likely to stay, reducing turnover and strengthening teams over time.

Suggestions to explore:

• Introduce mentoring schemes where senior team members can guide junior staff, sharing practical skills and sector knowledge. Regular feedback can help track progress and make these relationships impactful.
• Invest in training tailored to skills shortages, such as digital campaign management, legacy giving, or using new CRM tools. Development that meets both staff interests and organisational needs is particularly effective.
• Review how entry-level roles could address gaps and build long-term pipelines. Apprenticeships and internships can bring in fresh talent while allowing teams to shape employees from the start of their careers.

4. Supporting wellbeing and preventing burnout

Wellbeing has become a critical area for organisations across all sectors, but it’s especially important in charities, where staff often face high demands. Overworking employees risks burnout and can lead to lower morale, higher turnover, and reduced organisational performance.

Creating a workplace that genuinely supports wellbeing is about more than offering occasional benefits. It requires building a culture where staff feel valued, workloads are manageable, and breaks are respected. Addressing these issues can create a healthier, more productive environment.

Steps worth considering:

• Check-in regularly with staff to understand their needs and identify areas where workloads may be causing stress. Simple adjustments, such as redistributing tasks or delaying non-urgent projects, can make a big difference.
• Provide training for managers to recognise signs of burnout and support team members with practical solutions.
• Establish a system to monitor annual leave usage and ensure staff are taking time to recharge. If necessary, consider introducing mandatory leave periods to encourage rest.

Final thoughts on charity recruitment challenges and solutions

Recruiting and retaining talent in the charity sector remains challenging, but it’s also a chance to build stronger, more resilient teams. For many non-profits, this means focusing on specific areas such as addressing skills shortages, providing flexibility, and improving employee wellbeing.

Understanding what potential candidates really want and need from their careers makes a big difference. It helps non-profits create clear strategies for attracting and retaining talent in charity roles. Whether it’s offering more flexibility, prioritising career development, or improving wellbeing, staying in tune with these priorities can set organisations apart in charity recruitment.

Find the talent your charity needs

At TPP, we specialise in helping charities and non-profits connect with exceptional talent. Our dedicated team of recruitment experts understands the challenges organisations face, and works with you to build tailored solutions.

Looking for more support? Explore our Charity Salary, Rewards & Retention Survey or visit our resources hub for insights on recruitment, retention, and building strong teams.

Get in touch today to discover how we can help your organisation attract the right people for your charity roles.