Whether supporting vulnerable families, tackling loneliness, protecting local environments, improving health outcomes or creating opportunities for young people, small charities deliver extraordinary impact every day. Their work is deeply rooted in the communities they serve, allowing them to build trusted relationships and respond to needs that larger organisations can sometimes struggle to reach.
I’m reminded of the old Heineken adverts from my childhood: “Heineken refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach.” Small charities are a bit like that. They reach the people, places and problems that others often cannot.
This Small Charity Week, we rightly celebrate the resilience, commitment and innovation of these organisations. Despite operating with limited resources and growing demand, small charities continue to make a profound difference to people’s lives.
In fact, around 96% of UK charities have an annual income of less than £1 million. While they may be small, collectively they represent the vast majority of the sector and play a critical role in strengthening our society.
Yet the challenges facing small charities have rarely been greater. Rising costs, increasing demand for services and a highly competitive funding environment mean many organisations are being asked to do more with less. Last week’s report by the Cranfield Trust highlighted several pressures facing the sector, but one issue stood out to me in particular: the need for stronger leadership and governance.
Good governance is sometimes seen as a compliance requirement. In fact, it is one of the most important enablers of a charity’s success. Effective governance helps organisations stay focused on their mission, make better decisions, manage risk and build confidence among funders, partners and beneficiaries. At the heart of good governance is the board of trustees.
For small charities especially, trustees often play an outsized role. Alongside their legal responsibilities, they bring expertise, networks, challenge and support. A strong board can help a charity navigate uncertainty, identify opportunities and build long-term sustainability. Equally, boards that lack diversity of thought, relevant skills or sufficient capacity can find it harder to respond to increasingly complex challenges.
One of the biggest governance challenges facing small charities is trustee recruitment. Many organisations simply don’t have access to extensive networks from which to attract new trustees. Others are looking for expertise in areas such as finance, fundraising, digital transformation or people management but struggle to find the right candidates. This is not a reflection of ambition or professionalism. It is the reality of operating with limited time, capacity and resources.
The good news is that there is a growing pool of talented professionals who want to contribute their skills through trusteeship. The challenge is creating pathways that connect them with the charities that need them most.
At Trustees Unlimited, we see every day the difference great trustees can make. We also recognise the unique recruitment challenges facing smaller organisations. That’s why, in addition to our Search & Selection service, we created SNAP, a trustee recruitment service specifically designed for charities with an annual income below £1 million. By helping small charities strengthen their boards, we help strengthen the wider sector.
Ultimately, governance is not about policies, paperwork or process. It is about people. It is about ensuring charities have the leadership, oversight and support they need to maximise their impact. As we celebrate Small Charity Week, we should recognise not only the remarkable work that small charities deliver, but also the trustees who give their time, expertise and commitment to support them. Their contribution is often unseen, but it is fundamental to the success of the organisations they serve.
Small charities may not have the biggest budgets or the largest teams, but with the right people around the board table they can continue to deliver extraordinary impact for years to come.
