Streetsmart Method Training

Recruitment and Training for Charity Sector Head Office and Face-to-Face fundraising teams

“The sector has also been cutting back on training, with spending falling by 25% per employee since 2011. This means recruitment challenges are being compounded by training cutbacks, at a time where investment in skills is most needed.”

The shifting dynamics of the workplace NCVO, Apr 2025

“give fundraisers more control and invest in their skills, and they are more likely to carry on delivering for their chosen charity, rather than go searching for better.”Why do fundraisers change jobs and what will

Recruitment

In 2025, there has been a significant decrease in jobs posted according to a recent Charity Jobs report. However, although there has been an increase in applicants, fundraising roles attract 43% less applications that other charity roles. Therefore, fundraising jobs are still the hardest to fill and the least attractive for candidates. Therefore, this is still a candidate led market, meaning that making your job vacancy as attractive as possible and encouraging current staff to stay, is important.

Training

The charity sector has seen a 25% drop in training spend per employee since 2011, even as recruitment difficulties increase. While total training budgets in the sector may be in the tens of millions of pounds annually, the specific spend on fundraising training is likely much lower—and insufficient given the rising complexity of roles.

What does this mean?

  • Urgent demand for fundraising professionals, driven by high vacancy and skill gaps.

  • Training is under-resourced, creating a cycle where recruitment struggles and low retention reinforce each other.

  • There’s a clear opportunity for charities that invest in both recruitment and training to build stronger, more resilient fundraising teams.