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Administrators are employed by charities, voluntary and non-profit making organisations to undertake a variety of administrative, secretarial, financial and human resources tasks.

Administrators can often be key employees within charitable and non-profit making organisations; they are responsible for linking the organisation with the public and the media. Specific responsibilities and the amount of contact with volunteers and the general public will vary according to the size of the charity: in larger organisations administrators may be mostly office-based, whereas those working for smaller employers often have frequent contact with voluntary staff and the public. Common duties include:

• recruiting, training and managing employees and volunteers

• financial/accounts administration

• handling correspondence

• producing agendas and minutes

• organising meetings

• answering telephone calls

• contacting potential donors

• filing

• liaising with relevant organisations

• undertaking mail-shots and similar publicity tasks

• implementing new IT/administrative systems

Qualifications and training required

You can become a charities administrator both with or without a degree.

Graduates don’t need to have a specific degree discipline, although a business studies, management or social administration qualification may be helpful. A foundation degree or HND may prove beneficial for school leavers. However, strong competition for a relatively small number of permanent opportunities means that voluntary and administrative work experience are often valued more highly than academic qualifications.

Key skills for charity administrators

• Administrative skills

• Flexibility

• Willingness to do routine tasks

• Interpersonal skills

• IT skills

• Secretarial skills