Celebrating Small Charity Week with Big Lessons from Little Giants.

At Donorfy, we’re lucky enough to work with some of the UK’s most passionate, purpose-driven small charities. And as Small Charity Week rolls around, we thought it was the perfect time to shine a light on the mighty impact of these lean, mission-fuelled organisations. 

Because, let’s face it: small charities are the Swiss Army knives of the sector.  

They juggle fundraising, service delivery, comms and community-building, often with a team you could count on one hand and a budget that just doesn’t stretch far enough. And yet, they get things done. Big things. 

What is Small Charity Week? 

Small Charity Week is a national campaign celebrating the vital role that small charities play in communities. Despite their huge impact, smaller organisations are often underfunded and struggle for visibility. 

The reality is small charities are under more pressure than ever. Costs are rising, demand is increasing and funding is falling.”
- Sarah Elliot, Chief Executive at NCVO 

Many of the team at Donorfy have worked in small charities themselves. We know what it's like to wear multiple hats, stretch every penny and still drive impact while wondering when the next windfall might arrive. In fact, that sector experience shapes everything we do - from how we design our charity CRM, to how we support customers.

The unique advantages of being small 

Working closely with small charities has shown us their distinct strengths. They excel at building genuine community trust and maintaining deeply personal approaches with their supporters. They're incredibly flexible and can pivot quickly when opportunities arise. Perhaps most importantly, they foster strong personal connections - both with the communities they serve and the supporters who champion what they do. 

When resources are limited, creativity flourishes 

When you don't have much budget, you get inventive. For example, we've seen small organisations turn social media posts into award-winning national campaigns and transform simple community events into powerful fundraising and awareness drivers that reach far beyond their local area. 

Small charities face the universal challenge of limited time and resources, but they overcome these challenges through synergy, reusing resources cleverly, and joining forces with local groups and networks. It's not just resourcefulness - it's resilience with a creative twist. 

I worked for a small charity whose awareness work was needed more than ever during Covid-19, but we saw a huge drop in income as people tightened their belts. It taught us to be more clever with the resources we already had – what was cheap and wouldn’t take much time? For example, we repurposed old material for new messaging and audiences with great success. It was a masterclass in creative problem-solving.”
-  Lisa Newhouse, Digital Content Manager at Donorfy

Every penny - and every person - counts 

Everyone wears multiple hats in small charities. Fundraiser, marketer, volunteer coordinator, tea-maker - you name it. That all-hands-on-deck spirit reminds us that impact isn’t always about size, it’s about heart.  

Elizabeth Hutton OBE from Kicks Count is a great example of this. At the Donorfy Conference in March, she shared her experience of running a small charity, almost single-handedly. Key takeaways were: 

Clear focus drives impact - The most successful small charities resist the temptation to be everything to everyone. They know their niche and own it completely. 

Community matters - Whether it's joining Facebook groups, attending sector events or partnering with local organisations, small charities that connect with others tend to punch above their weight. 

Consistency builds trust - Even with limited resources, maintaining consistent branding and messaging helps build recognition and credibility. 

Mission-first thinking - It's easy to get caught up in day-to-day, but successful small charities keep their ultimate purpose front and centre in every decision. What are we doing this for? For Elizabeth, her focus is and always has been on, well, never losing focus.  

Taking care - Small charity teams are often their organisation's greatest asset, which means taking care of those people directly impacts the cause. Avoiding burnout isn't just nice to have, it's mission-critical. 

Tech doesn’t have to be flashy to be effective 

The best tech solutions are the ones that fit seamlessly into the day-to-day. Small charities don’t necessarily have time for bells and whistles, they just need features that are built to support their mission, save them time - and that work together. That’s why we’re so proud to offer a CRM for small charities that’s designed to do just that. 

I’ve held a number of different roles in the sector and know it’s not just about having tech that functions, it needs to make people’s jobs easier. That experience taught me the value of good tools in achieving that, so we aim for Donorfy to quietly do its job in the background, then charities can stay focused on raising funds and doing great things.”
- Rich Bee, Product Manager at Donorfy

Thank you to the small charity community 

To all the small charities out there this Small Charities Week: thank you. You're not just doing remarkable work with limited resources, you're showing the entire sector the power of creativity, community and unwavering commitment to your cause.  

As people who've worked in this sector and now support it through technology, we see your impact every day. You’ve taught us to stay nimble, stay human and stay focused on what really matters: making a difference. You inspire us to build better tools, offer more thoughtful support, and never forget that behind every data point is a real person making a real difference. 

Let's raise a cuppa (or a cupcake) to you this Small Charity Week.