Marketing leadership for charities without a marketing director

Who this is for

In 2021/22 there were approximately 166,000 voluntary organisations in the UK. Eighty per cent of them earned under £100,000 a year, and together they held 3% of the sector’s income.

Organisations of that size rarely have a marketing director. Many have nobody whose job is marketing at all. The work gets done in gaps, by whoever has the time, and it shows in the results and in the stress.

Marketing for Charities is built for three situations.

• Nobody owns marketing. The chief executive, a fundraiser or a trustee is doing it between everything else.
• A leader needs expertise beside them. The charity has an executive who is strong on the cause and wants senior marketing judgement to back their decisions.
• A capable team needs direction. There are good people doing the work, but no senior marketer to set priorities, challenge the plan and report to the board.

Five ways we help

Every charity starts in a different place. Choose the level that fits, and move between levels as the charity grows. Fees are agreed on the discovery call, not published, because the right amount of help depends on where you are now.

A review of your current channels

A structured look at every place you speak to supporters, ending in a short written report with three priorities. This is where most engagements begin. See the marketing health check.

Strategy alignment

Your strategic plan says one thing and your marketing may be doing another. We map the gap, then rebuild the priorities, the plan and the measures. See strategy alignment.

Fractional leadership

A senior marketing lead for a set number of days each month. They own the plan, report to your board and work beside your team. See fractional marketing.

Training for your team

Workshops built around your own supporters, message and plan, not generic examples. See training and mentoring.

Mentoring and development

Regular one-to-one time for the person who owns marketing, whether that is a communications officer, a fundraiser or the chief executive. See training and mentoring.

How it works

1. A free 30-minute discovery call. You talk to one of the two founders. We listen, say what we would do first, and tell you plainly if we are not the right fit.
2. A review of where you are. The health check shows what is working, what is not and what to fix first.
3. A plan your board can approve. Short, specific and tied to the goals in your strategic plan.
4. The level of support you choose. Advice only, working beside your team, or running it for you. That choice is yours and it can change.

Talk it through with a founder

Thirty minutes, no preparation needed. Tell us what is happening and we will tell you what we would do first.

Book a free 30-minute discovery call

No spam. No automated phone system. Just us.

Corporate discipline. Charity tone.

Charities do not need to be taught that marketing exists. They need planning, forecasting and measurement of the kind a commercial marketing function takes for granted, applied in the language of supporters, beneficiaries and impact.

That is the combination here. The rigour of a commercial plan, written in a voice that fits a charity and keeps its values intact. No jargon, no sales funnels, no promises about income that nobody can keep.

A record in the third sector

Adam Graver worked in the third sector for many years before moving into marketing. His record includes social return on investment projects across the People’s Postcode Lottery charities and the Lord’s Taverners, his first roles in County Sports Partnerships, and research for CLORE Social Leadership and The Woodsmith Foundation through a partnership with Skyblue Research.

He has been Marketing Lead for Transforming Autism and is a trustee of the Nikki Waterhouse Trust. He knows what a board pack looks like from both sides of the table.

Lucy Collinge spent six years on the front line of estate agency sales, then moved into senior marketing roles and ran an in-house marketing agency. She brings commercial discipline and a practical eye for what a small team can actually deliver. Meet both founders.

Not ready to talk yet?

Start with the reading. The charity marketing strategy guide explains what a strategy should contain and how to take it to trustees. Marketing for small charities sets out what to do first when there is no marketing team and very little time.

If you are weighing up options, in-house, agency or fractional compares them fairly, including when we are not the right answer.

Frequently asked questions

What does a fractional marketing lead do for a charity?

A fractional marketing lead provides the strategic leadership of a marketing director for a set number of days each month. They build the plan, report to the board, guide the people who do the work and help choose suppliers, without the cost of a full-time hire.

How is this different from an agency?

House of Marque is a marketing partner, not an agency. We tell you what to do, then we do it with you. You choose how much of the work sits with us, and one of the two founders answers when you call. There is no account management layer.

Can we work with you if we already have a communications officer?

Yes. Many charities that work with us have a capable person already. We give them senior direction, a plan to deliver and a mentor to talk decisions through, so their time goes further and their work gets noticed by the board.

Who do you report to in the charity?

Usually the chief executive, with regular updates to the board or a named trustee. We agree the line of reporting on the discovery call so that accountability is clear from the start.

How quickly can we start?

Start with a free 30-minute discovery call. After it we agree what makes sense and when, based on the service you choose and your calendar. Timing differs between a health check and an ongoing engagement, and we confirm it in writing.

Sources

1. UK Civil Society Almanac 2024: how many voluntary organisations are there?, NCVO. Data for 2021/22. Read 5 October 2026. www.ncvo.org.uk/news-and-insights/news-index/uk-civil-society-almanac-2024/profile/how-many-voluntary-organisations-are-there/