Marketing for small charities with no marketing team
Most UK charities are small. A charity with no marketing team should do three things well before anything else: say clearly who it helps, keep a short list of supporters it speaks to regularly, and measure one number every month. Everything else can wait.
The size of the problem
In 2021/22 there were approximately 166,000 voluntary organisations in the UK, according to NCVO. Eighty per cent of them earned under £100,000. Together those micro and small organisations accounted for only 3% of the sector’s income and spending.
That is the reality behind most charity marketing. A few people, little money, a long list of jobs and no one whose role is to market the charity. Advice written for organisations with a team and a budget does not help much.
This guide is for the charity that has a chief executive, a handful of staff, some volunteers and a few spare hours a week.
Where small charities stand
The Charity Digital Skills Report 2026, based on 807 responses collected between 5 March and 20 April 2026, found that 78% of small charities are at an early stage with digital, up from 68% a year earlier.
It also found that 63% of charities cite squeezed finances as a barrier and 51% cite lack of headspace and capacity. Lack of capacity was cited by 64% in the 2025 report, so the picture has eased a little, but half of charities still say they lack the time to think.
None of this is a criticism. It describes charities doing a great deal with very little. The question is how to use the time you have well.
The three jobs to do first
1. Say clearly who you help
Write one sentence that says who the charity helps and how. Put it at the top of your website, in your email signature and at the start of every conversation.
Test it on someone who does not know the charity. If they cannot repeat it back, make it simpler. A clear sentence is the cheapest and most effective marketing a small charity can have.
2. Keep a list of supporters you can talk to
A list of people who have agreed to hear from you is the most valuable marketing asset a small charity owns. Platforms change their rules and their reach. Your list does not.
Make it easy to join, ask for consent clearly, and keep it tidy. The Fundraising Regulator publishes guidance on communications and the rules about contacting supporters, and it is worth reading before you start.
3. Measure one number every month
Pick a single number that tells you whether you are moving in the right direction. It might be regular givers, referrals received, volunteers recruited or people on your list. Write it down on the same day each month.
One number you actually check is worth more than a dashboard you never open. Add a second only when the first is routine.
What to stop
Small charities do not have spare time, so stopping matters as much as starting. Ask of each activity: what is this for, who sees it and what would happen if we stopped?
- Channels nobody reads. If an account takes hours and brings no supporters, volunteers or referrals, pause it.
- Activity with no purpose. A newsletter that goes out because it always has, with no clear aim.
- Chasing every trend. Platforms come and go. In the 2025 Charity Digital Skills Report, 51% of charities had left or cut back their use of X. Follow your audience, not the headlines.
- Doing it all yourself. Handing small, clear jobs to volunteers frees time for the work only you can do.
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A four-hour week
A small charity can make real progress in four hours a week if the time is protected and the jobs are chosen well. This is an example. Adjust it to your own week.
| Time | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One hour, Monday | Check the one number. Note what changed. Decide one thing to do this week. | Keeps attention on results, not activity. |
| Two hours, midweek | Write or prepare one thing for supporters: an email, a story or an update to the website. | Regular, useful contact builds trust over time. |
| Half an hour, Thursday | Reply to messages and thank people who have supported you in the last week. | Thanks bring people back, and they cost almost nothing. |
| Half an hour, Friday | Tidy the list. Record sign-ups and updates. Plan next week. | Keeps the asset clean and the week ahead clear. |
Free and low-cost help
Good free help exists, and a small charity should use it. Media Trust runs free online workshops on marketing essentials and digital marketing for charities. The Fundraising Regulator publishes free guidance on communications and advertising. Both are worth your time.
Your own supporters are another source. A volunteer with a marketing background, a local business willing to donate an hour or a trustee with relevant experience can be worth more than any paid service, as long as the work is clearly briefed.
When to ask for help
Doing it yourself is the right choice for many small charities for a long time. Some signs suggest it is time to look for support.
- The same problem keeps returning. You solve it, and a few months later it is back.
- Nobody can say what marketing achieves. The board asks and the answer is vague.
- A big decision is coming. A rebrand, a new website, a new service or a funding bid depends on getting the message right.
- The person doing the work is stretched. They are carrying marketing on top of a full job and it is starting to show.
- Growth needs a plan. The charity wants to reach more people, and the current approach cannot stretch further.
Help comes in different sizes. A marketing health check shows where you stand and what to do first. Training and mentoring builds the skills of the people you have. A fractional marketing lead provides senior direction for part of the month.
A note on cost
Cost matters to every small charity. We do not publish fees because the right level of help depends on the charity, and a number quoted before we understand your position helps nobody.
We agree the fee in writing before any work begins. The first conversation is free and carries no obligation, and we will say plainly if the best option for you is to do nothing yet.
Where to go next
Once you have the three jobs in hand, read the charity marketing strategy guide. It shows how to turn those habits into a short plan your trustees can approve.
If you are deciding between hiring, using an agency and bringing in part-time leadership, in-house, agency or fractional sets out the trade-offs.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a small charity spend on marketing?
There is no fixed figure. It depends on income, goals and how much work can be done by existing staff and volunteers. Start with what is needed to reach the two or three groups that matter most, and add only when a measure shows it is working.
What is the best marketing for a charity with no budget?
A clear sentence about who you help, a list of supporters who have agreed to hear from you and regular, useful contact with them. These cost time, not money, and they build the asset that every other activity depends on.
How can a charity market itself without a marketing team?
Choose a few jobs, protect a few hours each week and measure one number. Use free training and guidance, hand small clear tasks to volunteers and ask for help when a decision is bigger than the time you have to make it.
Should a small charity use social media?
Only where your supporters, beneficiaries or referrers already pay attention, and only if you can keep it up. One account used well beats five used rarely. Ask what the account is for before you open it.
When is it worth getting outside help?
When the same problems keep returning, when the board cannot see what marketing achieves, when a big decision is coming or when the person doing the work is stretched. A short review is often the best first step.
Can a trustee help with marketing?
Yes, and many do. A trustee with relevant experience can offer advice and challenge. The risk is when trustees do the work without a clear brief, so agree what is wanted and how much time they can give.
How do we recruit more regular givers?
Start with the people who already know and trust you: existing donors, volunteers and the families you help. Make the ask clear and easy, thank people promptly and follow the rules on consent. A small number of loyal givers is worth more than a large number of one-off gifts.
Sources
- 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/
- Charity Digital Skills Report 2026, Charity Digital Skills Report. Published July 2026. Survey 5 March to 20 April 2026, 807 responses. Read 5 October 2026. charitydigitalskills.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Charity-Digital-Skills-Report-2026.pdf
- Charity Digital Skills Report 2025, Charity Digital Skills Report. Survey 5 March to 28 April 2025, 672 charities. Read 5 October 2026. charitydigitalskills.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Charity-Digital-Skills-Report-2025.pdf
- Marketing for Charities: Free training, Media Trust. Read 5 October 2026. mediatrust.org/communications-support/training-courses/marketing-for-charities-training/
- Communications and advertising, Fundraising Regulator. Read 5 October 2026. www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/about-fundraising/topics/communications-and-advertising
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