Freelancing in the Third Sector

One thing that hasn’t historically got a lot of publicity is the possibility of contracting within the third sector, working for volunteer organisations, charities, and cooperatives. Instead, we tend to believe that these organisations are made up of a handful of salaried employees and a larger number of volunteers. In actual fact, especially for complex jobs (like IT contractors), contractors can find a number of third sector opportunities worth investigating – with the added bonus that you know you’re having a positive effect on the world.

What Should You Know About Third Sector Freelancing

First things first – the way charities operate, financially, is getting closer and closer to commercial companies, which will make things fairly familiar if you’ve already worked as a contractor. While it’s not uncommon for even large businesses to use contractors individually, you’re likely to represent a higher proportion of the workforce when working with charities – the budget isn’t there for a large team of freelancers. This means you may deal with a wider range of tasks than you usually would. Whether that’s a positive or a negative for you is probably one of the best ways to tell whether or not you’ll want to do third sector work. Because of the way these organisations are funded, big projects of the kind contractors are often brought in for tend to be paid for all at once, with a grant earmarked for a specific purpose. This means contractors are often brought in for the duration of a project, which means you’ll get to see it through from the beginning to completion. This makes it much easier to see the impact your work has had – and it can make it easier, NDAs permitting, to showcase what you’ve done when looking for roles in future.

Negotiating Pay

As the cost of living continues to climb, of course, it’s worth remembering that third sector contracts often can’t match the pay levels of commercial businesses, and many of these organisations have to rely on other connections. Perhaps it’s a charity aligned with your own causes, or a local community project in your area – a chance to give something back. However, it’s also a great way to expand your skillset. As mentioned above, you may be brought in for what you do best but you’ll find yourself tackling a wider set of challenges as you go. That gives you the chance to master other skills – which can lead to bigger contracts down the line, especially if you take commercial contracts as well as third sector ones. A career which blends the two can be successful and highly effective. If you want accounting support on your contracting journey, especially if working as a limited company or in an umbrella solution, get in touch today – we’ll be happy to help.