Reply to: Charity contracts

[Taita]

Charity didn't want to pay my rate for an urgent project using the "we are a charity" excuse, their chairwoman taking out £250k or so per year btw. Now 9 months later the project is still being advertised.

Not surprised. It is a business with senior executives who will be poached if we don't pay the going rate, staffed by well-meaning low/unpaid volunteers!

[eddie1507]

I wouldn't be keen working for a charity but remember charities are still a business at the end of the day.
If you remember the whole ALS Ice Bucket fiasco. Only about 27 % went into research, The rest probably went on Contractors and BMW's for the Directors

Not for me i didn't get the contract

[CloudWalker]

I wouldn't be keen working for a charity but remember charities are still a business at the end of the day.
If you remember the whole ALS Ice Bucket fiasco. Only about 27 % went into research, The rest probably went on Contractors and BMW's for the Directors

[MicrosoftBob]

Did a major project for a well known charity - real eye opener. Chuggers out on the streets begging for pennies are paying for senior managements BMWs. Programme director was the worst workplace bully I have ever encountered. Not nice.

Seen similar, even a director having their mortgage paid for a big house in Hampstead whilst paying most of their stafff NMW for working in London, and enforcing weird rules that sacking anyone found not to have a vegetarian diet because one of the management was an animal rights extremist

[NickNick]

I did a year stint direct at a charity a few years back and can mirror what most others have said here. Rates were low but suited me at the time for a number of reasons. But on the plus side, it was a great environment to work in and payment terms were favourable, and in actual fact invoices were usually paid within a week.

[Boney M]

Did a major project for a well known charity - real eye opener. Chuggers out on the streets begging for pennies are paying for senior managements BMWs. Programme director was the worst workplace bully I have ever encountered. Not nice.

Charity didn't want to pay my rate for an urgent project using the "we are a charity" excuse, their chairwoman taking out £250k or so per year btw. Now 9 months later the project is still being advertised.

WTS

[psychocandy]

Charity didn't want to pay my rate for an urgent project using the "we are a charity" excuse, their chairwoman taking out £250k or so per year btw. Now 9 months later the project is still being advertised.

I got that once or twice with local council gigs. My reply is that my rate pays for my charity - mine and kids holiday!

[Roger Mellie]

The level of pay in the charity sector isn't particularly appealing. Having worked in three different charities as a permanent or fixed-term employee, I still get calls/emails these days about permanent or contract work in the sector and the level of pay is often only 50%-60% of what I currently earn.

Some people who haven't worked in charities might be tempted to take a pay-cut to 'do a good deed' by working in a charity, but I certainly wouldn't do that after seeing how a few charities were run and behaved. I think I'd only consider that sector again if I was out of work and desperate.

Where's your 'compassion'? You're talking down Tony Blair's 3rd sector here.

I hear Common Purpose is a good charity gig

[MB1983]

The level of pay in the charity sector isn't particularly appealing. Having worked in three different charities as a permanent or fixed-term employee, I still get calls/emails these days about permanent or contract work in the sector and the level of pay is often only 50%-60% of what I currently earn.

Some people who haven't worked in charities might be tempted to take a pay-cut to 'do a good deed' by working in a charity, but I certainly wouldn't do that after seeing how a few charities were run and behaved. I think I'd only consider that sector again if I was out of work and desperate.

[Ticktock]

Charity didn't want to pay my rate for an urgent project using the "we are a charity" excuse, their chairwoman taking out £250k or so per year btw. Now 9 months later the project is still being advertised.

I got a slightly higher rate than normal for the area when I did it.

The business organisation side was made up of lots of ex-corporate staff who had apparently taken pay cuts to work there. That's their choice I guess, and good on them. I would have been prepared to negotiate on my rate a little but was never asked - they just accepted my initial statement.

[Eirikur]

Charity didn't want to pay my rate for an urgent project using the "we are a charity" excuse, their chairwoman taking out £250k or so per year btw. Now 9 months later the project is still being advertised.

[Gumbo Robot]

If you are going direct, make sure they're aware your rates are ex -VAT. A mistake I made, to my cost. Not all of them are registered - same could apply to any small business client I guess.

[Ticktock]

Had a good experience at a charity. No contract problems, no IR35 concerns. Same as everywhere else - a mix of competent and incompetent people. There were some contractors there who specialise in the charity sector.

To be honest, not really much different from any corporation I've contracted at.

[v8gaz]

Did a major project for a well known charity - real eye opener. Chuggers out on the streets begging for pennies are paying for senior managements BMWs. Programme director was the worst workplace bully I have ever encountered. Not nice.

[northernladuk]

Yep. Learn when to use advise and advice