At Charity Fast-Track, we want to support the growth of a more accessible entrepreneurial charity sector where the charity workforce represents people of all backgrounds. We recognise that lots of charities often struggle to recruit sector-ready staff and it takes time to give new staff an in-depth grounding in the charity sector.

New to the sector

Speaking to one of our Fast-Trackers, Catrin, she described feeling out of her depth on starting her charity sector career:

“I felt like a duck out of water at times. Moving to a new sector was a bit of a culture shock”.

We know this is how lots of people feel. And understandably charities and other voluntary sector organisations often don’t have the time to spend training new staff on the fundamentals of the sector. Consequently, this limits the impact that new staff can have.

Additionally, new charity sector recruits are unlikely to have the networks they need to thrive in the sector. There are some brilliant networking opportunities out there, but many are unsuitable or too expensive for charity sector staff. This limits the field in which new recruits can work. Without the knowledge or the connections, it can be hard to make a difference. The Dame Mary Marsh report reiterates these points. In the sector, it can be hard to give future managers the support they need, and siloes can form naturally.

We were set up in 2015 to meet these problems head on. Originally called Charity Apprentice, we were acquired by the non-profit social enterprise Utopy in 2018. Over the years, we’ve trained up over 400 people new to the charity sector in the foundations of charity.

The Foundation Course

Our Foundation Course is 12 weeks of high-quality blended learning, focused on the “how of charity” and perfect to fit around the day-to-day work of your staff.

Staff cover 5 core modules, written by charity sector experts.

How Charities:

• Operate
• Make Money
• Communicate
• Drive Change
• Deliver Impact

By the end of the course, staff will have built strong networks across the sector and will be able to maximise their impact for organisations.

Catrin left with a host of examples she could draw upon in her work, a vibrant network of other Fast-Trackers and an in-depth knowledge of the sector. This is the impact we hope to have for all our Fast-Trackers.

For more information, visit the Charity Fast-Track website.

The course is only £250, and places are limited. The next course starts on 10th February 2020.

At the same time, we’re committed to offering 1 in 10 places on our Foundation Course for free to those from under-represented groups. We do this by partnering with organisations who support these groups in the sector.

If you like the sound of our vision, and would like to work more closely, or in partnership together, please do get in touch via: hello@charityfasttrack.uk.