What Charity Leaders Say They Need Most (Beyond Funding)
Over recent weeks, a short questionnaire was shared with charity leaders to explore what kinds of support is most needed right now — not instead of funding, but alongside it. The responses offer a helpful snapshot of the pressures leaders are navigating and the types of support that could make a meaningful difference.
A Sector Under Strain
Many leaders described a familiar landscape: community need continues to rise, while the infrastructure that once supported local organisations has thinned out. Recruitment remains difficult, and staff turnover or unsuccessful appointments can place significant strain on already stretched teams.
For smaller charities and church‑based groups, the early stages of applying for funding can feel particularly daunting. Without in‑house fundraising expertise, even getting started can be overwhelming.
What Leaders Value Most Beyond Funding
When asked what additional support would be most helpful, two themes emerged most strongly:
- Advocacy and Influence
Leaders highlighted the importance of funders using their voice and networks to open doors, champion causes, and help others understand the value of the work happening in communities. This isn’t about publicity for its own sake — it’s about visibility that leads to opportunity, partnership, and sustainability.
- Networking and Peer Connection
Leadership can be lonely. Many respondents expressed a desire for spaces to meet others who understand the pressures, to share experiences, and to feel less isolated. For Christian leaders, opportunities to pray with peers were also named as deeply valuable.
These two areas — advocacy and connection — stood out clearly across the responses.
A Nuanced Conversation About Training
Training and skills development were also mentioned, but with an important caveat. Leaders noted that while training is valuable, capacity to take it up is often limited. Some also reflected on the subtle power dynamics that can arise when training is offered by a funder: even when well‑intentioned, it can feel difficult to decline.
This highlights the need for support that is genuinely optional, empowering, and respectful of the realities leaders are navigating.
What This Means Going Forward
These insights are already shaping conversations within the Christian Funders Forum about how we can support leaders more thoughtfully — not only through grants, but through connection, encouragement, and collaboration.
There’s a growing sense that funders have a role to play in convening people, amplifying voices, and creating spaces where leaders can breathe, reflect and feel less alone. At the same time, there’s a need to approach this with humility, clarity and an awareness of the pressures charities are under.
