HR Basics for Charities: What You Need to Know
Managing human resources in a charity is different from HR in traditional businesses. With a mix of employees, volunteers, part-time staff, and fund-dependent roles, charities must navigate compliance, recruitment, and workforce management while keeping costs low.
Many non-profits lack a dedicated HR department, relying on trustees, managers, or outsourced HR support. However, HR responsibilities remain essential to ensure legal compliance, fair treatment of staff, and smooth day-to-day operations.
This guide covers HR basics for charities, including key HR responsibilities, common challenges, and how to simplify HR with the right tools.
Helpful Summary
Overview: This article explains the HR basics for charities, covering compliance, recruitment, workforce management, and volunteer coordination.
Why Trust Us: We specialise in HR software for charities, helping non-profits manage HR efficiently and cost-effectively.
Why It Matters: Proper HR management reduces risk, ensures compliance, and improves workforce efficiency, allowing charities to focus on their mission.
Action Points: Charities should adopt HR solutions that automate admin tasks, support compliance, and help manage both employees and volunteers.
Further Research: Explore Evalu-8 HR, a comprehensive HR solution designed for UK charities and non-profits.
Understanding HR in Charities
Why HR is Essential for Non-Profits
Even though charities operate differently from businesses, they still need strong HR processes to:
- Ensure legal compliance with employment law
- Manage recruitment and onboarding for staff and volunteers
- Track employee and volunteer records
- Handle payroll, benefits, and leave management
- Create a positive workplace culture
Ignoring HR can lead to legal risks, high staff turnover, and operational inefficiencies, which can ultimately impact the charity’s ability to deliver its mission.
How Charities Typically Handle HR
Charities approach HR in different ways depending on their size and funding:
- Larger charities often have dedicated HR teams to oversee workforce management.
- Smaller non-profits may assign HR tasks to managers or trustees, which can be overwhelming.
- Some charities outsource HR tasks to HR professionals or payroll providers.
- Others use HR software to automate HR processes and reduce admin time.
Regardless of the approach, every charity needs a structured way to manage HR responsibilities.
Key HR Responsibilities for Charities
Recruitment and Onboarding
Finding the right staff and volunteers is crucial for a charity’s success. HR processes should include:
- Job descriptions that reflect the organisation’s values
- Fair and transparent hiring practices
- Volunteer recruitment and role allocation
- A structured onboarding process to ensure new team members understand policies
Compliance and Legal Requirements
Charities must comply with UK employment laws, including:
- Right-to-work checks for staff and volunteers
- GDPR compliance when handling personal data
- Health & safety regulations to protect employees and volunteers
Failure to comply can result in legal penalties, so proper record-keeping and compliance tracking are essential.
Volunteer Management
Unlike businesses, charities depend heavily on volunteers. Managing volunteers effectively involves:
- Keeping track of volunteer hours and roles
- Ensuring safeguarding and DBS checks are completed
- Providing training and development opportunities
Payroll and Leave Management
Even if a charity relies on volunteers, many still have paid employees who require:
- Payroll processing with tax and pension contributions
- Holiday and sick leave tracking
- Expense reimbursement and benefits management
Without an efficient HR system, payroll errors and leave mismanagement can become a major issue.
Performance Management and Training
HR should also support staff development and retention by:
- Providing training for both employees and volunteers
- Setting clear performance expectations
- Offering regular feedback and appraisals
Strong performance management helps charities retain talent and improve team morale.
How HR Software Can Help Charities
Many charities struggle with HR tasks due to limited resources. Instead of managing HR manually, HR software can automate essential processes, helping non-profits stay compliant, save time, and reduce admin workload.
HR software for charities can:
- Automate leave and payroll tracking
- Manage employee and volunteer records in one system
- Ensure compliance with GDPR, right-to-work, and health & safety laws
- Streamline recruitment and onboarding
Why Evalu-8 HR is the Best Solution for Charities
Unlike corporate HR platforms, Evalu-8 HR is designed specifically for UK charities, offering:
- Automated HR processes to reduce admin work
- Built-in compliance tracking for right-to-work, GDPR, and health & safety
- Affordable charity pricing with cost-effective plans
- Volunteer and staff management in a single system
Instead of struggling with spreadsheets or costly HR consultants, charities can simplify HR management with Evalu-8 HR.
HR Doesn’t Have to Be a Challenge for Charities
Managing HR effectively is crucial for charities and non-profits of all sizes, ensuring legal compliance, efficient workforce management, and smooth operations.
Whether you’re a large charity with a dedicated HR team or a smaller non-profit looking to streamline processes, Evalu-8 HR provides the tools to manage HR effortlessly. With automation, compliance tracking, and volunteer management features, Evalu-8 HR adapts to the needs of any organisation—helping charities focus on making a difference, not managing paperwork.
Common Questions About HR in Charities
Not always. Larger charities usually have HR teams, but smaller charities often rely on managers, trustees, or HR software to handle HR tasks.
Common HR challenges for charities include budget constraints, compliance risks, managing volunteers, and handling recruitment efficiently.
For small to mid-sized charities, HR software can handle key tasks like compliance tracking, leave management, and volunteer tracking, reducing the need for a full HR department.
Evalu-8 HR is the best choice for UK charities, offering cost-effective, all-in-one HR management without needing third-party add-ons.
Many charities use HR software instead of hiring HR staff. Evalu-8 HR offers charity-friendly pricing, making HR management affordable for non-profits.
