Who sells to charities and community groups?
Charities and community organisations buy almost everything other organisations do: cleaning, insurance, printing, software, repairs, energy, catering, signage and professional advice. Alongside that, they spend money raised from donors, members, hirers, fees and funders, and that shapes how they buy. Spending is meant to serve the cause, so people tend to ask whether a purchase is needed and whether the price is fair before they ask whether it is exciting.
The sellers are as varied as the buyers. Local firms offer cleaning, maintenance and bookkeeping and payroll services. Software companies sell donor databases, booking systems and membership tools. Insurers, energy suppliers and printers all look for the same organisations. Fundraising and digital agencies work with the larger charities that have staff for it.
However you sell, the first job is to learn what kind of body you are speaking to, because a trust with a paid finance team and a hall with a volunteer treasurer need different conversations. Be plain about price, respectful of time, and willing to be told no.
Why are charities hard to sell to?
The first difficulty is that the person who answers the phone is often not the person who decides. In a small charity, a village hall or a church, the work is done by volunteers who give a few hours a week and may be reachable on only one or two days. A message that lands on the wrong day can wait a long while.
The second is that decisions are often shared. A trustee board, a parochial church council or a management committee may need to agree to anything over a certain amount, and many keep a written policy on getting quotes. You are not just persuading one person; you are giving them something they can take to a meeting and defend.
Funding can limit what an organisation is able to buy. Restricted funds must be used for their stated purpose, and other money may already be committed. Ask which budget would cover the service and when it is reviewed. That helps both sides decide whether a proposal is useful now or at a later date.
Staff propose, trustees oversee
- You approach the right team
- Operations or finance lead
- Quotes and policy check
- Approval within delegated limits
Trustees usually set the limits; staff make most of the day-to-day purchasing decisions.
A few people decide together
- You approach a trustee or director
- Treasurer checks the budget
- Board or committee agrees
- Order placed
Often meets monthly or less, so allow time for the next meeting.
A committee of volunteers
- You contact the secretary or warden
- Treasurer and committee
- Quote compared in writing
- Permission if the building is protected
Work on a church building may need formal permission first, so ask before promising a date.
How is the charity and community sector put together?
At one end are the large national charities, which have paid chief executives, finance directors, operations teams and sometimes a procurement function. At the other are small local charities, community groups, village halls and congregations run by volunteers. In between sit regional charities and social enterprises, which may have a few staff and a board of trustees or directors.
A registered charity is regulated: the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland each keep a public register. A community interest company, or CIC, is a company set up for community benefit, with an asset lock, and is overseen by a separate regulator. An unregistered group, such as a local club or voluntary society, may be neither. Some religious bodies are excepted from registering, so not every charity appears on a register.
Support bodies sit around all of this. NCVO serves charities and voluntary organisations in England, the Charity Finance Group works on charity finance, ACEVO represents chief executives and leaders, and ACRE supports rural communities and their village halls. Fundraising is covered by the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice. You do not need to join any of them to sell to the sector, but it helps to know how its people talk.
Charitable status and legal form are separate questions. A charity can be an incorporated body, a trust or an unincorporated association. A CIC is a company and is not a charity. A sole trader is not a charitable legal structure. Check the actual entity and its marketing rules before using a business contact list.
Counts as a corporate subscriber
You can send a relevant business email without asking first, as long as you say who you are and give an easy way to opt out.
Counts as an individual
A cold marketing email needs their consent first. Partnerships in Scotland are the exception: they count as corporate subscribers.
What legal forms do charities and community groups use?
The book includes incorporated charities and other community organisations, alongside records for trusts and unincorporated groups where held. Many are limited companies, such as charities limited by guarantee and community interest companies, and the record shows their directors and registered address. Others are trusts, charitable incorporated organisations or unincorporated associations, which may not sit on the company register in the same way.
A sole trader is not a charitable legal structure. A charitable company has company directors, while a charitable incorporated organisation has trustees and appears on its charity regulator’s register rather than Companies House. An unincorporated group has different arrangements again. Use the organisation’s own information and relevant register to check who is responsible for the service and spending.
Choose records by the organisation you can serve, its location and the information available. A large service contract may need a staffed finance team; a hall maintenance job may be decided by volunteers. No business list is a complete census of charities and informal groups, so check coverage and legal structure before using it.
What happens if you sell to charities the wrong way?
A quote can wait unnecessarily if it does not reach the person preparing papers for the committee or board. Ask about approval limits, meeting dates and the information needed to compare suppliers. Include the scope, price, cancellation terms and any costs that fall outside the quoted work.
For a hall, cleaning and room set-up affect the time between bookings. Ask how those jobs are covered, including volunteer availability and any contingency for absences. If there is a difficulty, let the organiser explain the effect on bookings and workload before suggesting a paid service.
Pressing for a quick decision
Boards and committees meet on their own timetable. Deadlines and countdown offers feel wrong to a trustee spending donor money.
Writing to the wrong body
A parish church, a charity trust and a hall management committee are different organisations. Check who runs the building and who pays for it.
Overlooking the legal form
Check what the record says before you email, because a charity can be a company, a trust or an unincorporated group.
Who decides what a charity buys?
It depends on the size of the organisation and on what you sell. In a larger charity, a purchase is usually made by staff within limits set by the trustees. In a small one, the trustees, or the committee that acts for them, make the decision and an unpaid volunteer may carry it out.
Company records in the UK book list directors and their roles, and charities that are companies appear the same way. Many charities, halls and congregations are not companies, so there may be no director to name. In that case ask who looks after the area you serve, and be ready to speak to whoever turns out to be the volunteer.
Chief executive
- What they care about
- Delivering the mission, staying within budget and keeping trustees and funders confident.
- Open with
- A short, specific benefit to the work, with a cost they can see.
Finance director or finance manager
- What they care about
- Value for money, restricted funds, audit trail and approved suppliers.
- Open with
- Clear pricing, terms and what the invoice will show.
Operations or office manager
- What they care about
- Keeping the place running: the building, supplies, IT and contractors.
- Open with
- A problem you can fix for the team, rather than a catalogue.
Trustee, director or treasurer
- What they care about
- The organisation’s budget, funding conditions and the reasons for a purchase. Trustees oversee charities; directors oversee a CIC.
- Open with
- A short written quote they can take to the next meeting.
Hall committee or place-of-worship administrator
- What they care about
- Keeping the building safe, open and affordable, usually with a few volunteers.
- Open with
- Plain pricing and what is included, with no pressure to commit on the call.
How do you find charities and community groups in the UK?
Start with the sector, then narrow by place. In the UK book, choose Charities & Community, which holds charities, community interest companies, social enterprises, clubs and voluntary groups. Within it you can narrow to Churches & Places of Worship, or Community Centres & Village Halls. Add the area you cover.
Filter for the contact details available and check who runs the organisation. Company directors can help identify an incorporated body; a volunteer contact may be more relevant for a hall. Use register changes to update research. Searching is free on every plan before you decide which contacts to reveal.
If you only sell to one kind of body, SIC codes can help. Organisations register under several: 94910 for activities of religious organisations, 94990 for other membership organisations, and 88990 for other social work activities without accommodation. Many charities register under the code for what they do, and some groups have no code at all, so search by sector first. Records without a SIC code still carry a plain-English sector.
Choose Charities & Community and your area. Searching is free on every plan.
What should you say to a charity?
Describe the service and ask who arranges it. For a hall, that might be the booking secretary or a committee member. Give them enough information to decide whether a written quote would help, and ask about the approval process. Keep the enquiry easy to pass to the appropriate person.
Be clear about price, scope and any conditions on a community or charity rate. Ask when the organisation reviews the service and whether funding is available for it. Agree an appropriate follow-up date if they want one, allowing for volunteer hours, committee meetings and existing contracts.
If the organiser says room changes depend on the same few volunteers, ask when cover becomes difficult and what happens to bookings. Explore how much time it takes and whether activities are affected. Then ask what dependable cover would need to achieve within the available budget before proposing a service.
A job off a volunteer's list
Ask who looks after a recurring chore, such as cleaning or the booking diary, and offer to take it on.
A cost they can plan for
Offer a fixed, written price a treasurer can put in front of the committee.
The next service review
Ask when the contract or routine is reviewed and who prepares the committee’s information. Agree a follow-up only if it would be useful.
Hello Hanna,
We provide cleaning and room set-up for community halls.
Who arranges that work for Wren Hollow’s bookings, and how is it planned?
If you are reviewing the service, I can send a written quote showing the work included, frequency and monthly cost for the committee to consider.
Sam
Large charity, local charity or volunteer-run hall: what changes?
The same service needs a different approach depending on who you are speaking to. This is how the three kinds of buyer usually differ. Every organisation is different, so treat it as a starting point and ask.
| Large charity | Local charity | Hall or church | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who decides | Paid staff, within limits set by trustees | Trustees or directors, often with one lead | A committee, church council or warden |
| Who you may reach | A named manager or team | A director, trustee or small office | A volunteer, on certain days |
| How they buy | Quotes, a written policy and approved suppliers | Often a few quotes and board approval | Usually a simple written quote the committee can compare |
| How long it can take | Can be slow, with several steps | Tied to the next board meeting | Tied to the next committee meeting |
| What they will ask for | Terms, insurance details and references | Price, what is included and proof you are reliable | A clear price and no pressure |
| Best first contact | The operations or finance lead | A trustee, director or treasurer | The secretary, warden or booking contact |
Before you approach any charity
- A clear, honest price and what is included, in writing
- Any charity or community rate you offer, stated plainly with its conditions
- Evidence that you are insured and reliable, ready to send if asked
- References from other halls, charities or community groups
- Plain terms: how to cancel and what happens if something goes wrong
- A short summary a treasurer can take to a committee
- Willingness to wait for the next meeting without chasing
- A courteous way to step back if the answer is no
Questions people ask about selling to charities and community organisations
Is there a database of charities and community groups in the UK?
Yes. The UK book holds charities, community interest companies, social enterprises, clubs and voluntary groups in one sector, with churches and halls as sub-sectors. Search it free by area and by what we hold, and reveal only the contacts you want.
Who makes buying decisions in a charity?
In a larger charity, paid staff such as the operations or finance lead usually buy within limits set by the trustees. In a small one, the trustees or a committee decide. Ask who looks after the area you serve and how they choose suppliers.
What is the difference between a charity and a CIC?
A registered charity is regulated by a charity regulator, such as the Charity Commission for England and Wales. A community interest company is a company with an asset lock, set up for community benefit and overseen by the CIC regulator. Some groups are neither, and some are both a company and a charity.
How do I sell to a village hall or community centre?
Most are run by a volunteer management committee, so allow for meeting dates and limited hours. Contact the booking secretary or chair, give a clear written price and offer to wait for the next meeting. Councils or other bodies sometimes hold the building, so ask who is responsible.
How do I sell to churches and other places of worship?
Contact the secretary, warden or treasurer, and keep the message short and respectful of the faith and the volunteers. In the Church of England, a parochial church council usually looks after finances and the building, and alterations may need permission, so ask before you promise work.
Do charities get discounts, and should I offer one?
Some suppliers offer a charity rate, and some charities will ask. It is your decision. If you offer one, state exactly what it is and who it applies to. Never imply a charity must accept it, and never offer a rate you cannot sustain.
Are charities and community groups sole traders?
Sole trader is not a charitable legal structure. Charities can be companies, incorporated organisations, trusts or unincorporated associations. Some community businesses operate as individuals, but charitable status should not be assumed. Check the entity and the legal form held on its record before choosing a marketing channel.
Can I email charities without consent?
Check the legal structure, not just charity status. Incorporated bodies can generally receive marketing email without PECR consent, with identification and an opt-out. Trusts and unincorporated groups need separate assessment; treat uncertain contacts as individual subscribers. UK GDPR also applies when you use personal data.
Why do charities ask for several quotes?
Trustees are responsible for how the charity's money is spent, and many keep a written policy that asks for more than one price above a set amount. A clear written quote makes their comparison simpler, and a straight answer helps your case.
Will a charity buy if it has no budget this year?
Not usually. Money given for a stated purpose can generally be spent only on that, and many small groups plan spending a year ahead. Ask when budgets are set and offer to come back then, rather than pressing for an answer now.
Can I search by SIC code?
Yes. Records carry the SIC 2007 codes from the register and a plain-English sector for businesses without one, so you can search by either. Many charities and community groups have no code that describes them, so start with the sector.
Do I pay to search?
No. Search and filters are free on every plan. Your allowance is only used when you reveal a new contact, and one you've already revealed never counts again.
Sources for this guide
- Charity Commission: legal structures
- Charity Commission: the essential trustee
- ACRE: rural communities and village halls
For marketing rules, see the ICO’s business-to-business marketing guidance. Sector codes can be checked in the Companies House SIC list.