Insights
Training
On-demand
INSIGHTS
All Topics
My Account
How HR can help charity leaders thrive
23 Sep 2025by Kellie Smith
We explore how HR can help CEOs to thrive, so they can successfully lead an organisation and work towards achieving a charity’s vision and mission
Sharelines
How HR can support charity leadersHow does HR support charity leaders?How HR helps charity leaders achieve their visionFrom organising training and development to building a positive working culture, human resources (HR) can support senior leaders to succeed in the workplace.
HR is a team of people, or sole person (depending on the size of the organisation), that is responsible for recruiting, developing, and training staff – including our leaders. The professional body for HR and people development CIPD says that “senior leaders set strategic direction and provide organisational oversight” – and that HR plays an important role in selecting and developing them.
Charity leaders operate in a complex environment, especially at present when funding is stretched. Charity HR experts HR Inspire say that it can be challenging for a Chief Executive (CEO) to manage everything that needs doing. From supporting and managing staff to “meeting the expectations of service users, donors, and regulatory bodies”.
So charity CEOs need HR professionals who can support them to manage these competing demands. Below, we explore some of the ways that HR can help charity leaders and work together to achieve the charity’s vision.
How HR can support charity leaders
Providing training and development
No matter what level of seniority you are, everyone can benefit from training and development. HR can provide specific guidance and training to senior leaders. They can also arrange mentoring and coaching opportunities.
When a leader feels comfortable with taking charge, this motivates the staff working for them. As a result, people will feel encouraged and empowered to carry out their own roles. It’s vital that HR looks at how they can effectively train and develop a charity leader.
HR should also provide training and development for all other staff. By making sure team members are skilled to do their jobs, a CEO can successfully lead the organisation.
Promoting a positive working culture
One of the remits of HR is to help create a positive working environment where people feel listened to, valued, and appreciated. This will support people to feel motivated to do good work and be productive. If a CEO has an engaged team, it will help them to lead the organisation and work towards the charity’s mission and vision.
An HR team can achieve a positive working culture by:
-
Making sure communication within the organisation is clear and regular
-
Recognising and rewarding people’s achievements
-
Providing learning and development for staff
-
Encouraging teamwork and collaboration
-
Supporting staff wellbeing
-
Asking staff for feedback and acting on it.
Helping a charity to be compliant
Compliance is an essential part of an HR team’s responsibilities. HR needs to make sure that an organisation is meeting its legal obligations, from health and safety to staff entitlements. This will prevent any legal issues and reduce any reputational risks to the organisation.
By protecting its brand, a charity can maintain the trust and support of funders, supporters and people who use its services. A CEO will be leading an organisation that people believe in and trust – making it more likely they will succeed in the role.
Providing insights about staff
A HR team has a responsibility to connect with employees – and maintain those relationships. By doing this, HR can help a CEO to understand how staff are feeling and their experiences of working for the organisation. As a result, this will help the CEO to understand how best to support staff and guide their decision making.
Without this insight, a senior leader could make decisions that staff aren’t happy about. This could cause conflict and make it more difficult for a CEO to carry out their role.
Recruiting a diverse workforce
Having a diverse workforce offers a lot of benefits for a charity. When people have different backgrounds and life experiences, it improves decision making. This is because there are different viewpoints and alternative perspectives to consider.
Diversity in the workplace is also shown to increase creativity and enhance staff engagement and retention.
Better decision making, creativity, and increased engagement will all help a CEO to successfully lead an organisation.
Building a strong relationship
For HR to successfully support a CEO, it’s important to build a collaborative working environment. HR professionals can build a strong relationship with a senior leader by showing them the value of HR. HR needs to be a part of the organisational strategy and the charity’s decision making.
If you’d like to read more about HR and charities, read the Charity Digital article on the basic principles of HR. There’s also an article about compliance and how HR teams need to make sure that charities are complying with laws, rules and regulations. You can find all articles in our Human Resources hub.
Follow-up questions for CAI
How can HR tailor training to enhance charity CEO leadership skills?What strategies can HR use to foster a positive working culture?How does HR ensure legal compliance within charity organisations?In what ways can HR provide insights to improve staff engagement?How can HR effectively recruit and support a diverse workforce?
27 Jan 2026by Charity Digital
How to close the gaps in your online fundraising journeySponsored Article
Our Events
13 May 2026Online
Masterclass: An introduction to generative AI
Charity Digital Academy
Our courses aim, in just three hours, to enhance soft skills and hard skills, boost your knowledge of finance and artificial intelligence, and supercharge your digital capabilities. Check out some of the incredible options by clicking here.
© 2022 Charity Digital Trust. All rights reserved
