Back to News

How the Charity Sector Has Evolved in the last 60 years

19 August 2026

The charity sector has changed considerably since WRS began in 1966.

Over the past 60 years, charities have adapted to new ways of fundraising, communicating and delivering their work. Organisations have expanded their reach, embraced new technology and found new ways to connect with supporters.

From larger fundraising operations and national campaigns to online fundraising, social media and digital campaigning, the way charities work today would have looked very different when WRS first began.

A sector of all shapes and sizes

Today, the charity sector in England and Wales is both large and diverse.

There are more than 171,000 registered charities, supported by more than 921,000 trustees and 6.5 million volunteers. These range from small local organisations supporting their communities to large charities with national and international reach.

Despite the visibility of some of the UK’s biggest charities, most organisations are relatively small. 95% of charities have an annual income of less than £1 million, highlighting just how varied the sector is.

This diversity is important. A small community charity, a charity providing services to vulnerable people and a large organisation operating across multiple locations can all have very different day-to-day activities and risks.

New opportunities, new challenges

The way charities operate has changed, and so have the risks they need to consider.

Digital communication and online fundraising have created valuable new opportunities for charities to reach supporters and raise awareness. At the same time, organisations need to consider how changes to their activities, premises, people and technology could affect the risks they face.

For charities, protecting the work they do means understanding those risks and having appropriate arrangements in place to help them continue their work when things don’t go to plan.

Supporting a changing sector

At WRS, we’ve been providing Charity Insurance for more than 40 years. During that time, we’ve seen first-hand how much the sector has evolved.

While the way charities operate may have changed significantly, their purpose remains the same. Whether they’re a small local organisation or a large national charity, they exist to make a difference to the people and communities they support.

But whether large or small, charities have something in common:

They exist to make a difference.

And that’s something worth protecting.

    About WRS

    At WRS Insurance Brokers, we are specialists in Charity Insurance. As a business with a strong social conscience, we’re passionate about supporting the work of organisations that make a difference. 

    WRS is proudly part of the Benefact Group, a diverse international group of financial services businesses that exist to give our profits to good causes.

    Sources