Thank you to the 60 mission-driven organisations who partnered with GatenbySanderson in 2025 to deliver nearly 100 senior appointments. From complex, multi-campaign briefs to transformative leadership hires, we combined deep sector insight with agile delivery to shape the future of the Not-for-Profit sector.

Our Impact in Numbers

• • 13 CEOs – Steering vision and impact
  • 11 Board Chairs, 6 Committee Chairs, 27 Trustees – Shaping strategy and guiding organisations through volatility
  • Tech and Digital Innovators – Driving transformation through technology
  • Commercial and Fundraising Directors – Powering revenue and growth
  • Finance Leaders – Building sustainable financial futures
  • Policy and Advocacy Leaders – Influencing research and systemic change
  • Creative and Collections Leaders – Redefining cultural engagement and audience experience

Conversations that mattered in 2025

We delivered more than senior placements in 2025; we created platforms for sector leaders to influence change and accelerate impact:

• Global Development People Leaders Roundtable: Tackling shared challenges after USAID funding cuts.
• Health and Social Care CEO Digital Transformation Event: Exploring digital transformation and cybersecurity risks.
• Sector-wide CEO Dialogue, Driving Transformation: Leading bold change in uncertain times.
• Building Digital Capacity on the Board Webinar: Practical insights for tech-driven governance.
• Championing Leadership and Recognition
• Leadership in the Arts, Culture and Heritage sector : What it means to lead with courage, collaboration, and curiosity.

We proudly connected with partners at:

• Association of British Orchestras
• Museums Association Conference
• ACEVOfest
• Social Care Forum

…and celebrated excellence at the Charity Awards and Third Sector Awards, sponsoring the CEO of the Year category to spotlight transformative leadership.

2025: A Year of Change and Challenge

Key sector developments:

• Financial volatility: Funding pressures, NI increases, donor shifts, rising costs.
• Governance updates: New Charity Governance Code principle on trustee duties; revised Code of Fundraising Practice.
• Civil Society Covenant: Resetting government–civil society relationships.
• Sector Risk Assessment: Financial resilience and safeguarding public benefit as top risks.
• New Charity SORP: Revised reporting standards effective January 2026.

The pace of change is accelerating, imaginative leadership and collective action are essential to safeguard civil society’s future.

The Not-for-Profit CEO Agenda for 2026

As the sector faces accelerating change, CEOs must lead with clarity, courage, and collaboration. The year ahead demands bold strategies across four critical dimensions; People, Finance, Partnerships, and Digital, to build resilience, drive impact, and secure the future of civil society.

People Power
Leadership starts with people. In 2026, CEOs must focus on building resilient teams, closing skills gaps, and creating cultures that thrive in hybrid environments while prioritizing well-being and inclusion.

• Build leadership pipelines to counter burnout and succession risk.
• Lock in hybrid work with strong culture and tech infrastructure.
• Close skills gaps through upskilling and flexible benefits.
• Deliver measurable EDI outcomes with clear policies and actions.
• Prioritize well-being with mental health support and career growth pathways.

Financial Power
Financial resilience is non-negotiable. Leaders need sharper strategies to strengthen reserves, diversify income streams, and embed transparency for sustainable growth in an unpredictable economy.

• Strengthen reserves to weather economic uncertainty and funding volatility.
• Diversify income streams beyond grants: embrace partnerships, social enterprise, and digital fundraising.
• Drive cost efficiency through automation, shared services, and smarter procurement.
• Embed financial transparency to build donor trust and meet tightening compliance standards.
• Invest in financial capability: upskill boards and teams for data-driven decisions.

Partnership Power
Collaboration is the new currency of impact. CEOs must forge bold alliances across sectors, deepen community partnerships, and champion collective action to tackle systemic challenges at scale.

• Forge cross-sector alliances to unlock funding, innovation, and shared expertise.
• Deepen community partnerships to ensure programs reflect lived experience and local needs.
• Leverage corporate and philanthropic networks for resources and influence.
• Invest in collaborative infrastructure, shared data platforms, joint advocacy, and co-delivery models.
• Champion collective action on systemic issues like climate, equity, and digital inclusion.

Digital Power
Digital transformation is mission-critical. From AI and automation to cybersecurity and governance, leaders must accelerate tech adoption and invest in digital capability to future-proof their organisations.

• Accelerate digital transformation with integrated platforms to boost efficiency and transparency.
• Harness AI and automation for smarter decisions and personalised engagement.
• Unify data ecosystems to enable real-time insights and strengthen compliance.
• Embed cybersecurity resilience as a core operational priority.
• Govern responsibly with clear policies for AI ethics, data privacy, and security.
• Invest in digital capability, upskill teams and boards to lead confidently in a tech-driven world.

Find out more about Not-for-Profit at GatenbySaderson.