Charity IT Leaders

What Charity IT Leaders does

Charity IT Leaders (CITL) is a UK registered charity (Charity Number 1153226) operating as a professional membership body for IT, digital, and data leaders working in the charity and not-for-profit sector. Founded in 2000 and formally registered as a charity in 2012, CITL serves approximately 130 member organizations spanning the full breadth of UK charity verticals — from Cancer Research UK, NSPCC, Save the Children, and the British Red Cross through to specialist bodies such as Guide Dogs, the National Trust, and Shelter. Its core offering is a tiered membership product priced from £150+VAT (Tier One, charities under £2.5m income) through £650+VAT (Tier Two) to £995+VAT (Tier Three, charities over £25m income), with all tiers receiving identical access to the full service portfolio.

The service portfolio combines community, events, and supplier ecosystem services rather than a technology product. Members access monthly Tea & Tech Talk virtual sessions (social and deep-dive formats), the flagship three-day Annual Conference, members-only Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp channels, a Mentoring Programme, and Special Interest Groups covering BA, ITSM, Salesforce, Data, Cybersecurity, and Microsoft. Commercial revenue is layered on through the Trusted Supplier Directory (annual listings at £850-£1,000, requiring two charity referees) and tiered Sponsorship Packages (Platinum, Gold, Event) sold to technology suppliers serving the charity sector. Pay Tech Forward, a free platform connecting charities with pro bono tech support, extends the value proposition without direct monetization.

CITL operates with a small team of approximately 15 staff led by CEO Tree Hall (appointed May 2020 as the organization's first CEO), supported by a Board of Trustees chaired by Su Crighton (Partner at KPMG and former CIO of Cancer Research UK). The technology footprint is intentionally lightweight — Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and website-based content delivery — and CITL carries no proprietary AI/ML capabilities. Geographic scope is strictly United Kingdom, and the organization holds Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications alongside CPD and Memberwise memberships.

Name

Charity IT Leaders

Legal name

Charity IT Leaders

Website

https://charityitleaders.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charity IT Leaders (CITL) is a UK registered charity operating a professional membership body serving approximately 130 IT, digital, and data leaders across UK charities and not-for-profits, delivering tiered membership, events, peer communities, supplier directory, and sponsorship services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership Organization

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Professional Organizations (813920), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Professional membership association
• Charity sector networking
• Nonprofit IT community
• Peer knowledge sharing
• Supplier directory services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Tiered annual membership fees based on organizational income: Tier One (£150 + VAT for income < £2.5m), Tier Two (£650 + VAT for income £2.5m-£25m), Tier Three (£995 + VAT for income > £25m). All tiers receive identical access to events, resources, and networking.
2. Trusted Supplier Directory: Annual listing fee for suppliers in the Trusted Supplier Directory. Standard rate is £1,000 per year, with introductory discounted rate of £850 for first-year listings. Suppliers must be endorsed by at least two charity or NFP clients.
3. Sponsorship Packages: Range of sponsorship packages including Platinum, Gold, and Event sponsorships. Packages include networking opportunities, brand alignment with trusted sector voice, social media engagement, and advertising in the Trusted Supplier Bulletin. Bespoke partnership options also available.
4. Pay Tech Forward: Free service connecting charities with pro bono and low bono tech support from suppliers. While the core service is free, it facilitates relationships that may lead to commercial engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Charity IT Leaders (CITL) is a UK professional membership organization for IT, digital, and data leaders in the charity and not-for-profit sector, offering tiered annual membership (from £150+VAT to £995+VAT depending on organizational income) that grants access to a peer community, the flagship three-day annual conference, monthly Tea & Tech Talk virtual sessions, mentoring programmes, special interest groups, and an online Knowledge Hub. Additional offerings include a Trusted Supplier Directory listing service for vetted technology vendors and the Pay Tech Forward platform connecting charities with pro bono and low bono tech support.

Product overview

Charity IT Leaders (CITL) is a membership organization for charity and not-for-profit IT professionals, offering a unified portfolio of services rather than a traditional software product. The core offering includes tiered membership (Tier One £150, Tier Two £650, Tier Three £995 +VAT) providing access to: the Annual Conference (three-day flagship event), Tea & Tech Talk virtual sessions (monthly socials and deep dives), online communities via Teams and WhatsApp, a Mentoring Programme, and Special Interest Groups (BA, ITSM, Salesforce, Data, Cybersecurity, Microsoft). Supporting services include the Trusted Supplier Directory (searchable listings vetted by charity referees), Pay Tech Forward platform (pro bono/low bono tech support matching), and a Knowledge Hub (podcasts, blogs, whitepapers, templates). Sponsorship packages provide supplier engagement pathways. All services are designed for charity and NFP technology leaders seeking networking, knowledge sharing, and professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Services Tiered annual membership for UK charities and not-for-profit organisations providing access to networking, events, resources, and online communities. Tier One (£150+VAT) for organisations with annual income under £2.5m, Tier Two (£650+VAT) for £2.5m–£25m income, Tier Three (£995+VAT) for over £25m income. All tiers receive identical access to events, resources, and networking.
• Annual Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• Members report approximately £20,000 of benefit per organization for less than £1,000 annual investment when fully utilizing membership resources
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers32 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• London Tech WeekflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Official partner of London Tech Week 2026. CITL offers CHARITYITLEADERS15 discount code for charities to access the event featuring 30,000+ attendees, 250+ exhibitors, and 400+ speakers. First year of partnership bringing technology innovation content to charity sector.
• The Network CollectivecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-term sponsor offering vendor-independent network and telecoms consultancy to charity sector. Supports CITL annual conference and events, enabling engagement with senior IT leaders in major charities and developing client relationships.
• SmartdesccoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor and IT service provider exclusively focused on not-for-profit organizations. Delivers bespoke IT services including strategy, cybersecurity, helpdesk support, and project management. Has run webinars and in-person events with CITL.
• Cygnet DigitalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor and flexible digital agency working directly with clients. Supports CITL community through sponsorship enabling networking and relationship-building activities.
• WanstorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor providing award-winning IT solutions to not-for-profit sector for nearly 20 years. Deep understanding of sector challenges and commitment to long-standing customer relationships.
• Cloud DirectmajorTechnology or IntegrationGold sponsor and Microsoft partner offering Azure innovation workshops, cloud operations workshops, and security workshops to charity sector. Provides pro bono offerings through Pay Tech Forward program.
• Radiate HiringcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUndefined sponsor providing recruitment and talent consultancy for leadership, tech and digital roles across charity sector. Shaped by hands-on experience in charity leadership and recruitment.
• Hidden DisabilitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCITL is a member of Hidden Disabilities organization and supports the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower initiative, promoting inclusivity for people with non-visible disabilities at events.
• CPD Certification ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPD accreditation provider recognizing CITL's commitment to professional development standards for members and staff.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CFG (Charity Finance Group): Membership body for finance leaders in UK charities. Same vertical and similar membership-and-events model, serving a different functional discipline within the same charity buyer base.
• BIMA (British Interactive Media Association): UK membership body for the digital industry, including digital leaders, agencies, and tech providers. Comparable community-led operating model and audience overlap (digital leaders), though broader than charity-specific.
• Digital Leaders: UK-based community of senior digital and technology leaders across sectors. Comparable community/networking proposition for digital leaders, though not charity-specialized.
• CharityComms: Professional membership network for communications and marketing leaders in UK charities. Directly comparable vertical (UK charity sector) and similar membership-and-events business model, but for comms rather than IT/digital.
• Socitm: UK membership body for IT and digital leaders, focused on local government rather than charities. Closest comparable operating model: subscription tiers, events, advisory, and a community of practice for public-purpose technology leaders.
• Acevo: UK membership association for charity and voluntary sector chief executives and senior leaders. Comparable membership body operating in the same vertical, but for executive leaders rather than technology leaders.
• Institute of Fundraising: Professional membership body for fundraisers in the UK charity sector. Comparable vertical and operating model (tiered membership, events, professional development) but serving fundraising rather than IT leaders.

Broad incumbents

• techUK: Major UK technology trade association representing hundreds of tech companies. Adjacent membership-driven model serving the broader tech ecosystem, with overlapping supplier relationships but no charity specialization.
• BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT: Much larger UK professional body for IT practitioners across all sectors. Overlapping membership-and-events proposition at significant scale and not specialized in the charity niche — also listed as a CITL member organization.

Others

• Memberwise: UK body that supports best practice across membership organizations and awarded CITL its Memberwise Certified Member recognition. Ecosystem/enabler rather than direct competitor — supplies benchmarking, training, and tooling to the membership sector CITL operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charity-it-leaders

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charity IT Leaders