Digital business cards for charities, clubs and community groups

By Online Business Cards Editorial Team | Published 2026-10-31 | Updated 2026-11-01 | By profession

Small charities and community groups often rely on a few volunteers and a pile of leaflets. A digital business card can explain who you are, how to help and how to stay in touch, and stay current as people come and go.

Small charities, sports clubs, community groups and residents' associations have a lot to say and not much time to say it. Someone stops at your stall at the summer fair or meets a volunteer at a coffee morning, and you have a minute to explain what you do, how they can help and how to stay in touch. Leaflets help, but they go out of date as soon as a contact changes or the meeting night moves.

A digital business card gives your group one link and one QR code that always shows the current details. This guide covers what to include and how to use it well.

Who this is for

small registered charities and community interest companies
sports clubs, choirs, societies and hobby groups
residents' and tenants' associations, friends-of groups and parent-teacher associations
volunteers who represent a larger charity locally

A group card or a personal card?

Decide whether the card belongs to the group or to a person.

A group card shows the organisation's details, a shared email address and general information. It keeps working when volunteers change roles, which they often do.
A personal card suits a paid coordinator or fundraiser who is the main point of contact.

For most small groups, a group card is the better start. Use a shared email address, such as one for the committee, rather than a volunteer's personal email, so messages are not lost when someone steps down.

What to include

Section | What to put there

Details | Group name, what you do in one sentence, shared email, where and when you meet

Products | Your activities, sessions or services, one per item

Gallery | Photos of events and activities, with permission

Documents | A short welcome guide, membership form or annual summary

Blog | News, upcoming events and thank-yous

Social links | The one or two accounts you actually keep up to date

If you are a registered charity, include your charity number. In England and Wales, charities with an income over £10,000 must state that they are registered on certain documents, such as fundraising materials, and showing your number also helps people check you on the public register.

Recruit volunteers

Many groups need help more than money. Make it obvious how people can get involved:

List volunteering roles with a line about what each involves and how much time it takes.
Say what happens next, such as "Come along to a Tuesday session" or "Email us and our volunteer lead will call you".
On the Business Plan, use Forms to collect volunteer interest, with a few simple questions about availability and interests.

Collect sign-ups the right way

The Subscribers feature on the Business Plan lets people sign up to hear from you. Charities and community groups must follow the same UK GDPR and electronic marketing rules as businesses:

only email people who have clearly agreed to hear from you
say what you will send and how often
make it easy to unsubscribe
keep the data safe, and only let volunteers who need it see it

Our plain-English UK GDPR checklist covers the basics. The Information Commissioner's Office also has guidance written for small charities.

Point people to donations

If you take donations, link to the donation page you already use, such as your own website or a fundraising platform. Do not ask people to enter card details anywhere else, and explain clearly what donations pay for. Simple, specific examples, such as "£10 pays for a session's equipment", are more convincing than general appeals, but only use figures that are true for your group.

Photos of people, especially children

Photos of your activities make your card feel alive, but take care:

ask permission before sharing photos where people can be recognised
for children, get permission from a parent or guardian and follow your group's safeguarding policy
avoid captions that give children's full names or locations

Where to use your card

On your stall at fairs and events, with a QR code sign: "Scan to see how you can help".
On posters and noticeboards, with your QR code and a short web address.
In your email signature and on social media profiles.
When volunteers talk about the group, so everyone shares the same up-to-date information.

Our guide to using digital business cards at events has more ideas for stalls and fairs.

Keep it current

Agree who is responsible for updating the card, and check it whenever something changes, such as a new meeting venue or committee. One out-of-date detail, such as an old meeting night, can lose you a new member.

As a mini-website for a local business

Clubs and groups are local by nature. A group card that shows when and where you meet, how to join, upcoming dates and how to get in touch works like a simple website you can share on posters, at stalls and in local Facebook groups.

Which plan you need

Brand Presence (£45, one-off) covers your details, activities, gallery, documents, blog and social links, which suits most small groups. The Business Plan (£90, one-off) adds forms, subscribers, enquiries and bookings, which help with volunteer sign-ups and mailing lists. Compare them on our plans, or see the online business card.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Check the rules that apply to your group with the relevant charity regulator.

Frequently asked questions

Can a charity use a digital business card?

Yes. A group card can explain what you do, how to volunteer or donate, and how to stay in touch, and it can be updated as volunteers and details change.

Should a club card use a volunteer's personal email?

It is better to use a shared email address for the group, so messages are not lost when a volunteer changes role or steps down.

Can we take donations through a digital business card?

Link to the donation page or fundraising platform you already use. Do not ask people to enter card details anywhere else.

Do charities need consent to email people who sign up?

Yes. Charities follow the same UK GDPR and electronic marketing rules as businesses, so only email people who have clearly agreed, and make it easy to unsubscribe.

Can a club take membership sign-ups through its card?

Yes, with forms on the Business Plan. Ask only for what you need, say how you will use the details and get separate consent for newsletters.