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Finding purpose in your work can transform the way you approach business. At Few and Far, we chose to focus solely on the nonprofit sector, using our skills in design, development, and marketing to help charities amplify their impact. This piece explores why carving out a niche in the third sector can be both challenging and deeply rewarding, and how it shapes the work, culture, and mindset of a purpose-driven agency.
Starting with purpose, not profit
When you start a business, most advice is about scale, profit, or finding the “biggest possible market.” For us, it was the opposite. We chose to focus on the third sector, a space often overlooked by agencies, but one where the work genuinely changes lives.
Few and Far was built on the belief that our skills in design, development, and strategy could support charities, raise awareness, and help organisations making the world a better place.
From the outset, we wanted every project to have a measurable positive impact rather than just revenue growth. This focus shapes how we approach every brief, every design, and every campaign.
From volunteering to vocation
Volunteering is many people’s entry point into the third sector. Helping out with digital and design projects for local causes revealed how much potential even small charities had if given the right tools and expertise. Those early experiences showed us the gaps: nonprofits often have incredible missions but lack the resources, technical knowledge, or digital capacity to fully communicate their impact or grow their support base.
Recognising these gaps became a catalyst for creating Few and Far. Volunteering demonstrated that good design and technology could level the playing field, helping smaller charities tell their story and achieve their goals. By turning what was a side project into a vocation, we found a way to use our skills strategically to benefit the third sector while building a sustainable agency with a clear purpose.
Why we chose to work only with charities
Focusing exclusively on the third sector brings both challenges and rewards. Budget constraints, limited staff, and ambitious project goals mean we have to be creative and resourceful in ways we wouldn’t necessarily have to in commercial projects. These challenges push us to think outside the box and find smart solutions. Every project is a puzzle: how do we make the most difference with the resources available?
The rewards, however, are profound. Working solely with charities allows us to see the direct impact of our work on communities and individuals. Every website we build, every platform we develop, and every campaign we launch connects to real-world change. That immediacy, the ability to see tangible results, is deeply satisfying and keeps our team focused on delivering work that matters.
The role of marketing in doing good
Marketing often gets a bad reputation for being manipulative or profit-driven. But in the nonprofit world, marketing is storytelling with purpose. It’s how you connect people to causes, inspire donations, and build communities of support. Working solely with charities means strategies need to be more transparent, empathetic, and sustainable.
It’s not about flashy campaigns, but about finding authentic ways to connect people with the work that matters most. Every campaign must communicate the mission clearly while respecting the audience’s intelligence and values. We’ve found that this approach often results in stronger engagement, higher donation rates, and lasting relationships with supporters. Marketing becomes a tool for social good, not just a business metric.
Becoming a B Corp: making it official
Becoming a B Corp allowed us to formalise our commitment to social responsibility and sustainability. It’s a framework that measures impact across our team, clients, and the environment, ensuring we operate in a way that aligns with our values. For a charity-focused agency, this is particularly relevant: our clients are mission-driven and want to partner with organisations that share their ethical standards and care about social outcomes.
The B Corp framework also provides clarity and accountability. Decisions are evaluated not only on profitability but also on their effect on people and the planet. This mindset aligns with the long-term thinking charities require: working with partners who prioritise integrity and positive impact ensures our collaborations are productive and values-aligned
Sharing knowledge freely
One of our guiding principles is that knowledge should be accessible. Through our Charity Hub we provide guides, templates, and tools free of charge so even small organisations with limited budgets can benefit. There are no paywalls, no hidden fees, just practical advice designed to make a tangible difference.
This open approach has two major benefits. First, it empowers charities to take action independently, giving them confidence to improve websites, campaigns, and digital strategies. Second, it fosters trust and collaboration across the sector: we are not competing with charities; we are enabling them. By reducing barriers to information, we strengthen the sector as a whole, helping more organisations achieve their mission.
Building community and mindset in the sector
Working in the third sector is as much about relationships as it is about outputs. Collaborating with mission-driven organisations that share our values makes projects not only more successful but also more fulfilling. When our expertise aligns with a charity’s goals, the work takes on a deeper meaning: we can see how it directly contributes to positive social outcomes, which is energising in a way that purely commercial projects often aren’t.
We prioritise long-term partnerships over short-term wins, investing in communities of clients, staff, and partners where everyone feels valued and supported. By working with collaborators who are open, mission-aligned, and willing to experiment, we build relationships that create lasting impact well beyond a single project.
The personal side: parenting and purpose
As founders, we’ve each carried personal experiences that shaped this direction. Colin’s journey with mental health led him to create digital tools that prioritise accessibility, connection, and kindness. Thomas’ background in building mission-critical systems made him see how robust technology can transform services and how charities deserve the same level of technical excellence as large corporations.
Being parents also shapes the mission and how we think about the future. It’s not just about the work we do today, but the world we want to leave behind for the next generation. This perspective informs how we approach projects: accessibility, ethical marketing, and sustainability are not optional; they are part of our responsibility to future citizens.
Parenting also reinforces the importance of balance and wellbeing. Running an agency that supports charities means long hours and complex projects, but maintaining a sustainable, human-centered work culture ensures we can continue delivering high-quality, impactful work without burning out. Our personal values and family perspective naturally flow into the culture of Few and Far and the services we provide.
Using our skills to create lasting impact
Focusing on nonprofits allows us to connect our professional expertise directly to social change. The projects we take on, from websites to interactive campaigns, create measurable improvements for the charities we serve. Our tools, like the Impact Optimiser, provide charities with actionable insights to improve their digital presence, increase donations, and better engage supporters.
Choosing a nonprofit niche has allowed us to build a sustainable, purpose-driven agency while contributing meaningfully to society. It’s challenging, sometimes complex work, but the payoff is rewarding: seeing ideas come to life that genuinely help people, communities, and causes. By using your skills for social good, you can make a real difference and build a business and culture that aligns with your values.
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This content is brought to you by Meghna Desharj
Photo provided by the author
