CharityComms

@charitycomms.bsky.social

1778 Followers 922 Following

CharityComms is the membership network for communications professionals working in and with UK charities. Find out more about us and our membership at www.charitycomms.org.uk

Diagram showing three concentric circles labeled control, influence, and concern with related comms factors in each layer. The control circle includes: How you communicate, workload prioritisation, accessibility in your comms, content and team support. The influence circle includes: Project scope, tone and messaging, internal understanding of comms, stakeholder buy-in, brand consistency, cross-team collaboration. The circle of concerns includes: Algorithm changes, viral trends, the news cycle, budget limitations, audience' reactions and opinions, external noise and campaign reach. *Adapted from Stephen R. Covey's Circle of Control, Influence and Concern model.
Black text on a white background reads: What resource do you find yourself returning to time and time again? Share in the comments.
Light green background with text that reads: 3. Track your performance with a free template from the social team at Cancer Research UK. How could you use performance data to demonstrate the impact of your work?
Light blue background with text that reads: 2. Improve the accessibility of your content with guidance from Accessible Social. How could you make your social media content more accessible?
Pink background with text that reads: 1. Stay up to date and inspired with HeyOrca’s TikTok and Reels trends library. What trending audio, formats or creative ideas could you use?
3 evergreen resources for social media professionals, with CharityComms Social Media Matters logo.
Quote from Matt Chittock, freelance copywriter, on connecting with others: People who work in your particular niche are worth their weight in gold. They're willing to listen to your war stories about difficult clients and impossible deadlines. And then they'll make you feel less alone by sharing some of their own, often alongside useful advice.
Quote from Adeela Warley for Third Sector, reads: Social media is a borrowed space. If young people lose online communities, we have a moral obligation to ensure they aren't left with a social void. Image of Adeela on the right hand side.
Green banners and light green circles host text that reads: A job board build for charity communicators...salary transparency, only comms relevant jobs, no necessary qualifications...because meaningful work deserves a fair, honest search. We Show the Salary and CharityComms logos at the bottom with a #MembershipMonday hashtag.
Blue microphone on dark background with text inviting sponsors to the CharityComms AI Conference: Leading Strategy, Building Skills on 26 November 2026. Text reads: For sponsors, it’s your chance to: Engage charity leaders and comms decision-makers. Align your brand with trusted, credible learning. Demonstrate your expertise to an engaged audience. Build visibility and relationships that matter.
Purple banner highlights a social media monthly stats spreadsheet by Athar Abidi and the social media team at Cancer Research UK. A pink speech bubble includes a white spreadsheet icon. A sticker reads 'Free resource'.
White card on green background reads 'Supporting your social media team means...' from the CharityComms network via our Knowledge Hub with CharityComms Social Media Matters logo.
On a purple background, white text reads CharityComms Comms Practice Studio 23 July, 10:00 - 14:30, Online. In green and pink bubbles, text reads: Rethinking the charity newsletter. To the right is a green background with a laptop and image of people at a workshop. Purple bubble reads Group discounts available.
CharityComms Community Posts graphic featuring topic tabs including Accessibility, Google Ads, Internal comms and Content, with the text "Helpful tools, guides and insights posted by our members", alongside a green network icon connecting user profiles.
Three of the six tips for using emojis more accessibly, including: 1. Use them sparingly and avoid a long string of emojis. 2. Don’t use them as a replacement for a word. 3. Place them at the end of your sentence or caption.
On a green speech bubble, title reads: What's planet positive printing and its benefits? Excerpt: How to print without the guilt with solutions that are net positive and deliver big brand benefits. Logos include CharityComms (in black text and green speech bubble icon) and Seacourt. Planet Positive Printing (in navy text with a colourful sun icon)
On a green speech bubble, title reads: What's planet positive printing and its benefits? Excerpt: How to print without the guilt with solutions that are net positive and deliver big brand benefits. Logos include CharityComms (in black text and green speech bubble icon) and Seacourt. Planet Positive Printing (in navy text with a colourful sun icon)
What charities should be looking out for in the data: In green boxes, with black text, questions read: 1. Which search queries are bringing people to your social content? These are the questions your audience is already asking. 2. Which posts continue generating search traffic weeks or months after publication? They can often be refreshed, repurposed or expanded. CharityComms (black text with green speech bubble) and social firefly logo (grey and read with a hashtag).
On a purple background, white text reads CharityComms Comms Practice Studio, 23 July, 10:00 - 14:30, Online, #CommsPracticeStudio. In a white banner, a green banner with purple text reads meet your facilitator. In a white banner, purple text has a bio for facilitator, reads: Alex has been building non-profit online communities that drive real-world change for over a decade. At Maybe Later, she helps purpose-led organisations build effective email marketing and fundraising programmes. Underneath a headshot image of Alex, in purple banner with white writing, reads: Alex Fearon, email marketing specialist.
Split graphic depicting an iceberg. The top half, on a pink background, is labelled "What people see" and includes: social posts, campaigns, carousels, videos, engagements, paid ads, community replies and user-generated content. The lower half, on an orange background, is labelled "What people don't see" and includes: strategic planning, content planning, audience insight, accessibility checks, community moderation, keeping up with platform changes, risk management, reporting, cross-team collaboration, creative thinking, stakeholder sign-off and testing and optimisation.
Squirrel on pink background next to text that reads: Ready to climb the career ladder? Check out our jobs board to see where your skills could take you.
Three key takeaways from CharityComms #CCDigital Conference, including: 1. From broadcasting to belonging – Trust is becoming the foundation of digital engagement. As AI, private communities and changing platform behaviours reshape how people connect, meaningful conversations, authentic voices and relationships become more valuable than simply reaching bigger audiences. 2. Being found and staying relevant – Creating content that's easy to discover, answers real questions and is tailored to different audience needs helps the right people find the right message. As AI and zero-click search reshape discovery, clear and structured content is becoming increasingly important. 3. Measuring what matters – Meaningful measurement goes beyond vanity metrics. Focus on the story behind the data, the outcomes behind the numbers and the role digital plays in creating wider organisational impact.
Four steps to close your loops, including: 1. Capture it - Write it down so you don't have to keep holding it in your head. 2. Decide the next step - You don't need to finish the task, just identify the next action. 3. Schedule it - Time-block it in your calendar so it stops competing for your attention. 4. Let it go - If it's no longer important, give yourself permission to remove it from your list.
Purple banner highlights a social media monthly stats spreadsheet by Athar Abidi and the social media team at Cancer Research UK. A pink speech bubble includes a white spreadsheet icon. A sticker reads 'Free resource'.
CharityComms graphic titled "The four layers of digital engagement". It outlines four questions: Visibility – Are the right people finding your content amid algorithm changes and AI search? Value – Does your content help, inspire or inform audiences? Connection – Are you building relationships and trust? Action – Are you creating opportunities for people to get involved? The graphic also promotes the Next-Level Digital Engagement Conference for Charities on 9 July 2026, online, 10:00–15:35.
Five colourful post-it notes listing examples of people every social media professional needs, including: someone to bounce ideas off, someone who understands the challenges, someone to celebrate wins with, someone who's solved the same problem before and someone who understands the sector. Banner reads: Find your community through the CharityComms mentoring scheme, next to the SocialMediaMatters logo.
One of the three ways to wrap up your week, which reads: Clear your space – Both physically and digitally. Close the tabs, shut the laptop, and clear your desk or space before stepping away this afternoon.
Six speech bubbles highlight what you get with your live ticket to CharityComms Next-Level Digital Engagement Conference for Charities, including: Event recordings and presentation slides . Speaker Q&As. Practical templates, frameworks and resources. Curated blogs and case studies. Exclusive access to free advice appointments. Free accessibility tool from Ave. And so much more.
Portrait of Abi Aldridge, comms and brand strategist, next the title that reads: Quick tips to make ambassador partnerships work in charity communications.
Questing prompting you to share what stood out to you and share in the comments.
The fifth social media update on a red background. Text reads: 5. Meta's new Forum app is designed to encourage community conversations. Could this become a useful space for charity communities?
The forth social media update on a orange background. Text reads: 4. LinkedIn has changed how carousel posts are displayed. How could you make your carousel content stand out in the feed?
The third social media update on a light green background. Text reads: 3. WhatsApp is rolling out usernames to make connecting easier. Does this create new opportunities for WhatsApp in the charity sector?
The second social media update on a light blue background. The text reads: 2. LinkedIn is introducing collaborative posts to help expand content reach. Where could this feature add value to your content strategy?
The first social media update on a pink background, the text reads: 1. Instagram now allows you to rearrange and 'refocus' your profile grid. How could your charity use this feature to showcase its impact?
5 social media updates that have caught our attention with CharityComms Social Media Matters logo in the left corner.
Series of green speech bubbles listing five things we'd love communications professionals to leave behind, including: 1. Apologising for capacity limits or boundaries. 2. Measuring your value through outputs and performance alone. 3. Skipping needed breaks to catch up. 4. Feeling like you have to have all the answers. 5. Thinking strategic work has to wait until things quieten down.
Diagram showing three pillars of CharityComms Career Framework, an exclusive guide for organisational members. The pillars read: 1. Plan your career – Understand the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to progress. 2. Support your team - Use the framework for appraisals, development and identifying training needs. 3. Recruit with confidence - Build job descriptions, interview questions and assessment exercises around recognised competencies.
Two of the 8 trends shaping charity branding, including: 1. The era of purpose isn't over yet. Purpose is not a bolt-on for charities – it's core to their DNA. As some businesses move away from purpose-led commitments, charities have an opportunity to step forward and lead. 2. Aligning strategy and brand. A clear brand starts with a clear strategy. Aligning a charity's theory of change, organisational strategy and brand helps audiences understand who it is, what it stands for, and the difference it makes.
Advice for solo and small charity comms teams that reads: 1. Don't try to do everything. Prioritise what is most aligned to your audience/business needs, and what will make the biggest impact. 2. Focus on quality over quantity. Prioritising a few core channels keeps your communications effective, rather than spreading yourself thinly and confusing your audience. 3. Don't let the fact you're a one-person team limit your ambition. Think big and execute smartly.
Table comparing risks and opportunities in digital engagement for charities. Risks include: 1. Reduced visibility and discoverability as search, algorithms and audience behaviours evolve. 2. Growing dependence on platforms and algorithms that charities do not control. 3. Misinformation, misrepresentation and loss of authority in increasingly complex information environments. 4. Prioritising activity over outcomes, limiting the ability to demonstrate value and impact. 5. Fragmented audiences consuming information across more channels and communities. Opportunities include: 1. Building greater digital resilience through stronger owned channels and diversified engagement strategies. 2. Adapting content and digital strategies for a future shaped by AI-powered search and discovery. 3. Increasing trust and reach through employee and volunteer-generated content. 4. Responding to changing audience behaviours with more relevant and effective content strategies. 5. Designing more personalised and meaningful engagement journeys for diverse audiences.
Meet three small charities for Small Charity Week: Chartered College of Teaching, The Sleep Charity, and Youth Concern, from CharityComms.
List of what shapes people decisions to give according to charity leaders and insights in CAF's UK Giving Report 2026, including: Personal connection. Clear impact. Feeling part of something bigger. Trust. Regular engagement.
Purple background with CharityComms logo and a note saying 'Celebrating the communicators behind small charity impact' clipped to a green square. #SmallCharityWeek and #MembershipMonday hashtags are at the bottom.
Text reads 'Calling all charities! Have you made and shared a film between 1st Jan 2025 and now?' An image of a dandelion in the wind and logo for The Saltways Charity Film Festival sit below the text.
The Worthwhile Chat logo (a stylised diamond made up of blue, yellow and orange lines) with the words ‘Generative AI, built by and for non-profits’ underneath - and a screenshot of the Worthwhile Chat homepage, showing the header ‘What are we working on?’ and a space for the user to enter a prompt. CAST and Developer Society’s logos are shown on the bottom-right corner.
White text box on green background includes a question that reads: What's one resource every small charity communicator should know about?
Three key takeaways from CharityComms PR event on winning media cut-through on uncomfortable issues. Takeaways read: 1. The issue is often more interesting than your charity. Putting the issue first positions your organisation as a trusted voice and creates greater influence in complex public debates. 2. Instead of relying on high-stakes planned moments, tapping into existing conversations with clear arguments and strong media relationships can create greater cut through than trying to generate the story yourself. 3. There is always a human angle. Even the most complex or uncomfortable issue has something people can relate to. Finding that connection helps broadcasters see why the story matters – and why their audience should care.
On a green speech bubble, black text reads: Five lessons on securing hopeful media stories in a world of hostile headlines. CharityComms logo with a small green speech bubble and black text and imix logo in pink text.
Table comparing operational, tactical and strategic approaches to three areas of digital engagement. Topic areas from our upcoming Next-Level Digital Engagement Conference for Charities. For creating digital content, the operational approach is publishing content to fill the calendar, the tactical approach is creating content based on audience insight or campaign priorities, and the strategic approach is building content that supports long-term goals and is designed for discoverability across evolving search, social and digital channels. For measuring impact, the operational approach is reporting likes, clicks and impressions, the tactical approach is looking beyond vanity metrics and analysing trends to understand what drives engagement, and the strategic approach is demonstrating how digital activity contributes to organisational goals, using evidence to influence decisions, investment and strategy. For building online communities, the operational approach is posting content and responding to comments, the tactical approach is encouraging conversation and participation through targeted content, and the strategic approach is building trusted communities that strengthen supporter relationships and drive long-term support and advocacy.
Text titled, here are some signs you've grown as a communicator on green banners.
White text box on green background includes a question that reads: What's one non-negotiable boundary you've put in place that's made the biggest difference as a freelancer?
A landscape social media card. On a green background on a black banner, white text reads Our response to the social media ban for under 16s. In the bottom right, in a black square, white text reads Social Media Matters CharityComms. To the left, three young people are sitting outside on some steps, they are looking at one guy’s phone and smiling.
A social media professional's toolkit, with different coloured post it notes that list: Platform checklist, policy template, free member events, mentoring and blogs. At the bottom, a green speech bubble asks, “What’s in your toolkit? Let us know in the comments.” The Social Media Matters and CharityComms logo appears in the lower right.
On a purple background, white text reads CharityComms Comms Practice Studio 23 July, 10:00 - 14:30, Online. In green and pink bubbles, text reads: Rethinking the charity newsletter. To the right is a green background with a laptop and image of people at a workshop. Purple bubble reads Group discounts available.
List of green flags for charity communications in a series of speech bubbles. They read: Communications is valued as a strategic partner. The audience is considered before the channel. Collaboration happens across teams, not in silos. Time is protected for planning, reflection and evaluation. Accessibility is built in from the start.
Quote from Adeela Warley, CEO at CharityComms for the Third Sector, that reads: "Failure to understand comms is bigger than undervaluing an individual or a department; it fails our missions by not appreciating what moves the needle." with an image of Adeela in the right hand corner.
CharityComms event graphic for the Next-level Digital Engagement Conference for Charities on 9 July, online at 10:00-15:35. #CCDigital. On the right, a photo shows a group of people sitting in an office having a conversation, overlaid with social media and digital icons in speech bubbles.
Giraffe next to text that reads: Looking for a new opportunity? Check out our jobs board to see what's available and reach new heights in your career.