‘Does my support really make a difference?’
Public anxiety about the way charities spend money expresses a deep underlying concern; people don’t feel they know what their support is really achieving.
While we know the answer is almost always more complex, and more interesting, than a simple figure measuring ‘how many pennies in the pound go to the cause’, it can be a challenge to gain people’s attention for more detailed or nuanced messages about impact and effectiveness.
We looked at examples of how charities are going beyond an annual report, tucked away as a PDF on the website, or mailed out once a year, to effectively engage supporters with the impact of their work.
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Live recordings
If you’re a CharityComms member, you can watch the presentations from the day on our Vimeo channel. You’ll find the links to each recording below with the presentations – drop Sarah Cutress an email to get the password to access them.
Presentations
The holy grail: describing the change your charity exists to achieve
Tracey Pritchard, director of engagement, Prostate Cancer UK
Watch the live recording of Tracey’s presentation via our Vimeo channel (exclusive to CharityComms members)
Beyond numbers: creative impact reporting
Tom Tapper, co-founder, Nice and Serious
Watch the live recording of Tom’s presentation via our Vimeo channel (exclusive to CharityComms members)
Free and low-cost tools for communicating impact
Kate White, manager and Sorrel Parsons, ICT development worker, Superhighways
Watch the live recording of Kate and Sorrel’s presentation via our Vimeo channel (exclusive to CharityComms members)
How WaterAid developed an award-nominated interactive annual report
Florence Stuart-Leach, digital editor, WaterAid
Watch the live recording of Florence’s presentation via our Vimeo channel (exclusive to CharityComms members)
Using storytelling to demonstrate impact
Phil Barros, head of brand marketing, The National Deaf Children’s Society
Watch the live recording of Phil’s presentation via our Vimeo channel (exclusive to CharityComms members)
Communicating the impact support could have using powerful real-life video stories
Emma Dowse, heart story officer and Charlotte Rastan, journalist and copywriter, British Heart Foundation
Watch the live recording of Emma and Charlotte’s presentation via our Vimeo channel (exclusive to CharityComms members)
A funder’s perspective on how charities can effectively communicate impact
Hanif Leylabi, communications officer, Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Watch the live recording of Hanif’s presentation via our Vimeo channel (exclusive to CharityComms members)