It’s safe to say all our lives have changed since the start of the pandemic. Almost overnight what we all considered to be normal day-to-day life radically changed and we all had to quickly find ways to cope with the new status quo of staying indoors, social distancing and of course working remotely. For charities this meant pivoting our services at pace in order to ensure we met the many challenges we faced, including that of maintaining contact with those who would usually interact with us through face-to-face services.
As charity communicators we have more than risen to the challenges that emerged, coming up with innovative solutions to difficult problems along the way. Indeed we should all be proud of how we leapt into action to support beneficiaries and supporters, quickly changing and adapting to keep vital services going.
But, having said all this there is still a long road ahead as we strive to make all these changes we have made sustainable for the future, as shown in our recent survey with Media Trust.
Remember: the charity community is strong and we will get through these difficult times together.
Looking for helpful resources to support your forward planning? Check out the list below…
Inspiring new forms of digital content creation
Ways charities are supporting those who would normally use face-to-face services
Useful CharityComms resources and services
Online training videos
Sector action points
Latest CharityComms tips for coping with coronavirus and changing ways of working
Finding your spark: how to get a job during Covid-19
Great charity advice on looking after mental health
Using supporter centric solutions to improve the donor experience
Five steps to framing messages on coronavirus and poverty
Crisis communications for charities: best practice guide
Digital remote working tools: sector tips
How to support staff wellbeing during Covid19
Learning new skills from your home office
How to adjust to working from home
Our survey with Media Trust reveals the challenges you are facing
How do you maintain a sense of team remotely?
Fundraising during Coronavirus – Maintaining and building your relationship with supporters
How can charities use data to help communities during Covid-19?
Inspiring virtual charity fundraiser ideas
Covid-19 and CharityComms – CharityChat podcast interview with CC CEO Adeela Warley
How to make short term comms solutions a part of long term strategy too
Engagement strategies for charities
Digital campaigning in the time of Covid
Sign up to be a charity shop volunteer
Planning for a new job: what to do when it’s time to move on
What is the role of comms teams in responding to social crises?
Other useful sector resources to bookmark
Coronavirus: practical support and information – NCVO
Coronavirus updates: live blog – Third Sector
Free Coronavirus Resources for Charities – Lightful
Coronavirus Comms, Crisis Communication Best Practices – Empower
Coronavirus comms planning ahead – Madeleine Sugden
Framing Covid19 – Frameworks Institute
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) support and resources – PRCA
Coronavirus tech handbook – Newspeak House
Working from home retro – The Developer Society
Free Global Media and News Tracker – LexisNexis
Free digital communications resources for charities to use during coronavirus – MediaTrust
COVID-19 Response Toolkit: Event Management and Fundraising Resources – Blackbaud
Digital fundraising for small charities (in a hurry) – Reason Digital
Free volunteer platform – MediaTrust
Free resources to help charities – The Brand Blog
Free online guide to virtual fundraising for charities – Charity Digital
Your guide to survive-and-thrive the post-covid environment (briefing) – Civil Society Consulting
Delivering financial support during Coronavirus – ACO
How to prioritise digital marketing tactics – Fresh Egg
How to make the most of your charity’s social media during lockdown – Civil Society
Quick guide to virtual fundraising – Volunteering Matters.
Charity Fraud Awareness Hub – ON24
How to improve cyber security within your charity – NCSC
How charities can survive, adapt and thrive through the crisis – CAF
Free images to illustrate your coronavirus content – Fundraising UK
How to support staff wellbeing during coronavirus – NCVO
Catalyst and The National Lottery Community Fund COVID-19 Digital Response
Five charities who are switching it up during the pandemic – Reason Digital
Support for fundraisers who have been made redundant – Institute of Fundraising
The Organiser’s Activity Book – Tactical Tech
COVID-19 Resource Center for Nonprofits – Donorbox
Become a digital volunteer for a grassroots charity – Localgiving
6-month training programme – Beyond
Best practice for internal teams comms – Charity Digital
Are you using the most accessible remote working platforms? – Civil Society
Our coronavirus resources for the second lockdown – Think NPC
Age-positive images: Guide and terms to using our image library – The Centre for Ageing Better
Making your job application more attractive during the Covid-19 pandemic – nfpSynergy
Wellbeing and fundraising – Chartered Institute of Fundraising
More great reads from across the charity sector network and beyond
“Better Stories”: How to support people to do great media interviews – OnRoad Media
Work from home like a winner – Charity Nikki
Bring you whole shelf to work – The Unmistakeables
Ten tips for staying productive when working from home – Cantarus
Building a digital workforce – NCVO
How to get people to actually participate in virtual meetings – Harvard Business Review
How to run an online workshop – Brand by Me
10 tips for working from home – JustGiving
Remote Working: Sharing what we have learned – The Blurt Foundation
Zoom meet ups: 5 top tips for meetings without uninvited guests
Eight tips for managing remote teams – Lightful
PR tips for during coronavirus – Heather Collins, Do Good PR
Framing COVID-19: Talking about what comes next – Frameworks Institute
A how to guide for virtual fundraising events – Charity Fundraising
7 tips for finding focus and reducing digital distractions – Asana
Audience engagement during and beyond the pandemic – Sarah Fitzgerald, Self Comms
Seven tips for running better remote meetings – Torchbox
How charities have adapted their content in light of Covid-19 – Lightful
How are charities adapting to Covid-19? – NPC
Working from home: A guide to creating a healthy and productive workspace at home – Cotswold Co
Fundraising support for charities – Ecclesiastical
How Nonprofits Have Reframed Their Messaging in the Wake of Coronavirus
Free creative help for charities – Createxplore
Advice for looking after wellbeing and mental health in turbulent times
Mental health and Covid-19 webinar series – United for global mental health
Coronavirus and work advice hub – Mind
Top tips for supporting your team’s mental health whilst working from home – British Red Cross
9 mindfulness exercises to help you manage COVID stress – Fingerprint for success
Your Self-Care Toolkit For Dealing With The Tough Months Ahead – Huffpost
How to have things to look forward to right now- happiful
Wellbeing guide for comms professionals – CharityComms
Five ways charity communicators can emotionally protect themselves – CharityComms
Coronavirus and your wellbeing – Mind
Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak – Mental Health Foundation
When home becomes the workplace: mental health and remote work – Forbes
The young professional’s guide to mental health while remote working and career planning