Vanessa Weddell,
Head of events
We’ve been busy at virtual CharityComms HQ thinking of ways that we can continue to support you in your work during the Coronavirus pandemic.
We know that this is a hugely difficult time for charities – you are rapidly pivoting from working face-to-face with colleagues, supporters and beneficiaries to connecting, organising and engaging people remotely and harnessing the power of tech to do these things.
We are also harnessing the power of tech – we’re excited to announce that we will be moving our events programme to an online format. You’ll have the opportunity to access the same great content as in person, but from the comfort of wherever you are working. Many of you told us in last year’s CharityComms membership survey that you’d like more learning tools and online content – and we’re going to make this happen!
CharityComms runs 70+ events a year, and we’ll be updating our website in the coming days and weeks with details on the new formats for each of our events. We will keep you posted on these developments and will send you more information on how to book.
Thank you for your continued support – we’re in this together!
Upcoming events
Wales networking group – Ready for Welsh elections 2021
The CharityComms Wales networking group brings together charity comms professionals based in Wales. Each event focuses on a different comms topic with guest presenters, group discussions and networking.
Social Media Network: Social media crisis plans – how to develop and activate them
This networking group looks to address a gap for strategic and professional development of social media leads working in charities and not-for-profit organisations. Each meeting will offer a safe space for members to chat about working in charity social media, with the focus of discussions on strategy-led topics. This is a space to learn together and share best practice, challenges, successes and inspiration with your peers.
Scotland networking group – Wellbeing for comms professionals
The Scotland networking group is a network for comms professionals working in Scotland-based charities. You’ll be given the opportunity to meet your peers, compare notes on workplace practices and share successes, ideas, challenges and inspiration. The group is designed to encourage networking and peer-to-peer support, sharing issues in a ‘safe’ and relaxed environment.
PR Network – Practical tips on storytelling
CharityComms’ PR Network is a group for professionals working in PR and media in UK charities and not-for-profits. The PR Network gives you the chance to meet your peers, compare notes on workplace practices and share successes, ideas, challenges and inspiration. The network is designed to encourage networking and peer to peer support, sharing issues in a ‘safe’ environment.
Campaign Network – Campaigning Virtually
The Campaign Network is a joint initiative from CharityComms and the Social Change Agency looking to address a gap for heads of campaigns and campaign leads in UK charities for strategic development, campaign sector development and professional development.
Internal communicators, the time is now
In this practical event, we’ll explore tools, channels, techniques and tips for keeping your teams connected, helping you to build engagement remotely.
On-demand events
Social Media Network – Flexing positively while the world is in flux
Brand Breakfast – The Power of Many
Brand Breakfast – Optimising your brand for fundraising
This was one of the most beneficial events I’ve been to in my time working in charity communications.
Laura Mitchell, senior communications and marketing executive, St Catherine’s Hospice
Recent events
Internal Comms Group – May 2020
Join us for a session on all things internal comms during the Covid-19 pandemic We’ll start this online event with a welcome and an icebreaker to get the discussion flowing. We’ll then have a quick review of the emerging themes we have heard from you and the wider sector on all things internal comms. Everyone […]
Crisis Comms Webinar
Crisis communications skills have never been in such high demand as they are now. We’re in the middle of the biggest international crisis in decades, and many of us are learning as we go. This timely webinar from Hough Bellis and Comms Creatives will equip you to do the job. You’ll learn about the pattern […]
Helping people share their real-life stories with the media
Stories from real people resonate in the media, but pulling these stories together can be time-consuming and challenging. And there’s always the chance that your real-life story might back out of media coverage at any stage. But if you get it right, these stories can help raise your profile, increase awareness for your charity, and […]
Past events
Internal Comms – culture change, collaboration and happier teams
“Happiness results in a 12% spike in productivity: unhappy employees are 10% less productive.” from ‘Happiness and Productivity’, Andrew Oswald, University of Warwick (2015) Internal comms is often last on the organisational priority list. Internal newsletters, email communication and staff meetings have remained the same for decades and nobody enjoys them. It’s time to bring […]
Crisis communications: how to turn crisis comms into an opportunity
Every organisation faces the risk of an unexpected crisis; and in a digital age, bad or even fake news is one click away from spreading out of control. Your hard-earned reputation and your ability to raise funds could be lost – or gained – by the way you handle it. Are you confident that you […]
Helping your comms hit the mark with your audiences
We all know how important it is to have the right message, for the right audience, at the right time, and using the right medium too. But how do we ensure that all of our communications are hitting the mark and appealing to our audiences? We heard from charities who are hitting these marks regularly, […]
Where do we go from here? Campaigning in the age of successive Conservative Governments
There is no road map for what lies ahead of us – uncertainty around Brexit, policy shifts within the Conservative party, a rotating door of ministers and cabinet members, and more. In this session, we discussed the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for campaigning, explored how the third sector can pull together in the […]
Audience Insight
To communicate effectively you need to truly understand the audience you want to reach, what matters to them and what motivates them. Are you doing enough to tune into what they need from you? Audience insight is more important than ever in a fast-paced and fragmented media landscape. In this session, we looked at […]
The challenge of recruiting digital talent and retaining them
There seems to be a shortage of great people out there applying for digital roles. HR departments often don’t understand digital natives – they struggle with how to best recruit digital roles and how to appeal to those with these important skills. As a sector, we need to be better at promoting the opportunity to […]
Unlocking the potential of your data
Less than half of all non-profits make full use of the data they collect according to a recent Salesforce Report. Without good data analytics decisions are taken blindly and resources are allocated without truly understanding where they’re needed. Good data analytics should help support and drive decision making – helping us to improve our communications […]
How to survive a rebrand, change and grow
Brand development in the charity sector is not for the faint-hearted. You need expertise, creativity, patience, diplomacy – and thick-skin. Last year was a bumper year for charity brands evolving their brand positioning and expression. In this session, we were joined by peers who have refreshed their brands and come out the other side. We […]
The vital role of Internal Comms in issues and crisis
When a charity gets caught up in a crisis, it is crucial that it takes control of its communications to limit the fallout. A badly handled issue or crisis is one of the greatest risks to any organisation’s reputation. Good internal comms can play an important part in helping stop an issue or a crisis […]
Crisis Comms
Do you need to revisit your crisis comms strategy, or perhaps devise one from scratch so that you’re better able to deal with unexpected events? Crises cannot always be avoided but having a robust plan in place to protect and defend the reputation of your organisation, or an individual within it, can greatly reduce the […]
Planning and vision setting
January is the perfect time for you to consider your social media planning and vision setting for 2020. We started the session with a practical vision setting exercise to help delegates frame up their thoughts and intentions for the year that lies ahead for themselves and their teams. Speakers from charities both large and small […]
Beneficiary-led design
Beneficiary-led design gives a voice and power to the very people that a charity is working to support. Charities are now working with beneficiaries on everything from designing materials, creating engaging digital content, through to designing physical spaces, and more. In this session, we heard about a variety of beneficiary-led design approaches, the triumphs and […]