This event will explore practical ways to connect communications activity to meaningful outcomes, whatever the size or structure of your organisation. You’ll hear how charities are moving beyond vanity metrics to show how comms supports organisational goals, from building understanding and trust, to influencing behaviour and generating income.
Is this event for me?
This seminar is for anyone working in charity communications, from solo comms officers to senior leaders managing teams and strategy. Whether you’re responsible for delivery, planning or decision-making, you’ll come away with clearer ways to demonstrate comms impact and make the case for comms across your organisation.
What the seminar will cover:
- How to connect communications activity to your charity’s real-world impact.
- Ways to move beyond vanity metrics and focus on measures that matter.
- Practical approaches to demonstrating the value of comms.
- How charities of different sizes are evidencing the impact of their communications.
10:30-10:32 | Welcome
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10:32-10:35 | Housekeeping
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10:35-11:05 | Proving your worth: measuring comms impact without a silver bullet Demonstrating comms impact (especially to your Board) is rarely straightforward. How do you show you’re making a difference without needing a measurement budget bigger than your actual comms spend? Drawing on 25 years’ experience, Alex will explore why you can’t always measure the impact you want and that the right approach depends on budget and resources. He’ll look at how to: identify the right options for your organisation, use qualitative methods and case studies as credible evidence, and set realistic expectations. There will be Q&As with Alex at the end of his talk.
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11:05-11:35 | Measuring the value of investing in brand Brand investment can be difficult to justify when the returns aren’t immediate or easily measured. So how can charities demonstrate the real value of building a strong, trusted brand, and connect it to the outcomes that matter? Drawing on her experience leading engagement, brand and income generation across major charities, Tracey Pritchard will explore practical approaches to measuring brand impact. Expect honest reflections and ideas for making the case for brand investment. There will be Q&As with Tracey at the end of her talk.
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11:35-11:55 | Peer exchange We know there’s a wealth of experience in the room, and these peer discussions are designed to lean into that. They offer space to reflect on what you’ve heard and to explore how it applies to your own work, alongside others facing similar challenges. The more you engage, the more you’ll take away. There will also be a reflective exercise for those that don’t feel comfortable in group discussions. |
11:55-12:00 | Breathing space |
12:00-12:30 | Beyond the dashboard: measuring the real-world impact of website content Website dashboards show clicks and page views, but not whether your content changed anything. This session moves beyond vanity metrics to explore how comms teams can connect website content to real-world outcomes, from building understanding and trust, to influencing behaviour and generating income. Colin will make the case for measuring the whole journey, rather than just individual pages. People rarely read one piece of content and immediately act, so what matters is how content, journeys, channels and touchpoints work together to move someone towards an outcome. You’ll come away with practical approaches to measuring content impact, prioritising what’s worth tracking, and making the case for your website’s contribution to organisational goals. There will be Q&As with Colin at the end of his talk.
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12:30 | Close
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Adeela Warley 
Vanessa Weddell 
Alexander Scott 
Tracey Pritchard 
Colin Grist