CharityComms
LightNews LightNews
banner
charitycomms.bsky.social
CharityComms
@charitycomms.bsky.social
1.7K followers 920 following 530 posts
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
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
charitycomms.bsky.social
CharityComms @charitycomms.bsky.social · Feb 10
After careful review, we’ve updated our social media statement with our social media approach. We’re excited to say we’re here to stay on Bluesky, taking a test-and-learn approach to engage with our members in new and exciting ways. Read our updated statement here: bit.ly/3Q9ZDlR
Our statement about our social media
Read our statement about our decision for the future use of our X account and plans for our wider social media strategy as it develops.
bit.ly
charitycomms.bsky.social
Whether you’re already using AI or just starting to explore it, our AI Hub brings together practical resources, tools and insights from the sector and beyond. From steps to build confidence to on-demand events and much more, there’s something for every stage of your journey: https://bit.ly/47DIb1w
On a teal, sparkly background with network lines, a series of buttons reads AI hub and level up your AI skills, along with outlining what you can find in the hub: Developing your AI approach. Steps for confident use. On-demand events. Latest resources from CharityComms and beyond. Principles to keep mission-focused.
November 27, 2025 at 2:02 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
The countdown is on for our #InspiringComms Awards ceremony on 10 Dec! Help us champion the value of comms and the inspiring people behind it by inviting your peers, colleagues, and network to join. You don’t need to work in communications to see why it matters, register here: https://bit.ly/437PGMJ
A blue sparkly background with CharityComms Inspiring Communicator Award title and logo, speech bubble with gold star inside and a white glowing star, with blue text within that reads: Behind every great charity is an inspiring communicator. Underneath is an orange banner that reads: Join our award ceremony on 10 December 2025.
November 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Sponsor our returning Strategic Communicators’ Conference on 12 March 2026 with a variety of packages!

Lead the way with your thought leadership and connect with comms leads and managers across the sector.

For more information or to book a call, email [email protected] by 5 December.
Image of a retro-style silver microphone on the right on a blue background with directional white and yellow arrows pointing left. CharityComms Logo followed by text: Sponsor the Strategic Communicators’ Conference 2026. Lead the way with your thought leadership and practical solutions. Email Emma or book a call. Sticker reads back by popular demand.
November 26, 2025 at 4:03 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
How can charities use the #Budget2025 announcement to sustain conversations for your cause? We’re resharing last year’s blog from Clare Laxton for advice that still rings true. Discover insights on setting priorities and getting your voice heard: https://bit.ly/43Lv7pW  
Responding brilliantly to the Budget
Clare Laxton shares how you can use the Budget to get your messages heard, whether your causes were mentioned or not.
bit.ly
November 26, 2025 at 10:30 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
This morning’s #CharityCreative event explored how Kids Inspire captured authentic, meaningful images that now power their comms – all planned and delivered in-house. Here are some headlines.

What insights stood out to you most? Share in the comments below.
Three key takeaways from our #CharityCreative on big impact photography on a budget, including: 1. Audit and plan with purpose – Audit your photo library to spot gaps and whether your current images reflect your work and values. Knowing what you have – and what you’re missing – helps you plan a shoot and think in ‘content ecosystems,’ ensuring images could work across social, fundraising, newsletters and evergreen comms. 2. Talent is everywhere - Don’t underestimate the power of asking around. You never know who in your organisation, or even their families, might have the skills or enthusiasm to get involved. Creativity and collaboration really can take the place of a big budget. 3. Built trust to capture real moments of connection - Authentic photos start with trust and staying anchored in your values and voice. Keep the environment warm, collaborative, and flexible by leaving buffer time and keeping your shot list live. The more relaxed people feel, the better the photos will be.
November 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Share your views in our Salary and Organisational Culture Survey by 31 January 2026 and help us advocate for what charity communicators need to feel valued. Each entry receives a free resource to help you embed comms in your organisation: https://bit.ly/48gtIsE
CharityComms Salary and Organisational Culture Survey 2025. Measuring the value of charity communications roles. In a gold banner, text reads Complete our survey before 31 January 2026 to receive a free comms integration framework. Graphic of a laptop, with a hand holding a megaphone bursting out of the screen. Behind them a grid with colourful data points. Sticker reads Free resource.
November 25, 2025 at 10:01 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Save the date!

Join us online at the next CharityComms Members Meet on Thursday 19 March 2026 to explore the world of events. We’ll be sharing an overview of the events available to members, along with ways you can get involved.

Secure your place now: https://bit.ly/489cz4k

#MembershipMonday
A blue and green background with a cartoon image of a person sitting at a desk on a laptop and a person walking through flowers holding a phone. Text reads: Save the date. CharityComms Member Meets Events Edition. 19 March 2026, 11:00, 12:00, online.
November 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
We know it’s a busy season for charity communicators. If the pressure is taking a toll on your wellbeing, this is your reminder that you don’t have to carry everything yourself. Here's small ways to ask for support this week. Reach out to your team or network, even if asking for support feels hard .
On a Notes page with the title small ways to ask for support this week with checklist buttons, text reads: Ask someone to sense-check your work before it goes out. Consider adjusting deadlines where possible. Share tasks with colleagues or other teams to lighten the load. Identifying the right person to support you on a project. Reach out to your network for advice, guidance or examples.
November 24, 2025 at 10:01 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Friday reflections – We’d love to hear about one lesson or reminder you’re taking away from this week in charity comms.

We’ll start: We were reminded that carving out focused time for team discussions led to far more creative thinking than working alone.

Share yours in the comments.
Question asking for one lesson or reminder you're taking away from this week in charity comms, with CharityComms logo.
November 21, 2025 at 3:02 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
When everything feels urgent in a small comms team, it can help to have a way to sort through the workload. One framework that some communicators might find useful is the Eisenhower Matrix – a simple tool that separates tasks by urgency or importance. Here’s how it might work in practice.
Eisenhower matrix for communicators categorising tasks by urgency and importance into four quadrants. Quadrant one (urgent and important) do-it-first tasks are those with a clear deadline or that need immediate attention. Quadrant two (important but not urgent) schedule time to do work that strengthens your long-term comms strategy, but doesn’t need doing right away. Quadrant three (urgent, not important) delegate or group tasks that need doing soon, but not necessarily by you or straight away. Quadrant four (not urgent or important) delete or deprioritise tasks that add little value to your comms goals or don’t require your time or skills.
November 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Our #CharityPR event this morning brought experts together to discuss how you can make your PR planning stronger and craft winning strategies. Here are some headlines.

What insights stood out to you most? Share in the comments below.
Three takeaways from our #CharityPR event on crafting winning strategies, including: 1. Small but mighty teams, such as The Sleep Charity, can deliver high-impact PR and build influence by leveraging partnerships, creating micro-moments that capture attention, and engaging their community to amplify campaigns and messages. 2. Effective PR combines data and human-interest stories, using hard-hitting statistics to give journalists a credible hook while emotive narratives turn numbers into relatable and memorable stories for audiences. 3. Macmillan Cancer Support shared how they are adopting a publishing mindset, providing time-poor journalists with a complete package, including video, photography, expert comment, stories and interview times.
November 20, 2025 at 4:30 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Embedding accessibility into your charity's brand creates a more inclusive experience for all audiences. In this blog from our knowledge hub, Michelle Noel from Studio Noel provides a helpful list of considerations for ensuring that accessibility remains a top priority: https://bit.ly/4o7FuMI
Tips for embedding accessibility into your charity rebrand, including: 1. Kick-off – Make accessibility integral from the start by discussing its importance, impact on reach, and alignment with organisational values. 2. Developing concepts – Consider accessibility in core design elements like logos, typefaces and colour palettes by evaluating legibility, type size, colour contrast and readability. Tips for embedding accessibility into your charity rebrand, including: 3. Accessibility checklist – Create a checklist to review concept designs against accessibility standards and proactively address potential barriers. 4. Assess and improve – Test and optimise brand elements using accessibility best practices and focus groups with people living with disabilities to sense check your direction. Tips for embedding accessibility into your charity rebrand, including: 5. Accessibility guidelines – Include a dedicated accessibility section in brand guidelines to help content creators and designers implement the brand accessibly while understanding its importance. 6. Continue the momentum – A culture of ongoing learning and training to create accessible content across all formats with regular reviews to maintain high-quality standards. Tips for embedding accessibility into your charity rebrand, including: 7. Empower your team - By integrating accessibility into your rebranding strategy, you empower people to make inclusive choices in all marketing and comms. And an ask to our audience if there is anything you would add to the list to share in the comments below.
November 20, 2025 at 10:03 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Looking for comms inspiration? As this year winds down, many of us are thinking about how we can stretch our campaigns and comms further in 2026. Get inspired by what #InspiringComms Award nominees have achieved. Register to join us on 10 Dec on LinkedIn Live: https://bit.ly/3KCBCV3
On a blue background, there are six white stars with possible area you might be inspired by if you join our Inspiring Communicator Awards, including: reach new audiences, tell stories that connect, broad media coverage, collaborate across the sector, inspire change that lasts and so much more. In accompanying orange banners, text read: Looking for some comms inspiration? Join the award ceremony on 10 Dec 2025.
November 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Listening is the foundation of effective comms. Yet it's the part of our work that often goes unseen, even though it shapes everything we create. We're constantly listening...to audiences, internal teams, data and silence. Who else do you listen to as part of your comms practice? Comment below.
Four bolded squares outlining who charity communicators are always listening to, including: 1. Audiences - noticing what’s changing for them, what challenges they face, and what resonates. 2. Internal teams and senior leadership - understanding priorities, pressures, and perspectives that shape decisions. 3. Data - spotting trends, behaviours, and patterns that inform how we communicate. 4. Silence - paying attention when engagement drops, voices go quiet or who’s not in the room, because absence is feedback too.
November 18, 2025 at 2:01 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
In this blog, Liam Philips at Creative Blend explores the 'Great Decoupling' – the new reality where AI overviews are driving fewer clicks. Learn all about how to shift toward a Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) strategy and dive into the steps which will take you there: https://bit.ly/4i8lxTN
A green table comparing the old SEO strategy to the new GEO strategy. Each row follows: Target keywords for high volume vs target long-tail, conversational questions. Aim for the first position link vs aim to be cited within the AI Overview. Write long, comprehensive articles vs write in concise, structured, 'AI-digestible' formats. Rely on good backlinks vs prioritise Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) guidelines.
November 18, 2025 at 10:15 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Freelancers are an important part of the CharityComms community. We're here to support you as you help charities deliver powerful and world-changing comms.

Find out how a membership can keep you up to date with sector insights and connect you with charities looking for help: https://bit.ly/3JOMKyk
A purple background with the CharityComms logo and the hashtag #MembershipMonday. A quote from Claire Colvine of Colvine Communications that reads: I've been part of the CharityComms community for most of my career. This connection and support has been particularly important to me in my freelance career, where it has really helped me to stay on top of my learning and development.
November 17, 2025 at 3:30 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
What better way to close out the year than with one last chance to learn, connect, and be inspired? Here’s a look at what’s coming up on our events calendar:
November 17, 2025 at 10:31 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Must read: Directory of Social Change has published a free resource to support charities in the face of rising hate and racism. The guide offers practical steps to protect your people and communities, plan strategically, and stand together against hate. Download here: https://bit.ly/4hL6cbu
Charities against hate - How to respond to racism - Directory of Social Change
The UK is experiencing an unacceptable rise in racist, xenophobic and sectarian hate. Extremist groups, and in some cases politicians, are targeting racialised people and marginalised communities with racist language and narratives, violence, threats, intimidation and harassment. This is also directly affecting charities and voluntary organisations, targeting the people charities serve, charity leaders, staff, and […]
bit.ly
November 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Imposter syndrome is a common experience that can appear at any point in your career. Here are some practical ways to overcome the inner critic:

While these strategies won’t eliminate imposter syndrome overnight, they can help you see your value and growth more clearly.
Practical ways to overcome imposter syndrome on a white border box on a green background.  1. Keep a win log: Track successes, skill development, and positive feedback. Seeing your achievements in one place helps counter negative self-talk and reminds you of your impact. 2. Have an open conversation: Talking about how you’re feeling with a peer or colleague can help put worries in perspective before they spiral. 3. Listen to what others say: Don’t just take your own word for it. Listen to what your peers and managers say about you and your work, as they can often reflect the strengths you might overlook. 4. Mentor or support someone else: Helping a peer or colleague to grow or navigate a comms challenge gives you the opportunity to reflect on your own skills and expertise. 5. Remember, we’re all learning: Accept that mistakes are part of the learning process. Focus on progress, not perfection. It can be easy to be hard on yourself when you make a mistake, but it gives you a chance to learn and improve your approach. 6. Look after yourself: We all know the importance of taking care of our wellbeing. When you get enough sleep, take breaks and find time to recharge, it gives you a clear perspective and makes it easier to see all the good work you’re doing.
November 14, 2025 at 10:04 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
That’s a wrap on our #CharityAI conference, designed to help you feel ready and confident in using AI in your work!

Thanks to @gemmapettmanpr.bsky.social, here are three themes that sum up today’s event...
Three key takeaways from our #CharityAI conference designed to level up your AI skills, including: 1. AI for saving time – Treat AI tools as though they are a new team member – set them up for success by giving them the guidance, context and boundaries they need to perform well. Start with small, low-risk tasks and review the outputs to save time whilst maintaining quality. 2. AI for creativity – AI can expand what’s possible creatively, but the magic happens when we use clear, structured prompts and continually refine. Always keep humans in the loop to ensure our creativity doesn’t come at the expense of accuracy, accessibility and bias. 3. Test and learn – Creating an environment for experimentation is how we make the most of what AI has to offer. Track what works, what doesn’t, and why. Share the insights to create learning loops and build confidence over time.
November 13, 2025 at 5:13 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
A new edition to our storytelling series is here with a blog for #WorldKindnessDay! Sarah Browning explores how stories of kindness can help leaders and internal communicators set your organisation's culture, with a handy kindness story checklist at the end to apply. Dive in: https://bit.ly/3JMgRGE
Open book page on a sparkly purple background featuring a quote from Sarah Browning, freelance internal comms specialist that reads: A well-told story of kindness has perhaps never been more important. The world in general feels difficult right now. Our organisations are doing amazing things, but it’s tough. So a reminder of the kindness stories [happening] can give everyone a much-needed boost.
November 13, 2025 at 10:00 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Our Salary & Organisational Culture Survey 2024 found that half of communicators surveyed believed their boards and senior leaders understood their work. We must continue to call on boards to tap into the comms expertise that's crucial in today's context: https://bit.ly/43jhy0x
On a green background to the left, black text reads: 54% of charity comms professionals believe boards and senior leaders understand comms. In a series of banners, text reads: CharityComms Salary and Organisational Culture Survey 2024. In collaboration with Agenda Consulting. Read our full report now. To the right, a picture of a sprouting plant from the soil.
November 12, 2025 at 3:20 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
In this Third Sector article, our CEO, Adeela Warley explores charity resourcefulness and the importance of having a comms team by your side. Despite comms often being the first asked to justify their value, they have the very skills needed for organisational resilience: https://bit.ly/49NObaG
Adeela Warley: Being resourceful means more than budgeting
A tight financial environment may drive charities to play it safe, but does this risk watering down our impact?
bit.ly
November 12, 2025 at 10:30 AM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Can’t make it to our online AGM on 26 November? As CharityComms organisational or corporate members, you can submit one proxy vote.

Take just a few minutes to complete our proxy form so we can count your vote: https://bit.ly/4okE9BN
Reminder for members to submit your proxy vote for our Annual General Meeting by 25 November in a series of orange, pink banners with orange forms and CharityComms logo.
November 11, 2025 at 3:02 PM
charitycomms.bsky.social
Who is joining us for our #InspiringComms Awards? Celebrate with us at the ceremony on 10 December via LinkedIn Live as we highlight the incredible shortlisted nominees and reveal the 2025 winners!

Come along and cheer on your peers. Register to attend here: https://bit.ly/437PGMJ
A blue background with CharityComms Inspiring Communicator Award title and logo, speech bubble with gold star inside. In an orange banner, text reads: Join the ceremony on 10 December 2025. In a white star in the bottom right, text reads: Awards shortlist now live. Logos state sponsored by Creative Concern and LinkedIn icon with CharityComms tag.
November 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM