CDE project 22: media relations and the public face of charities

Charities enjoy enormous public support. As a result they come under scrutiny but sadly the media too often focuses on the poor performing few rather than the excellent practice of most charities. This is as true for fundraising practice as for other areas. This project will look at how to build better relations with the media so that coverage is better informed about the totality of practice and that good fundraising, is not undermined by collateral damage from exposure of incidents of bad practice.

Click this link for all the CDE project summaries and where to find them on SOFII. For access to all CDE content on SOFII go to the home page and click on the special CDE portal just below the masthead.

CDE project 22 summary: media relations and the public face of charities

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

This project will look at how to build better relations with the media so that coverage is better informed about the totality of practice and that good fundraising, is not undermined by collateral damage from exposure of incidents of bad practice.

Read more

CDE project 22: the approach

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

Consolidate the available evidence. Assimilate (and not duplicate). Canvas expert opinion. Review a representative selection of mainstream media coverage. Suggest some approaches to enlarge the coverage pool and rebalance the tone.

Read more

CDE project 22: the approach - consolidate the evidence

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

In addition to the Charity Commission’s own trust-tracking, research studies from nfpSynergy, CAF, Britain Thinks (for CharityComms and NCVO) and New Philanthropy Capital were all reviewed.

Read more

CDE project 22: the approach - assimilate existing activity

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

The group seeks to explain the changes underway in the sector.

Read more

CDE project 22: the approach - canvas expert opinion

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

This project consulted widely, both with individual charity communicators and with acknowledged pan-industry experts, as explained in Appendix 3.

Read more

CDE project 22: the approach - review media coverage

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

This revealed a number of highly instructive insights into ‘what gets coverage’ over a typical period. No single observation is surprising in itself but, collectively, they are suggestive.

Read more

CDE project 22: the approach - suggest a new approach

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

In summary, we explored what drives public trust; we acknowledged honestly, through expert input, the innate challenges in justifying that trust, and then analysed the media to understand what types of stories might ‘play’ well.

Read more

CDE project 22: putting the principles and actions into practice

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

Accentuate the positive. Grow the grassroots. Work with the media. Make it personal. Be brave. Be decisive.


Read more

CDE project 22: conclusions

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

To grow and thrive, charities must decide to communicate their individual and collective vision confidently to the world.

Read more

CDE project 22: links across the Commission projects and appendix 1, 2 and 3

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

Links across the Commission projects. Appendix 1: case study. Appendix 2: research resources. Appendix 3: methodology.

Read more
1