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.
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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 moreCDE 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 moreCDE 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 moreCDE 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 moreCDE 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 moreCDE 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 moreCDE 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 moreCDE 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.
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 moreCDE 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.
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