Cutting Through the Noise: How Charities can Communicate with Impact
At Modern Citizens, we’ve been privileged to work with a whole host of charity and third-sector clients. Some big, some small. Some global, some hyperlocal. But all deeply passionate about what they do.
Every charity is different, but we often encounter a few recurring challenges when it comes to communication and engagement. Here are some of the most common ones and how we help tackle them.
A Surplus of Great Stories
We often hear: “We have too many great things to say.” It’s a good problem to have—but often a difficult one to solve. Frequently, the biggest hurdle we help charities overcome is recognising what doesn’t need to be communicated for maximum audience impact. Prioritisation is key.
A Stubbornly Homogeneous Audience
All brands have target demographics and core audiences. But in our experience, charities over-index more than other brands on particular audience typologies—frequently (but not always) older, wealthier, and less ethnically diverse than the general population.
We often work with teams to find avenues for growth that can begin to shift traditional supporter bases without alienating valued groups. The goal isto expand reach while maintaining the loyalty of existing supporters.
Emotional Communications Fatigue
For so many charities, the work they do strikes a powerful emotional chord. But when every charity is pursuing emotion-based appeals, potential supporters can feel exhausted by repeated appeals to the heartstrings.
The key is to balance emotional storytelling with intellectual engagement—getting people to care by making them think differently.Thought-provoking messaging can be just as compelling as purely emotional appeals.
Passion Blindness
One of the greatest aspects of working with charities is the passion and commitment of their teams. But internal passion can also be a double-edged sword. It can blind teams to the fact that others may not share their level of intrinsic enthusiasm.
Understanding that even your most loyal supporters won’t think about your cause as much as you do is vital for effective and empathetic communication.Keeping messaging clear, accessible, and audience-centric is crucial.
Biting and Playing Nice at the SameTime
Charities want to cut through, but they also have to maintain constructive relationships with governments, businesses, and other organisations. This creates a tension we frequently encounter: the need for a radical, campaigning edge in communications versus a pragmatic, relationship-driven approach behind the scenes.
The answer almost always lies in clarity of brand definition. What is our purpose? What levers can we pull (and avoid) to truly deliver on it? Strikingthe right balance between advocacy and diplomacy is key.
But Whoever You Are, Whatever You Do…
Never forget what gets you out of bed in the morning.
A clear, passionate story well-told beats a complicated set of proof points every time. And remember—people have an incredible capacity to give, but you need to give them a reason to care.
