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This how-to guide was created by ngo.media This guide has also been edited by MarkBarratt, WEditor, chrism and TomMcHugh
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How to communicate your impact
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CloseShowcasing the worth of what you do to the wider world isn’t just a legal requirement. It’s an essential tool for inspiring supporters, informing commissioners and spreading awareness of your work. Here are some simple tips to help you do just that.
Show the human impact
Always remember the human stories behind the statistics. Your meals on wheels service may have reached 200 more homes this year – but what does that mean for your service users? Go beyond the figures to explain how the project has alleviated loneliness, increased independence and brought dignity to older people in the community.
Use case studies
One great quote from a service user on how their life has improved because of your work can be more effective than ten pages of facts and figures. Good impact reporting does need the statistics, but don’t forget to let the people who benefit also speak for themselves by inviting service users to talk about your impact in their own words.
Ditch the jargon
Will your readers really understand what “empowering NEETS to make sound choices about nutrition” really means? If you’re communicating your impact to a non-specialist audience then use plain English to make what you’ve achieved crystal clear.
Get the right images
Head and shoulder shots of your CEO and trustees don’t help explain the good work you do. Instead, ask staff to provide photographs illustrating their work in action. Readers love human interest, so try and capture the real lives that your not-for-profit benefits.
Pick great statistics
Pore over your annual results and pick out the statistics which best showcase your impact. Do 98% of your service users think you’re doing a great job? Or less than 1% of young people reoffend after they’ve finished your programme? Make sure your communications team has access to these key facts so they can go front and centre in your media work.
Round up your results
Say 73% of your teenage service users face hardship because of government cuts. Communicating that percentage as “nearly three quarters (73%) of young people...” makes the statistic sound even more substantial. However, never be tempted to over claim, and always include the percentage in brackets for transparency’s sake.
Get in touch
Matt Chittock is a writer at ngo.media, the leading editorial, copywriting, publications and training agency working only with charities.
Get 20 Top Tips for Better Charity Writing when you sign up to ngo.media’s newsletter (http://www.ngomedia.org.uk), and receive ngo.media’s monthly Good Writing for Charities bulletin.
Further information
Learn how to measure the difference your organisation is making with What difference are we making? Understanding and assessing your impact in StudyZone.
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