Writing for Charities means making a difference

Do you work for a charity? Your print and digital publicity probably already explains that what you do is worthwhile and helpful. Well, that’s informative. But are you inspiring your readers to do anything? Are you even encouraging them to carry on reading?

All charities and social enterprises need to build awareness and support in order to do what they do best. As austerity continues to bite, information and helping agencies compete for limited funding and resources. The words you use to promote your organisation to potential members, volunteers and funding partners are generally low cost and can make a big impact if you get it right.

If you are starting from scratch or considering a whole new project or launch, you probably need to reach out to copywriter experienced in writing for the third sector. If you simply want to tweak what you already have, here are three suggestions to help you to fan the flame of interest in your readers:

Think about your audience

Take a moment to think about the type of audience you are reaching out to. Who are they? What might they be interested in? Can you be creative enough to offer them something they haven’t heard before and take them one step further? A point of view, maybe. Or a connection to current news. People read to learn, to be entertained. They want to get something back. What can you offer them?

Be specific and be compelling

What is different about what you do? Be precise, not general. If you want to encourage readers to take a particular action, carry that like a golden thread throughout a headline and introduction. Connect your text to an interesting image, helpful hints or tips, or a unique benefit linked to membership or volunteering. Don’t say, ‘We are really worth supporting.’ Say, ‘Support us with a £10 donation and you will save a life.’

Ask others for their thoughts and ideas

Be prepared to ask colleagues for their input into your copy. You don’t have to take every comment on board, but you might be surprised at the way opening up to others sparks new ways of seeing, thinking and writing. Friends and team members are good at spotting factual errors too!

And now here's the important bit! I challenge you to start with one small piece of text and transform it into passionate and engaging copy. Tell the world what you do and make it listen. You can do it!

Wendy Davey is available for copywriting and content writing consultancy and training within third sector and social enterprise organisations. Please get in touch by emailing wendydavey.mail@gmail.org.uk in the first instance, to chat about your needs.