Download these Top Tips as a PDF guide

From the Media Trust Autumn Conference 2010 keynote speech Decentralising delivery and using communications to engage locally by Fiona Taylor, Head of Policy & Communications, Groundwork UK

In these dark days of budget cuts, charities must constantly remind themselves why they do what they do, returning to their core mission.  Charities

must make their case so compelling that it makes economic sense for financers to support them.

Toolkit

• An impact report: essentially facts and figures that show the difference you’re making, locally and nationally, and our economic benefit. Use existing facts and statistics to validate your own message, and think about how you present them – a figure of 6,400 projects in a year can be repackaged as about 24 projects every working day.
• A website: with a website you have your own platform to launch a campaign. Under one virtual roof, all the fantastic work that is done at local level is promoted.
• Repetition: don’t be afraid to repeat statistics and your overall message. Once you’ve got a clear set of facts or statistics on which to base your communications, wheel them out at any opportunity. You might get fed up of saying the same thing, but your audience won’t be.
• Endorsement: quotes go for miles - use them everywhere you can, along with case studies and feedback. Other people saying how great you are is more powerful than any internally generated PR. Gather those quotes, organise them, use them, repeat them and then get some more. Don’t be shy to ask, people are usually more than happy to help.
• Photography and video: it doesn’t always need to be of a high quality, embrace user generated content and social media and use the impact of an image to carry your message further. If you can’t run to a professional photographer, it doesn’t matter. Run a competition, advertise for volunteer photographers and snap away using your phone.

Download Fiona's slide show

Groundwork is a charity working in deprived neighbourhoods all over England, Wales and Northern Ireland to make better places for people to live.