CharityCommsAnnual review 2012-13

Our vision Our vision is for effective and inspiring communications to be at the heart of every charity’s work for a better world. 

Our purposeWe improve the standard of communications and champion its role in the sector. We represent, support, inspire, connect and inform our members and the wider charity communications community.

Key achievements 2012-13: financial

Income: £270,103Expenditure: £244,698

Balance of funds at year end: £25,101

Current reserves: £121,591

Key achievements 2012-13: membership• Individual members grew from 224 to 297 (now 310)• Organisational members grew from 68 to 120 (now 135)• Corporate members grew from 24 to 33 (now 36)• We facilitated 100 mentoring partnerships

“CharityComms is very much part of our staff engagement programme in the division. Just wish I'd signed up with you sooner!” Steven Buckley, director of communications, Christian Aid

Key achievements 2012-13: events• 31 events held• Over 1,650 comms professionals attended• Satisfaction rate of 94% excellent or good• 85% of delegates acquired new knowledge or

enhanced skills relevant to their job

“The communications strategy workshop was a very useful and timely session: it really made me think and reflect on our challenges.” Ian Fannon, head of communications,

MS Society

Key achievements 2012-13: other activity• We introduced four new types of events: the Sole

Comms network, the Heads of Digital group, the SW Regional group and the pub quiz

• We published 92 articles on our website• We produced our first two Best Practice Guides:

o Show and tello Branding Inside Out

• We created two reports:o The Communications

Benchmark 2012 in Mayo The Charity Marketing and

Communications Salary Survey 2013, with TPP in April

Key achievements 2012-13: other activity• We created the CharityComms Career Framework

in Jan 2013•We refreshed our brand and website in June 2013, winning the MemCom Award for best rebrand•The Newspaper Licensing Agency extended its charity discount in response to our campaign to lift the burden of media licensing fees from charities•We relaunched our AskCharity service helping charities and journalists work together

How have we helped?

“Branding Inside Out helped me make the case to the CEO that we needed to address the fundamentals of mission, vision and values before rebranding. It’s a fantastic resource and I am grateful for the hard work you and other professionals put into this.”

Toby Retallick, communications manager, Youth Music

“I just wanted to say thank you and well done for the recent salary survey – I took it to my boss and promptly got a pay rise!”

Head of communications

“Thank you so much for sending through the presentations from the social media event. It was a massively helpful conference and I've come away full of renewed energy to get to grips with this social media beast. ”

Andy Pike, assistant campaigns officer, RNIB

“Your member lunch was the best networking event I have been to in a LONG time. I came back with a load of new contacts having had some really useful conversations. It was great!”

Ciara Smyth, assistant director marketing and strategy,The Stroke Association

How have we helped?

“I can’t recommend the mentoring scheme enough. My mentor has helped me better understand the sector and get to the next stage in my career. It’s given me lots more confidence as well as practical tips.”

Dipika Kulkarni, marketing co-ordinator, St Mungo’s“I'm based in Rugby and make the journey to London for the CharityComms events. I also go to the South West Regional Group seminars in Bristol which is a trek but it is worth it – the events have always exceeded expectations, I've learnt so much and these events have definitely helped me improve my skills.”

Gemma Hume, digital communications officer, Practical Action

“As a sole comms person in a small charity, being a member of CharityComms is really important to me. It's great to feel part of a community of other comms professionals who face similar challenges and frustrations and know I have the support of like-minded peers. It makes me realise I am not alone!"

Charli Scouller, communications manager, NAT

Big thanks to our small team…

… and our wonderful trustees

Penelope GibbsTransform Justice

Thanks to our members (A-I)

Thanks to our members (J-R)

Thanks to our members (S-Y)

Keep in touch: @CharityComms

Join us: charitycomms.org.uk/membership

Check out our calendar: charitycomms.org.uk/events

Download our annual report:

http://www.charitycomms.org.uk/annual-reviews