We’ve gathered some tips to help you make the best of your communications when budgets are tight.
Outsource
Outsourcing specific projects can really save you money because you only pay for what you use. You’re not covering recruitment costs, sick days, holidays, water cooler moments or for your staff to sit in endless meetings. Outsourcing to experts can also get jobs done more quickly and efficiently than using someone internally who only counts the project as part of their role.
Stick to timescales
Half the time charity communications teams have a constant battle to justify their existence. The other half, everyone wants a stake in their output. Sticking to deadlines saves time, energy and most importantly, donors’ money. It simplifies the process because everyone knows at what stage in the project timetable they can offer their feedback and when all the deadlines are.
Work with service users and volunteers
Use their words. In reports, leaflets, web pages, campaigning materials and newsletters. Whatever communications project you’re working on, think about how you might be able to include the words of service users and volunteers.
Work with aims in mind
Every report, newsletter, magazine, leaflet, brochure or press release you produce should have a purpose. It might be to get people to campaign for your charity’s cause, to better understand what you do or to appeal to donors or sponsors. Always bear this aim in mind right from coming up with the concept for the communication, to its design. So, you shouldn’t just produce a brochure because you have the budget for it; all projects should use your donors’ money wisely.
Time manage
Don’t pass up opportunities to visit events at projects supported by your charity because you think they’ll be time wasted out of the office. These projects may not actually do the things you thought they did so they’re opportunities to know better, and therefore communicate better, your charity’s cause. While you’re at events like these, you can get to know regional project workers, talk to them about how they can work with the national communications team and set up some interviews with service users.
