This document summarizes trends affecting charities and nonprofit organizations. It discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic may accelerate changes to flexible working arrangements. Younger generations are having different views of charities that organizations need to understand. While Brexit continues to impact politics, charities must work to build relationships with new MPs and consider how to engage Conservative voters. Mental health and environmental issues are rising up public and political agendas. Charities are experimenting with pop-up events and spoken word audio to engage new audiences.

1. CharityComms
Trends in a turbulent world
Michele Madden

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Sources

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Early adopters of elbow-bumping…

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Different ways of working
• Steady increase in flexible working across nearly all sectors in response to technological and cultural changes
– Globalisation, growth in the service economy, and increase in gig economy have changed the relationship between
workers and their employers
• Workers beginning to join together again, technology enabling that to happen – WhatsApp
– New types of organisations such as Organise, Earwig and Workerbird
• The value of unpaid work is beginning to be recognised – ONS calculator
• Not just working from home, but flexible hours, different models of reporting, structures…
• Many organisations have been fearful of these changes. Will Covid-19 create a step-change in practice?
• Will these changes enable us to do our jobs better?

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Youth rising
• Increased longevity means many generations living on top of each other
• Major events have solidified our views on key topics (2008, 2016) leading to conflict between generations
– Brexit and the blame for climate crisis placed on older generations
• Different generations have different versions of the ideal charity
– Millennials are not increasing their awareness of charities as they get older
• It was ever thus….. but need to understand how generational changes are going to affect your organisation in the
medium / long term
• How to enable and listen to new generations’ views and demands
• And see how we can help to heal the divide?

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Westminster refresh
• Echoes of Brexit will still resound in parliament but primary legislation is back. Charities can now plan their long
term strategies
• While the change of MPs has resulted in a loss of relationships charities had built up, there are new MPs to work
with to shape the relationship with from the start
• The parliamentary majority means the government is not currently in 'listening mode’ and…
• …therefore the power of the electorate has diminished, how can charities hold government to account in a more
hostile environment?
• Charities need to think about not only reframing their issues for Conservative MPs, but also for a Conservative
public

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Local connections
• Technology is enabling people to connect with their peers for personal and commercial gain
• Group buying is growing – with consumers joining together to buy in bulk to achieve discounts.
– Group purchases of big-ticket items like cars enable consumers to share costs – both financial and environmental
• Health-based peer communities online have been around for a while, but this is now happening IRL
– Group doctor’s appointments
• Try to tap into local networks to build community fundraising and set up crowdfunding models for specific
projects.
• Can past beneficiaries help those currently in need?

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Fundraising will change in next decade
• See the gradual decline in direct debits, tin-rattling, cheques and door to door collections
• Lotteries, events and major donors will be thriving
• Legacy giving will stagnate
• New methods will continue to appear – eg birthday giving
• The move to cashless is complicated
– Issues of privacy and anonymity
– Need to be careful to not inadvertently discriminate against those who don’t have access to the digital economy
• Charities fundraising to complement public service provision will become more mainstream, but will this muddy
the distinctiveness of the voluntary sector?

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Mental health
• As an issue has been rising up the agenda through increased media coverage and high profile campaigns
– of increasing concern to the general public and politicians
• Toxic nature of engagements on social media, parliament + turbulent times
– Death of Caroline Flack
– Online attacks of (mainly) female politicians and public figures
– Fear and anger are the emotions that have increased the most when we ask the general public about the environment
– Cuts to the NHS – this worry may increase now in light of Covid-19
• Mental health is one of the areas where brand awareness is out-performing the trend with younger people
• Difficult to get the balance right – dial up concern and anxiety about the world or try and reassure?
• All need to get better at dealing with, supporting and working to improve mental health in all aspects of life

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The environment in the Adaptive Age
• Urgency and acceptance of climate change as an issue has increased across all audiences
– growth in protest and eco-anxiety
– growing number who rate a healthy environment as more important than a healthy economy
• We now need to adapt as well as prevent. Beginning to see changes in how people organise and live their lives –
flood proofing, energy efficiencies, changing diet, travel and work patterns
– unexpected events can cause big changes
• For those in the environmental field, how to make the most of this step-change, give the big picture and clear
actions for individuals and groups at different levels (personal action, campaigning)
• For those in other areas making sure that services and activities are responsive to the new normal – clear
recycling, work at home and travel policies,

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Pop up culture
• Space is expensive, pop-ups allow freedom from commitment but also freedom to experiment
– we’re more likely to go to something it its only there for a limited time
• Charity shops – allow charities to test the demographic in a particular area and try new things with less risk
• Service delivery
– Asda hosted alcohol advisers from DrinkAware
– Grocery stores host nutrition classes
• Fundraising – community events, promotions, campaigns
• Opportunities to partner with brands?

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Spoken word
• We are accompanied by audio at all times with near-constant access to audio content
• Sound allows us to multitask, able to listen to content while doing other things like travelling, cooking and
working
• 7.1 million people in the UK now listen to podcasts each week, how can you get into people’s homes?
• Create your own or piggy-back someone else’s?
• Voice assistant use is set to grow even more
• Sonic logos – what’s your aural identity?

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Free reports
https://nfpsynergy.net/free-reports-and-presentations

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15. 5 March 2020
Conference: Changing hearts and
minds: social science insights for
communicators

16. Visit the CharityComms website to view
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we have coming up and to check out
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