Social Media guidance for Charities

Earlier this year, The Charity Commission published draft guidance for social media policy use by charities. With the consultation closed, the final guidance is due to be released this summer.

The Charity Commission recognises that charities and the individuals who work with them are increasingly using social media to engage donors, beneficiaries and partners, promoting the work and values of the charity.

Whilst this undoubtedly shows that social media can be used for good, the Commission is also mindful that social media can be used in less positive ways such as fake news, breaches of privacy, cyberbullying or to post views which are potentially damaging to the charity.

The draft guidance can be found here and discussed in an earlier MCF post. It strongly recommends charities to adopt a social media policy that includes how the charity should use social media, the potential risks and, crucially, how representatives should also use their own channels.

In particular, it focuses on the role of trustees and how they should be aware of the power and implications of their posts whilst in role.

The draft guidance covers six areas:

• Setting a social media policy
• Managing potential risks
• Engaging on controversial topics
• Campaigning / political activity
• Fundraising on social media
• Staying safe

MCF will be publishing guidance to support our members and those within our network who may have concerns or queries as to how to develop a social media policy or how the guidance from The Charity Commission will impact them.

In brief, we outline here general advice that all staff, volunteers and trustees should be made aware of and should implement with immediate effect:

Social Media Policy

This policy should be developed and rolled out to all representatives of your charity. It should include clear guidance around language, values, acceptable and agreed content for posting (such as promoting events, activities or fundraising) with clear rules around unacceptable use of social media and potential disciplinary action.

The policy should also outline who is responsible within the charity for posting across channels and the clearance and due diligence that should take place before posts are made. Your policy should state who is responsible for managing the social media channels and how the usernames/passwords to these are kept secure. Furthermore, the policy should make clear the agreed processes for posting both original content and sharing content of others such as partner organisations.

Managing potential risks

Charities should be aware of risks to their reputation and fundraising, as well as how to respond in the event of crisis.

Staff and volunteers should be discouraged from posting on their own channels about the charity or on matters relevant to the charity, unless they state clearly that views are their own and not representative of the charity.

Where charity social media accounts are compromised or ‘hacked’, clear processes should be in place to reclaim/close the accounts and immediate clarity provided to the public.

Should a charity be named in a negative manner on social media by third parties, a clear response should be agreed with management. This should include a policy and process to clarify claims made about the charity to the public and if necessary, contact made to relevant authorities. At all times, professionalism and honesty should be maintained.

Engaging on controversial topics

Whilst at times it may be that a charity wishes to engage in controversial topics to further the cause of the charity and represent the needs of its community, charities should be aware of the potential risks involved. In addition, charities should be aware of the diversity of their audience and ensure that when discussing controversial topics, that all view points should be considered.

Campaigning and political activity

Trustees are responsible for ensuring that the charity plus all staff and volunteers understand the rules around political campaigning. The Charity Commission has published a short guide which can be found here: Political activity and campaigning by charities – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Fundraising on Social Media

Charities will and should use the influence and reach of social media to raise funds. However, you should also ensure that your charity follows The Fundraising Regulator The Code of Fundraising Practice and that all posts are honest and clear. This includes where a fundraising target may not have been met or needs may have changed. It is also good practice to ensure that you use your social media channels to thank donors and report back to them about the impact of their donations. Where case studies are used, always check that you have the necessary permissions to feature online the images, names or other personal information of people, due to safeguarding practice.

Staying Safe

In all instances, we advise charities, staff, volunteers and trustees to stay safe online. This includes being aware of and adhering to GDPR practice and not disclosing information which may put the charity or any individuals at risk. If you are in any doubt, stop and check before posting.

Using social media correctly can be a very effective communications and fundraising tool for charities of all sizes.  Charities can use social media and other digital content to build their ‘brand’ and strengthen their trust with the general public, partners and stakeholders.

The final guidance from The Charity Commission is expected to be released in the next few months. We will be sharing this across our channels and providing additional advice where needed.