Charity Commission issues new guidance on charities’ use of social media

The Charity Commission for England and Wales has issued new guidance, today 18th September 2023, that makes clear how charities can use social media as an effective way to engage with donors and wider audiences but also details clear guidance and practice for safeguarding against risk.

The new guidance states that charities using social media should have a social media policy in place and should ensure the policy is followed by all staff, volunteers and trustees. Use of a social media policy is standard practice across other sectors and the new guidance recognises the need for charities to also implement this.

The guidance aims to help trustees understand the risks of using social media, their legal duties and what to consider if issues arise.

The guidance:

* Makes clear that the regulator does not expect that every charity will involve trustees in the day-to-day running of the charity’s social media but that trustees must understand their legal responsibilities even if delegating tasks

* Sets out the expectation that charities using social media should have a policy in place to explain how using social media will help deliver the charity’s purpose and should include the charity’s own guidelines, such as those on the conduct of trustees, employees and volunteers using social media on the charity’s behalf

* Contains an easy-to-use checklist to help trustees and senior employees have informed conversations on what the right policy for them looks like

* Says charities should have guidelines to manage the risk that content posted by individuals connected to the charity in their personal capacity, particularly those who are high profile like CEOs, may negatively impact the charity by association. It also makes clear that trustees, employees and others have the right to exercise their freedom of expression within the law

* Signposts organisations and resources that can help trustees if they want to improve their social media skills.

The new guidance is the result of a formal consultation, which ran from January to March 2023 and clarifies the Commission’s regulatory expectations in light of the feedback.

Paul Latham, Director of Communications and Policy at the Charity Commission, said:

“There are many benefits to using social media, which can be an effective tool for campaigning, communicating with the public and reaching new and existing supporters. However, trustees need to be alive to the risks it can generate, including to a charity’s reputation. We have published this guidance because we want trustees to think carefully about what they want to achieve when using social media and then apply our guidance to help ensure their charity is protected.

We know trustees are busy and don’t expect them to be social media experts. Our guidance is also clear that their oversight need only be proportionate. However, it is the duty of trustees to act responsibly, in their charity’s best interests, and in line with the law. This includes when posting online. Our guidance will help charities to navigate their use of social media with greater confidence and will support the Commission to regulate this high profile and fast paced area in a fair and balanced way.”

The guidance can be read in full on the Charity Commission’s gov.uk page, alongside our consultation response.

If you need support with your social media policy, please get in touch at: [email protected]