In our last blog, we talked about storytelling and improving communication with your audience. And not long before that, we covered how you can better engage with Gen Z. But what about your own staff and volunteers? Communicating with them is just as important.

Everything we said about people outside your charity can be applied to the ones inside it. They want to know the stories just as much as your donors do. They want to feel connected to the cause they work for. So how can you improve your charity’s internal communication to make sure they get what they’re looking for? Let’s dive in…

Why you might need to improve your internal communication

Before we get into it, why might a charity need to work on its internal communication? Simply because it’s a key part of having an engaged workforce. Here’s a rundown of some stats to show you what we mean:

🔸Companies with disengaged employees have a turnover rate of 34%

🔸12% of working time is wasted by bad communication and inefficiency

🔸52% of staff felt higher levels of stress at work because of ineffective communication

🔸91% of employees said their leaders lack communication skills

As a charity, you experience all of this and then some. People want to work with you because they want to feel connected to a cause. But if you’re not communicating that to them, how can they feel connected? Next, let’s look at how you can improve communication.

Ways to improve communication

There are multiple ways you can talk to your staff about your cause. And some of them aren’t too different from what we’d recommend for your donors.

One option is a newsletter. You might already have one you send to donors, but how about an internal one? This would potentially be a bit more nitty-gritty, covering the ins and outs of your operation. Something like changes to certain processes or new technology being implemented. But it’s a fantastic way to keep everyone in the loop, ensuring no one feels as if they’re missing out.

This would also be a great spot to shout out specific volunteers. What better way to make people feel engaged with their work than to show your appreciation? You can have a ‘volunteer of the month’ that highlights the great work someone is doing. And you might want to talk about specific beneficiaries too. Show you staff and volunteers who they’re helping. Prove that your cause is doing good.

What you need

Another vital part of great communication is having a platform to communicate on. So choose a good collaboration tool for that. Beyond that, a key part of communication is having access to the information you need. Say you want to work with a specific charity shop on boosting income. How can you do that without full oversight of how they’re doing?

Make sure you’re equipped with all of the data and reports you need to make the right decisions. You want something that allows you to break down information in any way you need it. Want to see monthly comparisons? Or see what stock sells the best? Then you need a solution that can do just that for you.

When you have that, communicating with your teams becomes easier. You have the facts you need to lead with purpose. You have the information necessary to keep your staff and volunteers in the loop. To follow through on the ideas we suggested today, this is where you need to start.

For a platform that puts key data at your fingertips, look no further than CHARiotWeb. Our mobile dashboards and web reporting give you the oversight you need, when you need it. To find out more, get in touch on 01204 706000.