Guidance for charities on working effectively with bloggers

BritMums, the largest and most influential network for parent bloggers set up a new initiative in early 2012.  It is called Charity Connections – Blogging It Forward. In simple terms, it is all about charities harnessing the promotional power of bloggers to spread awareness of their needs and campaigns.  Commercial organisations utilise bloggers all the time and BritMums would love to see charities making the most of the goodwill and powerful influence of bloggers.

Response

Lots of charities got in touch saying they wanted to be involved with the parent blogging community.  Some had very definite ideas on how they wanted things to work.  Most were not quite sure but just felt the offer of FREE publicity was way too good an opportunity to ignore.  Lots of bloggers have already registered to say they want to connect with good causes and blog it forward.  Thank you to all of those who have shown that this initiative can work so well.

What Can Bloggers Help With?

Bloggers can highlight a charity’s need for volunteers or Trustees.

Bloggers can show their support by carrying a charity’s badge on their blog.

Bloggers can encourage their readers to get involved in specific campaigns and events.

Bloggers can take part in fundraising challenges and blog about their experiences.

Bloggers can volunteer and describe their experiences.

Bloggers can carry surveys and other consultation tools.

Bloggers can cover stories about raffles and other fundraising tools.

Bloggers can promote goods and auctions that raise money for charity.

Bloggers can visit charitable projects and report back.

Bloggers can nominate their charity of the year and promote them all year round.

How bloggers see Charity Connections – Blogging It Forward working best

Feedback from bloggers suggests …

1. Individual bloggers are most likely to help when they feel strongly about an issue and/or it has affected their family/friends.
2. Bloggers see the giving of their time as a form of volunteering as it involves them giving their time.
3. Although bloggers may not know about every charity, they would like to learn more and to be kept informed of campaigns.
4. Bloggers tend to want to not regurgitate press releases.  They like to add that personal touch.
5. Bloggers would like charities to give them plenty of notice of campaigns and events.
6. Bloggers want charities to know that they combine blogging with other demands on their time especially as busy parents.  This means they will not always respond immediately.  If charities have a deadline for involvement, they need to say so and be realistic.
7. As with any partnership, things work best with a little give and take.
8. Bloggers are really keen to hear how individual charities see this initiative working best so please do send your feedback, concerns and ideas to kateonthinice@gmail.com who is the Co-ordinator for BritMums – Charity Connections – Blogging It Forward.

Examples of Good Partnerships Between Charities and Bloggers.

There are several good examples of where partnerships between charities and bloggers have worked well.  Here are some which give some clues as to how things might work best.

1. ActionAid help a tea-party for bloggers.  It was a fun event where bloggers and Action Aid could meet and discuss things.  Bloggers returned home and blogged about the event and what they had learned.  Some bloggers sponsored children as a direct result of this initiative.
2. Save The Children sent 3 mum bloggers to Mozambique.  They reported on their experiences before, during and afterwards.  They also harnessed the power of the parenting blogger community to sign petitions and the like.
3. Tommy’s have forged a good relationship with the bloggers it works with.  It is keen to engage with more bloggers.
4. The Cats’ Protection has launched a blogger network today.

Perhaps the learning from these examples is that relationships between bloggers and charities work best where they meet up close and personal whether face-to-face or online in networks.

If you would like to know where you can find out more about the good practice examples quoted, please email kateonthinice@gmail.com

If you have your own examples please let us know and we can include them in the next briefing.

BritMums hope this information is useful.  All feedback is very welcome and best emailed to kateonthinice@gmail.com