Good communication is essential to the success of any organisation. For charities and not-for-profit organisations, it plays a particularly important role in bringing people together, building trust and ensuring everyone is working towards the same goals.
Whether you're communicating with trustees, committee members, employees, volunteers, funders or the people your organisation supports, the way you share information can make a real difference.
Clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings, supports better decision-making and strengthens relationships. One useful way to improve your communication is to follow the seven Cs of communication.
The seven Cs provide a simple framework for making sure your messages are effective, easy to understand and appropriate for your audience.
1. Clear
Make sure your message is easy to understand. Avoid unnecessary jargon, complicated language or unexplained technical terms.
For example, when communicating with volunteers or committee members, explain what needs to be done, who is responsible and when it needs to happen. Don't leave people guessing.
2. Concise
Keep your messages focused and to the point. Long emails and lengthy documents can make it difficult for people to identify the information that matters most.
Think about what your audience really needs to know and remove anything that doesn't add value. This is particularly helpful when preparing meeting agendas, committee papers or updates for volunteers.
3. Complete
Include all the information your audience needs to understand your message and take the appropriate action.
If you're organising a fundraising event, for example, make sure volunteers know when and where to arrive, what their responsibilities are and who to contact if they have questions.
4. Coherent
Organise your message in a logical order so that your ideas flow naturally and are easy to follow.
When preparing a report for trustees or updating funders on a project, present the key information in a structured way. A clear beginning, middle and end will help readers understand the main points and make informed decisions.
5. Concrete
Be specific rather than vague. Use facts, examples and clear details wherever possible.
For instance, instead of saying that fundraising is going well, provide a specific update on funds raised against your target. This gives trustees and supporters a clearer picture of progress and helps them understand where further action may be needed.
6. Correct
Check that your information is accurate and that your spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct.
Accuracy is particularly important when communicating financial information, reporting to funders or providing updates to your board. Check figures, dates, names and other key details before sending information out. Getting the facts right helps build confidence in your organisation.
7. Courteous
Be respectful, considerate and professional in all your communications. A friendly and thoughtful approach helps build positive relationships with colleagues, volunteers, donors and the wider community.
Being courteous also means respecting other people's time. If you can't respond to a query straight away, let the person know when they can expect to hear from you. A short acknowledgement can go a long way.
Effective communication doesn't need to be complicated. Taking a few moments to review a message before sending it can help you identify missing information, remove unnecessary wording and make sure your message is appropriate for its intended audience.
It's also worth remembering that communication is a two-way process. Encourage questions, listen to feedback and make sure people feel comfortable raising concerns or asking for clarification.
For charities and not-for-profit organisations, good communication helps trustees make informed decisions, volunteers understand their roles, funders stay informed and teams work together more effectively.
By putting the seven Cs into practice, your organisation can strengthen relationships, reduce misunderstandings and spend more time focusing on what matters most: achieving its purpose and making a positive difference in the community.
Tax and Trust have been our Church’s Accountants for approximately 13 years. They always do their upmost for our Church and for any help I need or questions answered. As we are a Charity they take care of all our Charity Obligations with filing to the Charities Commission and with our Auditors with their yearly audit of our Accounts. We use the XERO Accounting System and Michelle and her team always help us with any queries. The whole team at Tax & Trust have always been friendly and helpful to myself. I have no hesitation in recommending them for any Clients that are Charities or just need new Accountants that they can trust who are professional & efficient Accountants.
