When we ask the public what they want to hear from charities, one thing comes through loud and clear: they want to know about the difference their support has made.
They want to know how their donations, their volunteer hours, have helped.
We know that thousands of charities around the country make a real difference every day. And we know that between us the impact we have on the country and the world is massive.
We want to remind people of everything that’s great about charities, and show them we’re very grateful for their support.
To do this, we’re asking charities to use the hashtag #YouMadeItHappen on social media on Monday 19 November.
It’s an opportunity to thank your own supporters – and after a time when some charities have had media attention for negative reasons – for all of us to show the difference we make together.
Join us by thinking of the messages you want to highlight and using the hashtag on Monday 19 November.
For example:
- This year, we helped over 300 homeless people in Manchester find permanent accommodation. We couldn’t have done it without your support #YouMadeItHappen
- Thanks to your support, we re-planted 200 acres of forest last year #YouMadeItHappen
- Eve’s village now has access to safe drinking water because of your donations #YouMadeItHappen
And of course you’ll probably want to add images to show people your work.
We hope you’ll be able to join us, our partners in #YouMadeItHappen – CharityComms, the Small Charities Coalition, FSI, the Institute of Fundrasing and Acevo – and charities across the country in doing this.
FAQ
Is there any branding to use?
We want your organisation’s story to be front and centre so we’ve not created any branding. The hashtag is the key thing – along with your story.
Is this a fundraising campaign?
We want this to be primarily about thanking supporters and showing the difference their support has made. It means a lot to supporters to hear this. Giving Tuesday is the following week so it’s a good opportunity to remind people of your work ahead of that.
Will this be happening every year?
We’re going to see how it goes. If people like it, we’re very happy to do it again, and/or adapt it based on this year.
What do you hope the impact will be?
We want supporters themselves to see charities thanking them, and we want everyone to see that charities think it’s important to thank their supporters. We also want people to notice the hashtag and see the amazing range of work charities do. We hope it will also be a helpful exercise for charities to think about the best way to talk about the difference they make in a simple and accessible way.
I have another question
Please email tell@ncvo.org.uk or DM @NCVO on Twitter and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Fun Twitter campaign alert! An opportunity to thank everyone who helps your charity achieve its mission on 19th November – donors, volunteers, ambassadors and more. #YouMadeItHappen https://t.co/LxoGJl9uzJ
— Lindsay Harrod (@lindsaymharrod) October 26, 2018
Join us on 19 November in championing your supporters. Because of them, charities are enabled to make a difference to the world every day. Let's shout about it. #YouMadeItHappen https://t.co/IcDkKOrv2i
— CharityComms (@CharityComms) October 26, 2018
Thanking donors & showing the difference they’ve made is at the heart of excellent fundraising. Glad @IoFtweets is supporting @NCVO on this. Let’s all celebrate supporters on 19th November – get involved! https://t.co/2nR3HR33bZ
— Daniel Fluskey (@danielfluskey) October 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/sccoalition/status/1055476681543172097
Aidan Warner is NCVO’s communications manager. He writes about charity communications. He has previously worked at the BBC, the General Medical Council and Mind, the mental health charity. 
