Many of you will have been involved in last year’s #YouMadeItHappen – an opportunity for voluntary sector organisations to say thank you to their supporters and to show them the difference their money and time has made, as well as showing the impact we make as a sector.
2018 was the first year of the campaign, and it was a brilliant success. Charities up and down the country, from small and local, to large national and international organisations, took the time to share with their supporters how their support was making a difference.
Building on the learning from last year’s campaign, we want to make #YouMadeItHappen even bigger and better for 2019.
This year’s campaign
First of all, we are making the campaign a little earlier this year on 11 October 2019.
Everything else is just the same as last year:
- Join us across Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram all day on 11 October by thinking of the messages you want to highlight and using the hashtag #YouMadeItHappen.
- The key is to make sure your supporters see you saying thank you. Get everyone to notice the hashtag and see the amazing organisations they and their friends and family are supporting, as well as the huge range of work charities do.
- Focus on providing stories and statistics that illustrate the difference your supporters make. This is not about raising money or getting more volunteers signing up, it is about simply saying ‘thank you’ to those who have already donated their time and money, as well as showing them exactly what that time and money is achieving for your mission.
Stuck for ideas?
Last year, with very little prompting from us and campaign partners (including CharityComms, the Small Charities Coalition, FSI, The Institute of Fundraising and Acevo) charities got creative with their content. My timeline was full of images, infographics, videos and more that all illustrated the impact of charities. Have a look at my summary blog from last year if you’re in need of some inspiration.
You can always get in touch with myself or Aidan Warner if you want some more support with the campaign.
If not, we look forward to seeing all of you sharing your #YouMadeItHappen stories on 11 October.
Rosie joined NCVO in 2018 as a trainee external relations officer after working as a programme manager for a literacy charity. Rosie supports both NCVO’s parliamentary work and media relations, including Constructive Voices, and is responsible for organising our annual Campaigning Conference. 
