The Importance of employee engagement

Let’s start with a question. What’s the simplest and most cost-effective way to spread the word about the great work you’re doing? Social media influencers? No. Celebrities? Nope. Flashy ad campaigns? Definitely not.

Granted, these are great options if you have deep pockets or well-connected trustees.

But your most powerful ambassadors are a lot closer to home: your employees.

They know the charity better than anyone else. They’re on the front line, executing your fundraising campaigns, attending events, and working with beneficiaries. They also see the impact of the work you’re doing.

Who’s better placed to promote your brand?

What is employee advocacy?

Employee advocates are similar to brand ambassadors in the sense that they actively endorse your brand.

It can take place online or offline. But in 2023, the most effective way to do it is on social media.

It’s like word-of-mouth for the digital age.

What are the benefits of an employee advocacy programme?

Your employees are one of your biggest untapped marketing resources. They’re the influencers and brand ambassadors that have been under your nose all along.

Some of them may wax lyrical about the charity already. But an official employee advocacy program can take that organic influence to the next level. 

Here are just a few of the reasons to consider implementing an employee advocacy programme.

Credibility & trust

84% of consumers’ value recommendations from friends and family above any forms of marketing.

And 77% of consumers are more likely to donate after hearing about a charity from someone they trust. 

The numbers say it all. Employee advocacy is a powerful way to establish credibility and generate additional income.

Reach & engagement

Collectively, your employees are probably connected to hundreds, if not thousands of people on social media. LinkedIn research shows that, on average, employees’ social network are ten times larger than those of brands.

That’s a lot of potential eyeballs on your brand.

It’s also worth noting that content shared by employees receives 8X more engagement than that shared by brands directly, due to it being perceived as more authentic.

Talent acquisition & retention

Employee advocacy is being adopted by a growing number of brands to meet the growing recruitment challenge in the UK. And it’s making a difference.

According to LinkedIn research, organisations with successful advocacy programmes are 50% more likely to attract talent and 20% more likely to retain employees.

No surprise there. What would appeal to you more? A bog-standard job ad, or a personalised recommendation from someone working on the front line?

Final Word

We’ve told you what employee advocacy is and why you should consider implementing an employee advocacy programme. Now what?

Keep an eye out for part two of this series, where we’ll tell you how to turn your staff into raving brand ambassadors.

In the meantime, if you’re looking to expand your fundraising team, we’re well-placed to help. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or email us at info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.

Blogging 101: Part 3

You’ve spent hours crafting an insightful, educational, and engaging blog post. You followed the advice in our previous Blogging 101 post and are proud of the quality of your content.

You give it a final proofread, upload it to your website, and wait for the influx of views, comments, and shares.

A week later, you’re disappointed to see there’s been no engagement.

The post has tanked, and you have no idea why.

The good news? It may have nothing to do with the quality of your writing. A lot of blog posts fail to capture readers’ attention due to the way they’re formatted.

In this final part of our Blogging 101 series, we’re going to give you the lowdown on blog formatting and leave you with a few best practice tips to ensure your readers keep coming back for more.

Let’s get into it.

Why is formatting important?

People consume blog content differently to printed content. Web content is rarely read word by word. Instead, people scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences.

For this reason, your blog posts need to be clear, easy to read, and scannable. If they’re not, readers will move on.

Here are some top formatting tips to bear in mind when writing your next blog post.

Keep your paragraphs short

A blog post doesn’t need huge blocks of text to communicate depth. Let the value of your content speak for itself. By keeping your paragraphs short (2-4 sentences), you’ll give readers the gift of whitespace, which has been shown to increase reading speed and comprehension.

Break up the copy

No one wants to be faced with a wall of text - it’s a surefire way to turn readers off. Break up the copy by incorporating these formatting tactics:

Subheadings

Subheadings are effectively mini titles. They act as “signposts” in the copy, so readers can easily identify what each section of the blog is about. If you’ve got four key points to make in your post, you’ll likely need four subheadings.

Lists

Lists are the cornerstone of scannable content. They’re generally used to summarise/highlight key information or lay out a sequence of steps in a process.

You can itemise your lists using:

Bullet points: use these when the order of the information doesn’t matter.
Numbered lists: use these when the order of the items is important, (e.g., steps for following a recipe).

Images

A picture is worth a thousand words, so make use of them.

• Striking images can drive a point home and elicit an emotional response.

• Diagrams or gifs can help you explain complicated topics.

• Infographics are a great way to highlight the impact of a campaign.

Include internal links

Internal links are links from one part of your website to another part of your website. For example, this internal link takes you from this page to part one of our ‘Blogging: 101’ series.

Internal links are important as they help readers navigate your website and find information they want to read.

They’re also important for search engine optimisation.

The number of internal links pointing to a page is a signal to search engines about the importance of that page. So, the more internal links a post or page receives, the more important it’s perceived to be by the search engines.

In other words, you can use internal links strategically to give the most important pages on your website an SEO boost.

Incorporate keywords

If your blog content ranks highly on Google, you’ll get web traffic consistently over time. But you can’t just publish any old content and expect to be inundated with visitors. You need to write about topics that people are searching for.

This is why you need to include keywords in your blog posts. 

Find out more about keywords, read our post titled: improve your SEO in 5 easy steps.

Best Practice tips

That’s the lowdown on formatting. Let’s round things off with a few best practice tips.

How long should a blog post be?

If you google this question, you’ll get a million different answers, because there’s no hard and fast rule. There’s evidence to suggest that long form blog posts (1000 words+) rank better on google, but there’s no “one size fits all” solution as different topics require different depths of content.

The one thing the experts agree on is, for SEO purposes, a blog post should be 300 words minimum, but over and above this, it’s a case of quality over quantity.

How often should you post?

Search engines favour blogs that are updated frequently, so the more content you publish, the better your chances of climbing the search engine rankings.

However, you can’t compromise on quality, so be realistic about what you can produce.

Start by posting once a week. You can increase it once you know how time intensive the process is.

Build up a reserve

Whether you’re posting once a week or daily, you need to be consistent - both to establish credibility with your audience and keep them coming back for more.

To ensure there are no gaps, build up a reserve of content. Aim to have 3- or 4-weeks’ worth of posts written in advance, so you don’t get caught short.

Need some help/advice with your blog? Our content manager can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.

Proposed changes to inheritance tax could affect legacy income

Inheritance Tax (IHT) has been hitting the headlines recently, sparked by a group of Conservative MPs lobbying for its abolition. 

Jacob Rees-Mogg and Liz Truss are among 50 MPs who have written to the prime minister calling for IHT to be scrapped.

The campaign was spearheaded by former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who branded inheritance tax “morally wrong”.

As a result, the Conservative party is said to be considering making the scrapping of inheritance tax part of its manifesto pledge, in an attempt to shore up votes ahead of the 2025 general election.

While the proposed change is being welcomed by homeowners, charities are concerned about the effect it would have on legacy giving.  

Before we delve into the reasons why, let’s look at how charities benefit now.

The current state of play

Inheritance tax is a charge on the estate of a person that has died. An estate consists of their property, money, and possessions.

As things currently stand, people with an estate worth less than £325,000 don’t have to pay inheritance tax.

Anyone with an estate above that value is liable to pay 40% tax on the amount over the £325,000 threshold.

The current IHT framework incentivises legacy giving, as charitable gifts in wills are exempt from tax, effectively increasing the IHT allowance on supporters’ estates.

And, if someone donates more than 10% of their estate to charity, they benefit from a discounted IHT rate of 36% across the remainder of their estate.

Third sector concerns

Through its Remember A Charity campaign, the Chartered Institute of Fundraising is urging government and policymakers to consult with them to explore the impact it would have on charities.

The organisation is concerned that changes to the IHT framework could pose a risk to what has become one of the largest sources of voluntary income in the UK, raising £3.9bn annually.

Lucinda Frostick, Director of Remember A Charity said of the news, ‘Legacy giving has become a lifeline for thousands of charities and community-based organisations, building resilience and long-term income that has proved crucial in the current economic climate.”

While IHT impacts less than 4% of deaths, the impact of the gifts from those estates is considerable. They account for around one-quarter of all charitable estates and half of all legacy income donated.

Third sector response

Remember A Charity is taking the lead on a collaborative response to the Government. As Lucinda Frostick explains: ‘As a representative body for almost 200 charities that rely on legacy giving, we’ll be urging government and policymakers to consult with us, our partners, and the wider sector to explore the impact of any IHT changes on gifts in wills and ensure that legacy income will be protected.’

The organisation is working with the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and other sector bodies to build up a bank of evidence on the importance of the IHT to present to Sunak Rishi in the coming months.

Looking for a fundraiser to maximise your legacy income? We can help. Call us on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.

Top tips for first-time interviewers

Interview anxiety is a real thing. Research by employment screening company JDP found that 93% of the people surveyed feel the fear before an interview.

However, interviews can be just as nerve-racking for the people sitting on the other side of the table – especially if they’re new to interviewing.

There’s a wealth of interview advice out there for interviewees, but very little for interviewers.

To put that right, we’ve compiled some top tips to help first-time interviewers navigate the process and find the right person for the job.

Let’s dive in.

Pre-interview

Choose your approach

Some hiring managers take an unstructured approach to interviews. Rather than asking a pre-determined set of questions, they’ll have an informal, free-flowing conversation with candidates, and questions will arise spontaneously.

As a newbie, we recommend you take a more structured approach, by:

• Preparing the questions in advance, based on the criteria in the job ad and the person specification.

• Ask the same basic questions of all the candidates, in the same order. (But be sure to ask additional questions that arise from the individual application forms if clarification is needed, i.e. gaps in employment).

• Ask open-ended behavioural and situational questions.

• Avoid cliche questions, or you run the risk of getting canned responses.

• Don’t ask anything relating to “protected characteristics” as it’s illegal. In other words, questions about age, race, gender, religion, disability, and/or marital status are a no-go.

Define your rating system

Before the interviews kick-off, you need to come up with a fair, consistent rating system. There are no hard and fast rules for this, but as a minimum, we suggest you do the following:

1.   Identify the key criteria you’ll use to evaluate candidates i.e., job-related skills, experience, qualifications, personal attributes, and cultural fit. Your interview questions should address each skill /attribute.

2.   Decide on a scoring system. This will typically be a numerical score, such as 1-5 or 1-10. (Add a key to explain the scoring system).

3.   Add the questions and attributes you’re assessing to the sheet, with space next to each for notes.

Want some inspiration? There are loads of templates online.

Review the CV’s

This may sound obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many interviewers go into an interview without giving the CV’s even a cursory glance.
Spend 30 minutes before each interview reviewing the candidate’s CV. Compare it to the job spec and jot down any questions/concerns that arise. While you’re at it, make a note of something you can use as an icebreaker. Does the candidate have an interesting hobby? Have they worked somewhere unusual?

During the interview

Put the candidate at ease

Regardless of how nervous you are, it’s your job to put candidates at ease so you can get the best out of them.

As they arrive, greet them warmly, and thank them for coming.

Once you’re both seated, it’s time for kick-off.

Remember that ice-breaker we told you to jot down earlier? Start with that. It’ll help the candidate relax and get the conversation flowing.

Take notes

The interview process may stretch over days or weeks. Notes will ensure you're basing your hiring decision on solid information, rather than half-remembered impressions.

Want to improve your note-taking skills? Here are five effective methods to try out. 

If note-taking isn’t your forte, ask a colleague to sit in on the interviews and do it for you.

Listen

The aim of the interview is to learn about the candidate, so don’t hog the conversation. As a guide, aim to speak 20% of the time and listen for 80%.

Give candidates as much time as they need to think about how to answer your questions. However, if they start sweating profusely, glaze over, or stutter over an answer, rephrase the question or give them a gentle prompt.

Invite questions

When you’re done with your questions, give candidates an opportunity to ask theirs.

It’s your turn to sell the charity and role to them. So make sure you’re clued up on the responsibilities, benefits, training and progression opportunities, and the organisational culture.

The close

Thank the candidate for their time and let them know when they’re likely to hear back. If you’re thinking of progressing them, give them the heads up as to the next steps i.e., will there be a second interview? Do they need to prepare a presentation?

After the interview

Provide feedback

The candidates gave up their time to apply and meet you – the least they deserve is feedback, whether it’s positive or negative.

When rejecting candidates, refer back to your interview notes and pick out a few points, (both good and bad) to relay back to them. Balanced feedback will soften the blow.

Act quickly

If someone stands out, don’t hang around. There’s nothing worse than losing your ideal candidate to another charity because you didn’t move fast enough.

Final Word

This is a whistle-stop tour of the interview process. If you’ve got any questions or would like to discuss an aspect of the process in more detail, feel free to give us a call on 0203 750 3111.

Government urged to act over threat to small charities

In the 2023 spring budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that the government will provide £101.5m to small charities and community organisations in England over the next two years.

He said that around three-quarters of the funding will be used to deliver grants to the frontline charities and community organisations that have been most impacted by increased delivery costs and demand for their services, while the remaining quarter will be used to increase the energy efficiency and sustainability of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations.

However, the money is yet to be distributed.

In a letter to Rishi Sunak, representatives from more than 900 small charities and voluntary sector supporters urged the PM to recognise the vital role they play in communities across the country.

The letter called for more support and highlighted the pressures they are under. It said, “every day, small charities are closing or reducing services. We are exhausted, burnt out, and the mental health of our staff and volunteers is suffering.” It went on to say “the tide of demand threatens to overwhelm” them.

The letter, which was delivered to Downing Street during Small Charities Week, invited Sunak to visit some small charities “so you can fully understand the critical role these organisations play”, and meet the Small Charities Advisory Panel “to find sustainable solutions.”

Co-chair of the Small Charities Advisory Boardboard, Ray Coyle, said of the letter: “we have called on the Prime Minister to meet with us, better understand our challenges, and work with us to find sustainable solutions. Small charities need to be seen as integral for building strong communities.

We cannot be taken for granted and the current situation is not sustainable. For every charity that closes, that’s a lifeline for a community taken away.”

At the same time, The Lloyds Bank Foundation (a long-time supporter of the small charity sector) called on the government to clarify “when, how and to whom” the £100m would be distributed.

The Foundation went on to say that, while the money is welcome, it needs to be backed up by longer term support, including: 

• Ensuring local authorities have the resources they need for local services.  

• Supporting and challenging local authorities to ensure funding and commissioning arrangements are easy for small charities to access, and that contract and funding arrangements are updated to reflect inflation and rising costs.  

• Continuing support for small charities to meet their energy bills and costs. 

• Engaging with small charities to hear their concerns and understand the issues they face.  

Government response

In response, a spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “The £100m package announced as part of the spring budget will ensure frontline charities and community organisations can continue their vital work to support some of the most vulnerable people in society.

“We are working at pace to finalise the delivery time frames, delivery partner and eligibility criteria, with the aim of opening the application process for the critical support funding this summer.”

Final Word

Keep an eye on the Bamboo blog for further updates on the Government’s response to the letter. We’ll also let you know when the £100m funding becomes available.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a talented fundraiser to help you navigate your way through these difficult times, we can help. Call us on 0203 750 1111 for an informal chat.