A small charity can create a realistic content plan by choosing information its audiences need and checking how much its team has time to produce. Start with the priorities your communications need to support, then agree which content to create, who will contribute and when each item can be ready. Include time for gathering information, writing, design and approval before setting publication dates. Plan the next few weeks in detail, while looking ahead to campaigns that need earlier preparation. Review the response and workload to improve the next plan.
Plan content that helps your audience and supports your charity’s goals, then check that your team has the time and support to produce it before committing to dates.
Choose the content your audience needs
Start with the priorities your charity needs to communicate about, such as a service, volunteer recruitment or a fundraising appeal. Identify who you need to reach and what information will help them understand, decide or act. Use questions from enquiries, conversations and feedback to choose specific subjects. Prospective volunteers may want to know how much time they would need to give and what support they would receive. Answering those questions helps them decide whether to apply. Include time-sensitive information, such as service changes or event booking details. Check whether existing content could meet the need with an update. Keep other useful ideas on a separate list without committing to produce everything at once. If you need help deciding which activities deserve your time, see what marketing a small organisation should prioritise first.
Work out how much production time is available
Choose a period to plan in detail, such as the coming month. Ask each person how much time they can give after allowing for other responsibilities, leave and regular communication tasks. Keep some time free for unexpected work. Estimate the time needed for each proposed item, using similar work as a guide. Include gathering information, writing, design, accessibility checks, permissions, approval and publishing. Where you expect comments or enquiries, allow time to respond. Compare the work with each person’s availability. The writer may have time to prepare several pieces while the designer or reviewer can only support some of them. If the work will not fit, prioritise the most useful or time-sensitive items. Simplify formats, defer lower-priority ideas or arrange additional support before committing to the schedule.
Agree responsibilities before committing to dates
For each item, agree who will take responsibility for getting it published. Confirm what they need from contributors and reviewers, and when those people can help. Allow for waiting time as well as working time. An update might take an hour to write, but if the person approving it is unavailable until the following week, publication needs to reflect that.
Record the agreed details in a shared spreadsheet or document:
For a fixed deadline, work backwards and confirm the dates with everyone involved. If they cannot meet them, simplify the content or agree what additional help is needed. CharityComms’ guidance for small teams offers further advice on briefing contributors, organising approvals and keeping commitments manageable.
Plan ahead for campaigns and supporting content
Keep a note of campaigns, events and deadlines over the coming months. Identify preparation that needs to begin early, such as arranging photography or gathering interviews. Consider how your audience will find the information. A website page might provide the full details, while an email or social post encourages people to visit it. Include the work needed for each in your plan. Sharing material can save time, but adapting copy, preparing images and checking each version still requires work. Schedule related content in the right order. If an email directs people to a booking page, make sure the page is ready and the booking process works before the email goes out.
Adjust the plan when circumstances change
When an urgent request arrives, clarify who needs the information, when they need it and what would happen if publication waited. If it takes priority, agree which work will move, be simplified or be dropped. Update the plan and tell anyone affected. If similar requests regularly disrupt the schedule, allow time for them in future plans. When work repeatedly falls behind, identify the cause. Too much production may require fewer commitments or additional support. Delays in receiving information or approval may require earlier contribution deadlines or agreed time for reviews.
Review what the content achieved and what it took to produce
Before publishing, decide what evidence would help you judge whether the content served its purpose. For volunteer recruitment, this might include relevant enquiries and applications. For service information, feedback and the questions readers still ask can help identify what needs further explanation. AMEC’s evaluation framework distinguishes communication activity from audience response and outcomes. Publishing on schedule shows that you delivered the plan. Also consider whether people understood the information or took the intended next step. Choose a few relevant measures and consider them alongside feedback. Fewer enquiries could mean the information answered people’s questions, but could also mean fewer people saw it. At the end of the planning period, review the results and production time. Decide what to continue, what needs improving and which commitments to adjust. Avoid assuming that more demanding content should be dropped if its value justifies the work.
If publishing regularly depends on last-minute work or more time than your team can spare, Grinning Graphics can help. We work with you to prioritise useful content, agree a manageable schedule and provide ongoing copywriting and design support.