This Social Media for Charities course is designed for staff, volunteers and others involved in managing or supporting a charity’s online communication. It explains how social media can help charities raise awareness, communicate with different audiences, promote services, recruit volunteers, demonstrate impact and support fundraising.
This free course covers channel selection, content planning, accessibility, audience engagement, fundraising communication, moderation, data protection, account security and organisational accountability. Learners will also explore how clear policies, approval processes and role boundaries support responsible social media activity.
Watch the course trailer
Captions are available in the player (CC). The video plays from YouTube, which only loads when you press play.
Why Take This eLearning Course?
Social media can help charities reach supporters, beneficiaries, volunteers and community partners, but effective communication requires more than simply publishing regular posts. This course supports a considered approach in which content has a clear purpose, reaches the right audience and reflects the charity’s responsibilities and values.
This course will help you to:
- Choose social media channels that suit your audience, communication goals and available resources.
- Plan relevant content around charity services, campaigns, events and organisational priorities.
- Produce clearer, more accessible and respectful social media content.
- Use content calendars, scheduling tools and approval processes effectively.
- Build constructive relationships with supporters and other online audiences.
- Review meaningful measures of social media performance.
- Communicate fundraising activity clearly and responsibly.
- Handle photographs, personal stories and supporter content with appropriate care.
- Respond consistently to criticism, complaints, misinformation and abusive behaviour.
- Protect charity accounts and work within appropriate role and governance boundaries.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain the main purposes of social media within a charity.
- Identify relevant audiences and set suitable communication goals.
- Compare social media channels and select those appropriate to a charity’s needs.
- Plan clear, respectful and accessible social media content.
- Use content planning, scheduling and approval processes appropriately.
- Describe methods for engaging audiences and reviewing social media performance.
- Explain key responsibilities when using social media for fundraising.
- Apply a structured approach to negative interactions, complaints and moderation.
- Recognise situations that should be escalated through organisational procedures.
- Explain responsibilities relating to data protection, account security, authority and accountability.
Social Media for Charities Course Outline
The course is organised into six modules covering the full social media process for charities, from setting communication goals and planning content through to fundraising, moderation, data protection, security and organisational accountability.
Module 1: Social Media Purpose, Audiences and Channel Selection
Learners will explore why charities use social media to raise awareness, communicate with supporters and service audiences, recruit volunteers, promote services, share impact and support fundraising. The module considers how communication goals should reflect the needs of different audiences and introduces the main characteristics of platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and X. Learners will also examine how audience evidence, communication purpose, content format, accessibility, organisational capacity and values can inform the selection of appropriate channels.
Module 2: Content Planning, Accessibility and Approval
Learners will examine how content themes can be linked to charity goals and planned around services, campaigns, events, fundraising activity and organisational updates. The module explains the importance of plain language, suitable tone, accurate information, accessible visual and video content, and respectful representation of beneficiaries. Learners will also consider how content calendars support planning and coordination, and how scheduling tools and approval processes can help charities prepare content while maintaining appropriate checks and oversight.
Module 3: Engagement, Audience Growth and Performance
Learners will consider practical ways to create engaging social media content using useful information, appropriate stories, strong visuals, suitable video, carefully chosen questions and clear calls to action. The module explores how consistent communication and shared reach can support sustainable audience growth without focusing only on follower numbers. It also covers constructive online relationships, including listening, acknowledging contributions, responding accurately and maintaining a consistent organisational tone. Learners will examine measures such as reach, engagement, link activity, video viewing, enquiries, sign-ups and donations, while recognising the limitations of isolated metrics.
Module 4: Social Media Fundraising and Responsible Storytelling
Learners will explore social media fundraising and the standards that apply when charities use online communication to encourage donations or promote fundraising activity. The module considers the importance of making clear who benefits, the purpose of an appeal, its intended impact, supporting evidence, relevant conditions and routes to further information. Learners will also examine the safe use of photographs, personal stories and supporter content, including permissions, privacy, dignity and accuracy. Responsibilities when volunteers, partners, influencers or other third parties promote fundraising on a charity’s behalf are also covered.
Module 5: Moderation, Complaints and Escalation
Learners will examine different forms of negative online interaction, including reasonable criticism, complaints, misinformation, spam, abuse and potentially harmful or illegal content. The module explains how agreed policies and house rules can support consistent moderation decisions and proportionate actions such as replying, hiding, removing, reporting or restricting content. Learners will follow a structured approach to responding to negative comments and complaints, including checking facts, protecting confidential information and moving sensitive discussions to appropriate channels. The module also identifies situations requiring escalation, including threats, safeguarding concerns, serious allegations, sustained abuse, compromised accounts and legal or reputational concerns.
Module 6: Data Protection, Security and Accountability
Learners will consider the data protection implications of charity social media activity, including the handling of personal data, photographs, stories, direct messages and supporter information. The module introduces relevant considerations under UK data protection requirements and electronic marketing rules, while emphasising the importance of following approved organisational processes. Learners will also explore account access controls, strong authentication, scam awareness and arrangements for account ownership and recovery. The module concludes with role boundaries, trustee oversight, relevant governance context and the importance of accountable checks, records, monitoring and escalation before and after publication.
Target Audience
This course is suitable for:
- Charity staff responsible for social media or communications.
- Volunteers who create, publish or moderate online content.
- Fundraising staff using social media to support appeals and campaigns.
- Managers overseeing charity communications or digital activity.
- Trustees who want to understand social media oversight and organisational controls.
- Staff or volunteers supporting community engagement, services, events or supporter communication.
No previous specialist knowledge is required.
FAQ
Who is this social media for charities course suitable for?
The course is suitable for charity staff, volunteers, fundraisers, communications workers, managers and trustees who need to understand how social media can be used responsibly and effectively within a charitable organisation.
Do I need any previous experience?
No previous specialist knowledge is required. The course introduces the main principles of charity social media activity and is suitable for people who are new to the topic as well as those who already support organisational accounts.
What will I learn on this course?
You will learn how to identify audiences, select suitable social channels, plan accessible content, organise approvals, engage constructively with audiences and review social media performance. The course also covers fundraising communication, responsible use of stories and photographs, moderation, escalation, data protection, account security and role boundaries.
Will this course help with day-to-day practice?
Yes. The course focuses on decisions that staff and volunteers may need to make when planning posts, choosing communication channels, responding to audiences, moderating comments, handling sensitive information and working within organisational procedures.
Does the course cover practical skills?
The course explains practical approaches to content planning, content calendars, scheduling, approval processes, audience engagement, performance measures, moderation and account protection. It also provides a structured approach for responding to complaints and recognising when an issue needs to be escalated.
Does the course cover fundraising and organisational responsibilities?
Yes. The course covers social media fundraising, clear appeal information, appropriate use of photographs and stories, responsibilities involving third-party promoters and the need to follow relevant fundraising standards. It also considers data protection, safeguarding, trustee oversight, account security and organisational role boundaries where these affect social media activity.
How long does the course take?
The course is self-paced and usually takes around 1 hour to complete.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. A certificate is issued after successful completion.
Responsible social media management can help a charity communicate more clearly while protecting the people it represents and maintaining appropriate organisational oversight. This course provides a practical foundation for planning, publishing, reviewing and managing charity social media activity with greater confidence and consistency.
Enrol now to build your understanding of social media for charities.
