How charities are failing their communications teams

Communications is vital to almost every aspect of charities’ work. This army of digital, marketing, public relations, and internal communications professionals are at the heart of fundraising and campaigning as well as liaising with staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders.  

But evidence is emerging that too many charities are undervaluing their role, with these professions blighted by poor pay, particularly outside of London.  

This is leading to charities missing out on hiring the best professionals, who are quitting the sector. 

The research shows that it is also changing the way charity communicators work, with many outside of London looking at remote working options to afford to save on commuting costs and access the better salaries enjoyed by workers in the capital. 

Here, we look at this latest evidence on how charity communications are being impacted by low pay and why many charities are undervaluing this aspect of their organisation.  

Low pay 

Latest evidence around pay among charity communications have emerged in the 2022 Salary and Organisational Culture Survey by sector body CharityComms with recruitment firm Charity People.  

This found that pay rates “can vary greatly depending on location, with London continuing to dominate the higher end of the scale”. 

Also, this is contributing to a lack of diversity in the sector, with so many jobs only available to those from affluent backgrounds that can afford to take a pay cut, in comparison with roles in the private sector.  

“The sector outside of London pays charity comms jobs as so low it is becoming unaffordable to work in this sector, breeding even less diversity than already exists,” said one charity communications officer at a large Midlands-based charity. 

Low pay is also contributing to a sense of being undervalued among communications staff at charities. The Charity Comms and Charity People survey found that only around four in ten (42%) of charity communicators feel more valued in 2022, compared to 53% feeling more valued the previous year.  

Despite the cost-of-living crisis and soaring inflation, the average salary for charity communicators rose by only 1.2%, from £38,909 in 2021 to £39,390 in 2022.  

Think tank Pro Bono Economics predicts that charity staff wages need to increase by 8.8% from 2021 levels by 2024 to keep pace with inflation.  

A failure to increase salaries risks an exodus of charity communicators, the Charity Comms and Charity People survey warns. 

“As the cost-of-living crisis continues, charities need to understand that they need to pay staff fairly, or risk losing them to the private sector,” said the digital manager of a large London charity who was surveyed. 

“We work in our sector because we want to make a difference, but if we can’t afford our basic living expenses the sector will lose us.” 

Home working 

Low pay is also fuelling a boom in home and hybrid working among charity communicators, that had already been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing in 2020. 

Remote working by communicators outside of the capital is a useful way for more people to access London salaries. It also cuts down on expenses of commuting, particularly in other costly cities to work and live in. 

According to one communications manager at a medium sized charity in London, “the pay drops dramatically outside of London, despite there being expensive cities to work in that aren’t London, which means remote jobs are often the best option for a decent salary”. 

Charity Comms and Charity People found that UK-wide more than fifth (22%) of charity communicators work from home full time.

Satisfaction Levels  

Despite poor pay, more than two thirds (67%) of charity communicators are happy in their role, a small decrease on the previous year’s figures.  

Almost three quarters (72%) feel positively about their work-life balance, but 85% charity communicators who work from home say they miss the social aspects of working in-person.  

The survey also points out that charities are undervaluing enthusiastic workers, as communicators in the sector work long hours, with 62% working beyond their contracted hours. 

Already, more are considering leaving their charity. In 2022, 43% of communicators said they planned a career move in the next 12 months. This is up on the previous three years when around 36% were looking to move jobs.  

The overwhelming majority (91%) of charity communicators who are looking to move are considering another in-house role. While 7% are looking to go freelance and 2% are considering agency roles. These proportions are broadly in line with survey results from the previous three years.  

“I would look for an organisation that is properly resourced with clearly defined roles and responsibilities,” said one digital manager at a large charity, regarding a potential move.