How to create powerful information resources

It’s likely your charity has valuable information to share. That might be research to influence government bodies, crisis-point signposting for service users, or guidance to help volunteers do their job well.

 

To share that information effectively, it needs to be presented in the right format, tailored to your audience, and delivered in a tone and style that speaks to your reader.

 

Here are some tips to help you create accessible, user-friendly information resources.

 

 

Pin down the purpose of the resource

 

Get really clear on how the resource will be used and what you want people to know, feel and do after they’ve read it. If you’re creating the resource yourself, this will help to tailor your content and communicate it in the most direct way. And if someone else is creating it, a defined purpose will form the basis of a great brief.

 

 

Define your audience

 

As with any comms, you’ll need to pinpoint your audience at the start of the process. Doing this will help you to decide on format (for example, web content, printed leaflets, video, or infographics) and how to pitch your tone and language.

 

If you’re developing an information resource for service users, you might want to dig into your existing data to give you a clearer picture of the people you’re targeting. You can read more about this in our article on audience-focused content.

 

 

Choose what format to use

 

There are lots of different ways you can present your information, including:

• Videos
• Fact sheets
• Research reports
• Infographics
• Animations
• Blogs
• Website content 
• Quizzes 
• Printed Q&As

Always use the format that best suits the needs of your target audience and presents the information as clearly as possible. To make that decision, think about how your audience is likely to digest the information and ask yourself the following questions:

• How is your audience most likely to access the information? (eg, online, offline)
• Will they need to access the information when at crisis point? 
• Will they use the information in a work context?
• Will they access the information in a busy environment? (eg, on a service user visit)
• Will they have time to digest the information over a longer time?

 

Consider using more than one format

 

It might be that a couple of options work best, especially if you are targeting two audiences who will use the information in different ways. For example, you might create a detailed research report, complete with references and footnotes, for campaigning with government departments or partner charities. But alongside that, you could create a quick reference infographics sheet for fundraisers to use.

 

 

Decide what level of content to include

 

Tailor your content depending on the purpose of the resource and your audience, and consider what level of detail is most appropriate.

 

Include a date that your resource was created or most recently reviewed. This will help your audience know that your information is up-to-date, which is particularly important when supporting people with practical information.

 

When creating web content, it can be helpful to say how long it will take to read the article. This will help the audience decide whether it’s suitable for them at that point in time. You’ll also need to consider your tone of voice if creating a written resource.

 

 

Make your information accessible

 

Whatever format you use, you’ll want to make it as accessible as possible. That might include:

• Using plain English 
• Translating into different languages 
• Using accessible fonts and contrasts 
• Alt-tagging any images 
• Including trigger warnings 
• Making sure videos and lives have closed captions
• Including a transcript when embedding video content on your website

Read our guides on: making digital communications more accessible, making videos accessible, and choosing accessible fonts and colours.

 

 

Look around for inspiration

 

There are lots of great charity resources, in a range of formats, to inspire you. Take a look at the following:

 

Human Rights Watch produces easy-to-read reports, alongside full research reports – making the information accessible to a wider audience.

 

Instead of a list of criteria, The Health Lottery Foundation has an eligibility quiz for charities to find out if they can apply for a grant. This makes the process clear and simple for applicants.  

 

The NSPCC also uses a quiz format, to help parents and carers decide whether their child is ready to be home or out alone. Breaking up the information like this, makes it interactive and engaging.

 

Sometimes a simple approach is the most effective. The NCVO shares online help and guidance with other charities, using an image-free, clean design with clear sub-heads. This makes the guidance easy to digest and accessible. 

 

The Mulberry Bush Charity produced a short, focused video to show its impact in 2024, including animation to make stats engaging and accessible.