Ultimate Guide to Marketing your Charity 2026 - Online conference on Thursday 11 June

Interested in sponsoring this event? Please email [email protected] for more information.

What 2025 event delegates said

‘The conference was jam-packed with interesting speakers and useful, practical information and suggestions. A day very well spent!’ – Rebekah Wilson, The Wish Centre.

‘A very informative course covering a range of topics that was brought to life by some knowledgeable speakers. Enormously helpful in this time of change on social media when there are so many options that it can be difficult to know where best to focus efforts.’– Delegate from The Cameron Fund.

Event description

Effective marketing is essential to a charity’s success — helping you raise awareness, engage supporters, recruit volunteers and increase income. But with limited budgets, growing competition and fast-moving digital change, charity marketers are under more pressure than ever to deliver results.

The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Your Charity 2026 is a practical, one-day online conference designed to help you navigate today’s marketing challenges with confidence.

Through a mix of expert-led sessions, you’ll gain actionable insights, real-world examples and best practice you can put into action straight away. We’ll cover key areas including AI, social media changes, email marketing, search visibility, digital diversification, storytelling and short-form video.

Whether you work in a dedicated marketing role or have marketing as part of a wider remit, this conference will help you strengthen your approach and increase your charity’s impact.

Who should attend?

This conference is for anyone involved in their charity’s marketing.

The conference will include useful information for those whose specialisation and day job is marketing, as well as those without a formal marketing background that find themselves involved or even in charge of marketing their charity.

The conference will be especially relevant to:

• Head of Marketing
• Marketing Managers
• Social Media Managers and Leads
• Communication Managers and Leads
• Digital Marketing Officer

What’s included in the price?

• Attendance to the online conference, keynote session, session talks
• Access to all presentations and handouts
• Digital copy of Speed Read: Storytelling for Impact

Agenda

09.30 – Welcome

Join us for introductions, housekeeping rules.

09.45 – Keynote: Be Bold – Marketing Your Charity in a Polarised World

As public debate becomes more polarised and trust harder to earn, many charities feel pressure to soften their message, avoid controversy and stay out of the spotlight. But in moments of uncertainty, silence can come at a cost.

This keynote challenges charities to be brave, values-led and visible. We’ll explore how charities can respond to hate, speak up with confidence, and use marketing as a force for change, without losing trust or integrity.

10.15 – Using AI to Strengthen Your Marketing

AI tools are transforming how charities plan, create and evaluate marketing but knowing where to start (and what to avoid) can feel overwhelming.

This session explores how charities can use AI in their marketing while staying ethical, inclusive and human. Expect real-world examples and tips you can apply straight away.

11.00 – Coffee break

11.15 – Panel discussion –The Future of Social Media for Charities: What Still Works? What’s Changing?

Social platforms are evolving fast – algorithms shift, audiences fragment and trust feels harder to earn than ever. In this panel discussion, sector experts unpack what’s happening across key platforms including LinkedIn, X and emerging channels. We’ll explore where charities should focus their time, how to adapt to algorithm changes, and how to balance reach, engagement and values in a noisy digital space.

12.00 – Session – Breakout Sessions

Choose one of three breakout sessions on the topics below.

Session A: How to Optimise Your Website on a Low (or zero) Budget

Your website is often your most important marketing tool but what if you don’t have the budget for a full redesign? This session shares practical, low-cost (and no-cost) ways to improve usability, accessibility and impact. Learn how small changes to layout, content and user journeys can make a big difference to engagement and conversions.

Session B: Diversifying Digital Engagement

New platforms and partnership opportunities can offer exciting ways to connect with supporters but knowing where to start isn’t always obvious.

This session explores how charities can diversify their digital presence through emerging platforms like TikTok and partnerships with creators and communities on platforms such as Twitch. We’ll look at what these spaces are good for, how charities are using them in practice, and how to experiment safely without overstretching limited time and budgets. You’ll leave with ideas for broadening your reach, building authentic partnerships and deciding whether these platforms are right for your organisation.

Session C: Stories That Stick: Creative Writing for Charity Communications

Great storytelling builds trust, inspires action and stands out. This session focuses on developing compelling, ethical and inclusive stories for marketing and communications. You’ll explore how to write with clarity and emotion, adapt stories for different channels, and avoid common pitfalls.

12.45 – Networking (or take full hour for lunch)

13.00 – Lunch break

13.45 – Session – Breakout Sessions

Choose one of three breakout sessions on the topics below. More information on each session to follow.

Session D: Smarter Email Marketing: Personalisation That Builds Real Relationships

Email remains one of the most powerful tools in a charity marketer’s toolkit (when it’s done well!). This session explores how charities can use data, segmentation and personalisation to create emails that feel relevant rather than repetitive. Learn how to increase open rates, engagement and trust without overwhelming your audience (or your team).

Session E: AI Powered Search

Search is changing fast, with AI-powered results reshaping how people find information online. This session breaks down what these changes mean for charities. We’ll explore SEO basics, how AI search tools work, and practical steps to ensure your content remains visible and trustworthy.

Session F: Short-Form Video That Works

Short video is no longer optional – but it doesn’t have to be expensive or intimidating. This practical session covers how charities can plan, film and edit short-form video content for social media. You’ll learn what performs well, how to tell a story quickly, and how to create engaging videos using simple tools and limited resources.

14.30 – Update on the new “Soft Opt-In” Rules

After lobbying by the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), charities will now be able to contact people in the same way businesses can as part of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

This 30-minute session will look at the new rules, discuss what soft opt-in actually means for charities, what’s changed, and how your organisation can responsibly and effectively use it to engage supporters.

15.00 – Break

15.10 – Adapting Your Strategy for the Year Ahead

The charity marketing landscape is shifting fast with new technologies, changing audience expectations and increasing scrutiny redefining what effective marketing looks like.

In this closing session, we’ll explore the key trends shaping charity marketing right now, what’s likely to change over the next 12–18 months, and how charities can translate insight into clear, achievable actions. You’ll leave with practical advice to help refine your strategy and prioritise activity.

15.50 – Closing remarks by conference chair

16.00 – Conference ends

Prices

Early bird booking to Sunday 26 April.

Regular pricing from Monday 27 April.

Group bookings – 15% discount

If three or more people are booking from the same organisation, please contact our friendly Customer Services team and we will process your booking with 15% off the total amount. You can email our team here [email protected] or ring 020 4526 5995.