At our latest Social Circle in London, a brilliant bunch of charity comms and marketing folk gathered for a morning of pastries, connection and good old-fashioned honesty.

We kicked off with a short but mighty presentation from Nina, our Head of Strategy on a big, chewy topic: The Future of Charity Comms: What’s Broken? What’s Working? A mix of data, trends, and “yep, we’ve been there” moments - the perfect setup for what followed.

Once the discussion got going, it was clear a lot of people in the room were facing the same stuff – shared challenges, familiar frustrations, and that little lift you get from knowing you’re not the only one.

From vanishing engagement to EGC, platform fatigue to measuring what matters, nothing was off the table.

Here’s what came up.

1. What’s broken: overwhelm and the lurker era

Only 1 in 4 charities say they’re “excellent” on social media. but we know it’s not because they’re lazy, it’s because they’re likely overwhelmed.

Social teams are spinning more plates than ever: more channels, more formats, more internal expectations, all moving faster than you can say “algorithm update.” Every single minute, there are 66,000 Instagram posts and 16,000 TikToks uploaded – and that's just before lunch. No wonder everyone's exhausted.

*Data taken from the Charity Digital Skills report, 2025*

It’s no wonder teams feel creatively fried and audiences feel quietly fatigued.

The pattern’s familiar by now - lower engagement, changing algorithms, and pressure from above to “fix it.” But rather than being a crisis of your social strategy, it’s a sign that audience behaviour is evolving.

Audiences haven’t disappeared. They’ve just changed how they show up.

They’re watching, not liking. They’re reading, not commenting. They’re sending your post to a friend in a DM or WhatsApp.

Welcome to the lurker era. Where attention is private, but still powerful.

2. What’s working: from vanity metrics to private impact

If engagement looks different, how we measure it has to change too.

One of the most useful shifts we talked about is rethinking what good engagement even means. Shares - especially private shares - now carry more weight than likes ever did. Instagram’s own algorithm prioritises “DM-worthy” content.

So instead of chasing visibility, we need to tune into resonance.

We also talked about how retention and skip rates are becoming more useful than total reach. Shares, saves, how long someone sticks with your content - those are the signals that actually tell us if it’s resonating.

Because in a world of passive scrollers and private sharing, the real question isn’t how many people saw it. It’s how many cared enough to stay.

3. The platform paradox

Then came the inevitable platform chat. (Was that a collective sigh I heard round the table? Or just the sound of another “why we’re leaving X” statement being drafted?)

Most teams are rethinking where they show up, and why. Some have stepped back from X (formerly Twitter) due to safety concerns or misalignment with values. Others are still using it, but only for breaking news or quick-fire updates.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer - and that’s okay. Strategic silence can be just as intentional as a big launch. Stepping back isn’t a failure; sometimes it’s the most values-aligned choice you can make.

If a platform’s no longer serving your goals – or your people – you don’t need to make a dramatic exit. Quietly slipping out the back works too. It’s your call.

4. Empowering people: the rise of EGC

One of the most energising parts of the morning was hearing how teams are embracing employee-generated content (EGC), where staff or volunteers share stories or insights from their own perspective.

It’s real, it’s relatable, and it often outperforms the most polished of posts.

Some teams are offering light-touch training and internal nudges to help build confidence – especially on platforms like LinkedIn, where the fear of “cringe” or saying the wrong thing can hold people back. More often, it’s not about reluctance – it’s just that people don’t realise how powerful their voice could be (and also, yes, they are worried someone from school might see it).

If you’re inviting people to share their voice, you’ve also got to make sure they feel supported when they do.

That means being thoughtful about things like consent, safety and what visibility might mean for someone who's not used to it. One attendee shared how their team gives staff a gentle heads-up about what to expect after posting, and how to flag anything that doesn’t feel right.

Others are finding small but effective ways to build confidence:

🎙️ Using voiceovers instead of face-to-camera videos

🎉 Celebrating early adopters internally

🔁 Reposting LinkedIn updates with pride

It takes time, but it’s a powerful thing when your people not only feel proud of their work, but safe enough to speak about it too on social. Their authenticity really cuts through - which is what we need more of on social.

5. Staying human in a hostile world

This part of the conversation felt especially important.

For a lot of charity social teams, the role goes way beyond content. It’s emotional work - responding to difficult comments, managing misinformation, sometimes absorbing real hostility online.

Some teams are building in proper support – from moderation rotas and wellbeing check-ins to clearer escalation routes. Others are still trying to figure it out.

What came through clearly - the people on the frontlines of your digital presence deserve the same care as anyone doing public-facing work.

As one attendee put it:

“Protecting your people is just as important as protecting your reputation.”

6. Looking ahead to 2026: what charity social teams need to focus on

To wrap up, we looked forward. What should we all be focusing on next year, and beyond?

Here’s what stood out:

🧭 Get clear on strategy - say no more often.

💡 Create content that goes FAR - content that makes people Feel, Act, Reach.

📊 Measure what matters - think shares, saves, and retention.

🗣️ Empower your people - unlock internal voices through EGC and advocacy.

🤝 Work with the right people – not the biggest, but the most relevant. Think content creators over influencers, relationships over reach.

🧠 Prioritise wellbeing – Your team can’t create their best work without the right support behind them.

Final thoughts

The Social Circle is designed as a space for real talk - no recordings, no showboating, just honest conversation between people trying to do purposeful work in a noisy, nuanced digital world.

And that’s what makes mornings like this so powerful.

Different charities, different challenges. The details might vary but the same themes came through

the sense of change
the need for confidence
the power of connection.

Charity comms is shifting fast. And while it’s tempting to lie down in a pile of metrics and have a nap, this session was a reminder that thoughtful, human content still cuts through.

The future of social media isn’t about chasing the next trend. It’s about staying human.

The future of charity comms: What’s broken? What’s working? What’s next?