Social media for charities and not-for-profits
Helping good causes shine online
You’ve got the mission, the stories and the heart but between juggling sign-offs, schedules and supporters, actually getting seen on social can feel impossible.
That’s where we come in.
We help charities turn their social media from “something we should probably post on” into a space that grows your community, drives action and shows your impact, without burning you out.
Real results for real causes
We’re proud to partner with charities and non-profits doing incredible work across the UK and beyond. From awareness campaigns to long-term social strategies, here’s a snapshot of the missions we’ve helped bring to life.
One Acre Fund
Connecting with global supporters through a bold social media strategy.
Royal College of Occupational Therapists
Award-winning social media presence for RCOT.
Beat Eating Disorders
Enhancing Beat’s impact through paid social ads on Meta, LinkedIn and Spotify.
We’ve been there ourselves
We’ve worked in house at Alzheimer’s Society, Allsorts Youth Project, Sussex Police and Brighton & Hove City Council, so we get the pressure to do more with less.
And as proud members of CharityComms, we’re right there in the mix with you — swapping best practice, sharing wins and learning what works across the sector every day.
We can do it for you
Whether you need a full social strategy from scratch or extra hands to help you engage supporters and drive donations, our team specialises in charity communications — so you can focus on your mission while we handle the rest.
Social media strategy
We’ll help you figure out what actually works for your goals and audiences, then build a clear plan you can actually stick to.
Content creation
We’ll help you bring your story to life with content that makes people stop scrolling and start caring.
Community management
We monitor your channels daily, respond to messages and questions, and actively engage with your community.
Paid social campaigns
Ready to grow your reach or boost donations? We’ll make every penny count.
Reporting and insights
Data doesn’t have to be scary. We’ll show you what’s working (and what’s not) in simple, clear reports.
Training and consultation
We run hands-on workshops and training sessions tailored to your goals.
Still have questions? Here’s what charities and not-for-profits ask us most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions charities and not-for-profits ask us most about social media strategy, tools, and best practice. Click the drop-downs below to see the answers.
What are the best platforms for charities to increase social media engagement?
Facebook and Instagram drive the most engagement for most charities — Facebook for community and events, Instagram for visual storytelling and impact content. TikTok is increasingly effective for reaching younger supporters with short, emotive video. Focus effort on two or three platforms rather than spreading thin.
What are the best social media platforms for UK charity outreach?
Facebook remains the strongest for reach and donor communication in the UK, especially with older audiences. Instagram works well for storytelling and appeals. X (Twitter) can be useful for campaigning and media engagement, while LinkedIn helps with corporate partnerships and B2B fundraising.
How do you schedule and automate charity posts on social media?
Use a scheduling tool (Buffer, Hootsuite, Later) to plan a content calendar in advance, batching posts by campaign or theme. Set fixed posting times based on when your audience is most active, and build in automated reminders for time-sensitive content like appeals or events. Always leave room to post reactively around real-time news or opportunities.
How do you create engaging video content for charity social media?
Keep it short, authentic, and story-led — beneficiary stories and behind-the-scenes footage typically outperform polished promotional video. Lead with an emotional hook in the first 3 seconds, add captions since most viewers watch on mute, and always end with a clear call to action (donate, sign up, share). More in our ‘How to shoot video for social media’ blog.
Where can I find social media training for charity workers?
We offer 1-2-1 or group based social media training on specific platforms, content creation, paid social or more. Drop us a line at hello@socialfirefly.co.uk to discuss.
What strategies increase charity donations through social channels?
Pair storytelling with a clear, simple ask — donors respond to specific, tangible outcomes (“£10 provides X”) more than general appeals. Use urgency (matched funding, deadlines), make the donate link one tap away, and follow up with impact updates so donors see the result of their gift.
What are effective social media advertising options for non-profits?
Google Ad Grants offers up to $10k/£7.5k per month in free search advertising for eligible charities. Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram) offer cost-effective, highly targeted reach — lead generation ads are especially useful for building a supporter pipeline to nurture into donors over time.
What should charities include in a social media crisis communication plan?
A clear chain of command for who approves and posts during a crisis, pre-drafted holding statements for common scenarios, and monitoring in place to catch issues early. It should also cover which channels to prioritise, tone guidelines, and a process for pausing scheduled content so nothing tone-deaf goes out while a crisis is unfolding. For a step-by-step guide read Ready when it counts: when crisis comms planning isn’t optional.
How should charities respond to negative comments on social media?
Respond calmly, factually, and with a person’s name where you can — it shows your organisation is human and builds trust, even when the comment is critical. Genuine complaints should be acknowledged publicly, then moved to DMs or email to resolve properly. Hate speech, trolling, or bad-faith comments don’t need a reply and can be hidden, deleted, or blocked. Read our full guide to handling negative comments on Instagram for tone examples and templates.
Find out how we can help you with your social media
Fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you as fast as humanly possible.