If you manage social media for a charity, you’re usually juggling competing priorities and last-minute requests, often from different people, and you don’t always have a clear plan. Charity social media can quickly become reactive with last-minute announcements, a blog post that needs sharing, ongoing appeals… and then the quieter spells where the panic of “I need to post something” arises. I know — I’ve been there.
A good way to get out of that cycle is to use content themes (often called content pillars). These are repeatable topics you can rotate through, so you’re rarely stuck for ideas. They give you a simple structure for planning ahead, while still leaving room for the urgent posts that unavoidably pop up. (If you’re ready to jump into a social media strategy, my blog post outlines a 6-step process you can follow.)
When I create a social media strategy, I always include themes and tailor them to each organisation. However, these 5 charity content themes are common and can be used as a practical starting point, then you can refine what you do based on what your audience engages with. Themes will sometimes overlap, and that’s normal. For example, an appeal post will often include impact or a human story. The key is having one clear message and one main call to action. Before we look at the themes…
You can have multiple goals — just keep each post focused
Most charities are balancing more than one goal at a time. A common trio is:
- Awareness (reach the right people and help them understand what you do)
- Donations (fund the work)
- Volunteer recruitment (build capacity)
Each post can’t do everything. In fact, if you try, they’ll be vague with messy calls to action.
A better approach would be:
- Each post focuses on one outcome or goal (awareness or donations or volunteers).
- Across the week, you rotate outcomes or goals (so your content stays varied).
For example, if you post three times a week, use one awareness post, one volunteer post and one donation post. Simple, realistic and not repetitive. These posts can use the following themes:
The 5 charity content themes to rotate
1) Fundraising and appeals (the ask)
This is where you clearly ask for support, such as donate, become a regular giver, fundraise, attend an event, sponsor and so on.
Use this for donations (and sometimes awareness through campaigns).
Post ideas could be:
- “£10 does X / £25 does Y” (specific, not vague)
- “We need to raise £___ by ___” (target and deadline)
- What regular giving enables and why it matters
- Fundraising events/challenges and who they’re for, what happens and how to join
- Corporate support/match funding (when relevant)
Link your ask to impact (what it funds) or a short story (why it matters), otherwise it could come across as transactional. You want to emphasise why these funds are important and how they make a difference to people’s or animals’ lives.
2) Impact (how funds are used)
Impact is where you show what changed because your charity exists. This can include outcomes, results, progress and how your support changed people’s or animals’ lives. If you want to explain “where funds go”, this is the right theme when it’s tied to outcomes.
Use this for awareness and donations (it also encourages volunteer motivation).
Post idea examples:
- “This month we…” (outcomes in plain English)
- “Because of your support…” (outcome and proof)
- “Your donation helped pay for…” (simple, concrete)
- Progress updates (milestones, targets reached)
- Mini case studies (shared with dignity and consent)
Make sure you add one line that answers why it matters and how it makes a difference.
3) Human stories (people)
People connect with people, and stories are powerful. This theme includes volunteers, staff, supporters, partners, behind-the-scenes or ‘day in the life of’. It can include people’s experiences, but always with consent and care.
Use this for awareness and volunteers (and it’s strong for donations also).
Post ideas you could use:
- Volunteer spotlight: why they volunteer for your charity
- What a typical day looks like for a staff member
- Supporter story: why they donate/fundraise
- Partner story: why they support you
- Behind-the-scenes showing training, safeguarding, preparation, delivery
Maybe a volunteer had a loved one who was supported by your charity with a life saving operation. Maybe one of your beneficiaries had a guide dog that built their confidence and gave them independence. Stories should be real, shared with consent, told in their own words, respectful and linked back to the mission.
4) Education and the issue (helpful content)
This theme helps people understand the problem you exist to solve. It builds trust and grows awareness without constantly asking for something.
Use this for awareness (and volunteer recruitment when you want to share what volunteering involves).
Post idea examples:
- Myths vs facts
- “3 things to know about…”
- “What to do if…” / “Where to start if…”
- “What happens when you contact us”
- Explainers: how support works, how referrals happen, what to expect (where relevant)
- Did you know?
Make it readable and avoid any jargon. Put yourself in your audiences’ shoes and ask “can I fully understand this?”
5) Community and thanks (belonging and momentum)
This fifth and final charity content theme is about appreciation, connection and keeping supporters involved. It also strengthens fundraising and volunteering. People usually stick around when they are acknowledged and valued.
Use this for awareness and volunteers (and donor retention).
Post ideas you could use:
- Specific thank you posts (who/what/why)
- Volunteer shout-outs and milestones
- Fundraiser celebrations
- Community moments from events/sessions
- A shout out to a corporate sponsor
Make it meaningful, specific and authentic rather than generic.
How these charity content themes support awareness, donations and volunteers
These charity content themes naturally match your three common goals:
- Awareness is mainly driven by Education, Human Stories and Impact.
- Volunteer recruitment is mainly driven by Human Stories, Community/thanks and Education.
- Donations are mainly driven by Impact, Human Stories and Fundraising and Appeals.
So you create variation by rotating themes and you match the theme to the outcome you want that post to achieve.
Simple weekly plans you can use
| If you post twice a week: | If you post three times a week: | If you post five times a week: |
| 1x Awareness (Education or Human story). 1x Alternate weekly between Donations and Volunteers. | 1x Awareness (Education or Human story). 1x Volunteers (Human story or Community/thanks). 1x Donations (Impact → Fundraising and Appeal ask). | 2x Awareness (Education and Human story). 1x Volunteers (Human story). 1x Donations (Impact → Fundraising and Appeal ask). 1x Community/thanks (or another Awareness post if you’re stretched). |
Do you need SMART goals for this? Not necessarily.
Charities can’t always track income perfectly back to social media, and it can be hard to prove which volunteers and donations came from which post. So keep it simple and track what’s realistic:
For donations, track:
- Clicks to your donate/campaign page.
- Donation-page visits during appeal periods.
- Overall appeal results.
For awareness, track:
- Reach/impressions
- Follower growth
- Engagement rate
- Website visits
For volunteers, track:
- Volunteer enquiries (form, email, DM).
- Clicks to the volunteer page.
- And if you want a simple upgrade: add “How did you hear about us?” to your form.
Consistency is key.
Common mistakes (and quick fixes)
Mistake 1: Posting too many posts of the same type back-to-back
Fix: Rotate your charity content themes so your social posts stay balanced. For example, avoid posting three appeals in a row. Mix in impact, education and human stories so supporters don’t switch off.
Mistake 2: Fundraising and appeal posts without proof
Fix: Add “what it funds” or an outcome. Make it concrete.
Mistake 3: Too many asks in one post
Fix: Use one outcome per post, so it’s super focused.
Mistake 4: You have themes, but no routine
Fix: Pick a posting rhythm (2, 3, or 5 posts weekly) and commit to it for 6–8 weeks.
Where this fits (and how it links to a real strategy)
Charity content themes help you plan what to post, but they’re not a full social media strategy.
A full strategy goes further. It considers:
- Your audiences (and their challenges, goals, location, age etc).
- Your priority goals (awareness, donations, volunteers) and how to balance them.
- Messaging and positioning (so you sound clear and credible).
- Platform choices and content formats.
- A realistic plan your team can maintain.
- Simple tracking that doesn’t rely on perfect attribution.
If you want a strategy built around your audience, goals and capacity, that’s what I help with. You can get in touch if you’d like to talk it through.