It’s time for charity buzzword bingo

Tired of clichés? Here’s how to spot overused words, and what to say instead.

Illustration by Amy Powell

A few years ago, I was working on a campaign for a homelessness charity. We were speaking to a group of young adults about their experiences, what the charity had done for them and how they felt about it. One of them, let’s call her Sarah, told us about how she felt after she left home. She described nights spent sofa surfing at first, struggling to find a job without a permanent address, and the overwhelming sense that she’d been left to figure it all out alone.

She said: “They helped me get a place, sort my benefits and showed me how to deal with all the life stuff no one ever taught me. I felt like I’d got my life back.”

It was simple, direct, and full of meaning. Compare that to ‘We aim to empower young people who have experienced homelessness by fostering independence and engaging them at the heart of the community.’ Which version actually tells you something?

Charities sometimes default to words like empower, engage, we aim to, foster, thrive and heart of the community because they sound important and they feel safe. But they don’t land. They don’t make people feel anything, they’re overused and they don’t tell the true story of the valuable work being done. Let’s break it down.

Empower – What does that actually mean?

If you tell me your charity empowers people, I still don’t know what you do. Do you provide grants? Do you run training programmes? Do you give people advice? It’s vague, and it can even sound a little patronising - who decides whether someone is empowered? Instead, explain exactly how you help. Yes, it’s harder when you’re also trying to be concise, but let’s get specific.

Engage – Are we just talking?

Engagement sounds nice, but what does it really mean? Are you running workshops? Providing services? Building a movement? Like empower, engagement has become a catch-all for doing something important, but it doesn’t help anyone to understand the true meaning of what you do.

We aim to – Stop aiming, start doing

We aim to is one of the weakest phrases in charity comms. It immediately sounds as if the work isn’t quite happening yet. If your charity is doing something, say so. We give, We campaign, We support - own the action.

Heart of the Community – Sounds lovely, says nothing

It’s a phrase that’s meant to feel warm, but it doesn’t actually tell us anything. Every organisation wants to believe they are at the heart of their community. The real question is - are you really? What role do you play? Are you the place people turn to in a crisis? The voice pushing for change? The group making sure no one gets left behind? Say that instead.

What to say instead

The best charity messaging comes from real people’s experiences. If your work has helped someone, tell that story - think about the words your beneficiaries use. If you provide a vital service, be clear about what it is. If you’re fighting to change something, spell out what’s wrong and what you’re doing about it. Be straightforward and simple. That doesn’t mean dumbing it down - it means clarity, and ultimately, that’s what your audience needs to get on board.

Need help with your charity’s messaging? Let’s chat.