Running a local charity means doing a lot with very little. Your team is focused on the people you serve, your budget is stretched, and marketing rarely makes it to the top of the priority list.
The problem is that if people can’t find you, can’t understand what you do, or don’t feel confident enough to donate or volunteer, the work you’re doing reaches fewer people than it should. Marketing isn’t separate from your mission. It’s part of how you fulfil it.
That’s why I offer reduced-cost and, for some smaller community organisations, free marketing support to charities in Telford, Shropshire, and the wider West Midlands.
Why Marketing Matters More Than Ever for Charities
The UK Giving Report 2025 shows that regular giving is declining and competition for donations is growing. With over 160,000 registered charities in the UK, many of them small and under-resourced, the organisations that are most visible and most trusted are the ones that attract the support they need.
That visibility doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from showing up in local searches when someone needs you, telling your story in a way that connects with the people most likely to help, and making it straightforward for someone to donate, volunteer, or get involved.
None of that requires a large budget. It requires a clear approach. If you want to understand what local search visibility looks like in practice, the guide to why your business isn’t showing in Google Maps applies equally to charities and explains the most common reasons organisations don’t appear when people search for them locally.
What I Can Help With
SEO and local search
If someone in Telford searches “food bank near me” or “bereavement support Shropshire”, your charity should appear. Local SEO helps you show up for the searches that matter to the people you serve and the supporters you need to reach. A well-optimised Google Business Profile is one of the most impactful starting points for any local organisation, and it costs nothing to set up.
Google Ad Grants
Registered charities can access up to £7,500 per month in free Google Ads spend through the Google Ad Grants programme. Most charities either don’t know about it or haven’t been able to make the most of it. I can help you apply, set up your campaigns correctly, and make sure the grant is generating real results rather than sitting underused. The same principles that make Google Ads work for small businesses apply to Ad Grants campaigns, and the most common mistakes are the same ones.
Marketing strategy
A focused strategy session to map out the most effective ways to raise your visibility, tell your story, and reach the people who can support your work. This can be a one-off session or the starting point for ongoing support. The small business marketing blueprint gives a useful overview of how to think through channel priorities, and the same framework applies to charities.
Content and storytelling
Many charities have powerful stories that aren’t being told in a way that connects with potential donors and volunteers. I can help shape the content that communicates your impact clearly and compellingly, whether that’s on your website, in emails, or on social media. If you’re not currently using email to stay in touch with supporters, the email marketing guide for small businesses covers how to build a simple, consistent approach that works even with limited time.
Tracking and measurement
Simple, practical tracking so you know which marketing activity is generating enquiries, donations, or volunteer sign-ups and which isn’t. Making decisions based on data rather than guesswork applies just as much to charities as it does to commercial businesses. Google Search Console is a free tool that every charity with a website should have set up, and UTM tracking helps you understand which campaigns and channels are driving real action.
Why I Offer This
I work primarily with independent businesses, but the skills that help a business grow are exactly the same ones that help a charity reach more people. And for a charity, the impact of getting it right goes beyond revenue. It means more donations, more volunteers, and more people getting the support they need.
Building genuine case studies with local charities is also something I’m actively looking to do. If you’re a charity in Shropshire or the West Midlands that wants better marketing and is open to your results being used as an anonymised example of what good digital marketing can achieve, I’d particularly like to hear from you.
How It Works
Support is available at reduced cost for most charities, and free for some smaller community organisations depending on size and circumstances. The best starting point is a conversation about what you’re trying to achieve and where the gaps are.
Book a free call and we’ll talk through your goals, your current visibility, and what support would make the most difference. There’s no obligation and no hard sell. Just a straightforward conversation about whether and how I can help.
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