On 28 April 2022, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Company of Communicators (CoC) collaborated for the second consecutive year to run the Gift of Communication, which pairs small teams of member volunteers with charities/organisations that would otherwise not receive much-needed PR/communications advice. This year, 10 charities benefited from a one-off, pro bono strategy session to solve their primary communication-related challenges, with an estimated value of at least £5000 in professional time donated.
Speaking of his experience at the session, IABC Fellow and CoC Middle Warden, Neil Griffiths, said: “I am always so impressed with the impact of the Gift event on charities and member volunteers alike. One thing is always consistent – the fulfilment the volunteers feel from knowing they have helped a charity that needed comms support and the sense of validation from the charity partners. Feedback has again been positive, with several charity partners already telling us they are able to implement the ideas shared on the day.”
Speaking at the event, IABC UK and Ireland Board Member, Eduvie Martin said: “It is a two-way experience with these charities in giving your gift, you’re really learning a lot and meeting fellow comms professionals at the same time, rubbing minds, making a real impact. It’s always memorable afterwards. A lot of learnings from this session which we are looking to build on for 2023.”
One of our charity partners had this to say: “Our expert volunteers had clearly researched our charity…this meant that the feedback clearly came from the perspective of support and positive assistance. So, we came up with several great ideas ourselves, which wouldn’t have happened without their help!” The Peel Institute
Kathy Calvin once said, “Giving is not just about making a donation, it is about making a difference.” And for such moments when you want to make a difference but can’t quite decide on how to pay it forward, the Gift of Communication is closing this gap.
