‘Views are my own’: social media guidance for charities

The final guidance from the Charity Commission regarding social media is due out this summer.

Alison Jones, senior associate in our sports, education and charities team, reflects on the current draft guidance and highlights one of its current grey areas; the use of charity employees’ personal social media accounts.

The draft guidance: charities’ use of social media

Pens at the ready. It is almost time to update (or create!) your charity’s social media policy.

You may recall that the Charity Commission launched a consultation on its draft guidance for charities on their use of social media at the beginning of this year, with the final guidance due out this summer. 

Why is the draft guidance needed? Whilst the Commission recognises that social media has become a powerful way for many charities to promote the great work that they do, communicate and engage with their stakeholders, and campaign for change, there can also be a darker side to social media when it provides a platform for cyberbullying, privacy abuse, and fake news. 

The draft guidance, therefore, encourages charities to adopt a social media policy so that they have internal controls in place that are appropriate, proportionate and clear to everyone at the charity using social media.  

It particularly focuses on trustees, namely how to improve their understanding of how social media is used in their charity, as well as any potential risks.

What does the draft guidance cover?

The draft guidance covers six areas:

1. Setting a social media policy
2. Managing potential risks
3. Engaging with controversial topics
4. Campaigning / political activity
5. Fundraising on social media
6. Staying safe

Gaps in the draft guidance

The draft guidance states that: “Trustees, employees or volunteers are free to post or share personal content and viewpoints on their own social media accounts. Sometimes there are risks that an individual’s posts are interpreted as reflecting those of a charity.” 

The recent controversy surrounding Gary Lineker’s tweet which triggered a row with BBC bosses over impartiality shows that this is a difficult area to navigate. 

Experts, including from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, have also pushed for greater clarity around grey areas such as these in the final guidance, stating that this guidance could have the unintended impact of making trustees more ‘risk-adverse’.

Will the final version of the Commission’s guidance clear this up? Let’s wait and see… 

If you need support in developing your own social media policy once we see the final form of guidance, please contact Alison at [email protected] or on 0191 211 7930.