Lightful

BRIDGE Collective powered by Lightful

A word cloud including the following phrases: I'd love to know how to tell our story Excited Looking forward to running a successful campaign Gain digital skills Intrigued Increase social media engagement Improve AI knowledge I want to gain a deeper understanding of fundraising Looking forward to learning I want to become more strategic in digital storytelling

Our new BRIDGE Collective cohort is off to a fantastic start, and we're thrilled to be working with organisations focused on gender equity, human rights, LGBTQIA+ equality and much more!

A group of funders have come together to make this possible - read some of our participants' comments below 👇

“This year’s Charity Digital Skills Report reveals a troubling contradiction. While nearly two-thirds of charities say they’re making progress with digital, only 32% of small charities have a digital strategy in place. That’s not just a missed step - it’s a missed opportunity. Establishing a deliberate, well-thought-out strategy turns ad-hoc use of digital and AI into something that’s potentially transformative. It enables organisations to tell their story more powerfully, run more effective campaigns and raise vital funds...

Charities hold extraordinary levels of trust in the communities they serve. But they’re also facing soaring demand, shrinking income and stretched capacity. That’s why they must be supported with the right tools and training to make the most of the opportunities ahead. From our work not only in the UK but across 100+ countries, we see that those who build digital confidence and skills are better able to meet these challenges. We’re proud to support this important report and hope it prompts funders to build resilience in the long-term, where it’s needed most.”

There's an exciting opportunity to equip nonprofits with the skills and tools they need to unlock greater capacity, drive impact, and increase funding.

We're inviting funders to join us - reach out via email at partnerships@lightful.com if you'd like to help equip the sector for a better tomorrow ✉️

We're thrilled to share that Lightful's Jonathan Waddingham had the opportunity to contribute 'AI for Nonprofits', which launched today! 🎉

Authored by Darian Rodriguez Heyman and Cheryl Contee, this book aims to help nonprofit leaders leverage AI.

Order your copy here! amzn.eu/d/dsUsqvb

#AI

Boost your impact with the Lightful Platform: unlock the power of social media, strategy & AI Wednesday 30th July 4pm BST / 11am EDT Jasmine Warren, Digital Training Lead Roisin McGovern, Head of Programmes Jamie Elliott, Head of Technical Operations Jonathan Waddingham, Chief Product Officer

We're looking forward to our webinar this week, where we'll be unpacking all that the Lightful Platform has to offer - including our newest AI-powered tools 🚀

Find out more and register here: lightful.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

#AI #AITools #NonprofitTools #CharityAI

Behind the numbers: Lightful’s take on the 2025 Charity Digital Skills Report - Blog - Lightful Advancing digital maturity: what Lightful has learned from supporting 3,500 charities globally

The Charity Digital Skills Report shows progress on digital maturity is stalling, with just 44% of UK charities saying they are advancing or advanced in their use of digital.

Find out what we've learned about supporting charities with their digital skills: www.lightfulacademy.com/blog/digital...

📣 Nonprofits!

Join our free webinar on 30th July to explore the Lightful Platform & AI tools – made with and for charities.

✔️ Plan & schedule social content
✔️ Build your Keystone Story
✔️ Use ethical AI tools

👉 Sign up: lightful.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

#AIforGood #CharityTech #Lightful

The Lightful team had a fantastic in-person gathering earlier this month for our company-wide Innovation Day! It was a great opportunity to connect with colleagues from around the world, and look ahead to the exciting projects we have planned for 2025.

#AItools #Innovation

International Day of Happiness - 20 March Celebrate #InternationalDayOfHappiness on 20 March. Join the Action for Happiness community and help create a happier and kinder world, together.

March 20th is the UN International Day of Happiness. This year’s theme is 'Caring and Sharing' and we’re encouraging 1 million extra acts of caring and sharing. You can be part of it! Please help spread the word 🙏💕🌎 #InternationalDayOfHappiness dayofhappiness.net

International day of happiness. Lots of hands waving in the air with colourful sleeves

Today, we are celebrating the International Day of Happiness alongside BRIDGE participant @actionhappiness.bsky.social, as they aim for 1 million acts of caring and sharing 💜

Find out more and take part in this brilliant campaign at www.dayofhappiness.net

#InternationalDayofHappiness

"Funder plus programmes are incredibly important to the long term sustainability of a charity. For example, the BRIDGE programme helped to push us out of our comfort zone and learn about how to run campaigns in the future... we set up check-ins at different stages of the campaign and were able to bounce different ideas to get the most out of it, which was helpful and encouraging. I use funder plus learnings like this to train staff to ensure the organisation as a whole benefits in the long term." Sarah Boateng, Founder & Director of IGEA Enterprise.

Sarah Boateng, Founder & Director of IGEA Enterprise, joined our recent panel event to talk about how 'funder plus' can support charities beyond grantmaking and build the long term resilience of charities.

Read more in our latest blog: lght.ly/1jnd3om

#CapacityBuilding

Leigh on Sea Mothers CAN group

One of the brilliant organisations taking part in our current Climate-focused programme is Mothers CAN. They bring together groups of mothers to facilitate discussion and action around the climate crisis to ensure a better and greener future. Find out more: www.mothers-can.org
#IWD2025

Workshop from the forum theatre ‘He.She.War’ in Zhytomyr, September 2024 on women's care work for veterans

Continuing our #IWD celebrations, we want to spotlight Theatre of Change NGO from Ukraine. Using theatre as a tool for empowerment and social change, they promote solidarity with people who face discrimination, violence and violation of their rights: teatrzmin.org.ua/english/

This picture features almost all the leading midwives across Pakistan, each making incredible contributions to the field—going above and beyond their capacities.

We’re spotlighting #LightfulBRIDGE organisations that are working to empower women and girls around the world for #IWD.

Let's celebrate the Midwifery Association of Pakistan - dedicated to empowering midwives and ensuring safe motherhood across Pakistan: lght.ly/l1l4942

The report logo on a blue background with drawings of graphs, charts and a woman holding a globe. Underneath are the logos of Zoe Amar Digital Catalyst Think Social Tech Microsoft Digital Candle Torchbox and Lightful.

The 2025 Charity Digital Skills report survey is now LIVE! Thank you Catalyst Microsoft @torchbox.com @lightful.bsky.social Digital Candle for supporting us.
Have your say & help us shape sector insights! www.surveymonkey.com/r/CDSR2025
#CharityDigiReport.

Introducing Lightful’s Campaign Planner: Create Campaign ideas with AI - Blog - Lightful Introducing Lightful’s Campaign Planner: Create Campaign ideas with AI

Have you tried our new AI-powered Campaign Planner?

Read more about how we've created a tool to help you come up with effective campaign ideas: lightful.com/blog/digital...

Or sign up for your free Lightful Platform account and give it a go today! partners.lightful.com

Bruno and John, from Lightful's own design team, hosted a bonus webinar on digital design principles for #LightfulBRIDGE participants last week. They shared some brilliant tips to help participants create engaging social media graphics... take a look below!

The recent shifts in US foreign and federal funding are impacting organisations worldwide. Join our webinar for practical insights on fundraising, donor engagement, and digital strategies to help you stay resilient in uncertain times 💜

Register here: lightful.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Now more than ever, we need positivity online. ✨ Today is #ReclaimSocial day - a reminder to fill our feeds with inspiration. It’s great to see this movement still going, reminding us of the power of social media for good. 💙 Join us by sharing your stories of kindness!

Charity Well research project. Sponsored by Fundraising Everywhere, JustGiving, Charity People, Lightful. Claire Warner.

Join The Charity Well 2025 research project and help shine a spotlight on the true state of wellbeing in the sector www.claire-warner.com/charitywell2...

The wellbeing of charity professionals has never been more important - this research will help drive positive change and impact in the sector 💜

In for 2025: Using AI ethically to build capacity Creating digestible, authentic video content Optimising social media content for search Out for 2025: Not having a clear approach to using AI Feeling daunted about creating professional videos Creating content without knowing what your followers want to see

“As the use of AI increases, how you use it really matters. It’s crucial to remember that responsible AI-usage starts with a human filter, helping to avoid bias and make sure your content aligns with your organisation’s values. There are great benefits to using AI to build capacity and help small teams with the heavy lifting of creating digital content, but remember that audiences can spot inauthentic content, so let AI assist you rather than replace you. Make sure to use it thoughtfully to refine messaging, personalise outreach, and align with your brand identity.” Svitlana Bakhshaliieva Digital Communications Coach

“Video content is becoming a vital part of social media content, but people often feel overwhelmed by the idea of creating their own videos. In actual fact, more authentic and ‘real’ video content often outperforms videos that look overpolished and can be seen as being ‘too corporate’. You can easily create engaging videos using your smartphone, and doing some basic edits using free tools like Canva. Using videos to tell your stories is a key tactic to help you reach new audiences, as many social media platforms look to prioritise the distribution of short-form, vertical videos. Video is here to stay!” Jasmine Warren Digital Training Lead

"The rise of AI-powered tools like SGE (search generative experience) has led to platforms like TikTok and Reddit becoming alternative search tools, as quick overviews of search topics pull through onto Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) without users having to click through onto individual web pages to find answers to their search queries. With this in mind, it’s important to understand what your audience is searching for and provide them with what they need on your social media and web content. Align your content with their interests and questions so that it can reach them where and how they’re searching!" Sabina Collier Digital Communications Coach

Our Digital Communications Coaches have been looking ahead to 2025 to identify top digital trends to share with our #LightfulBRIDGE participants. Here are some of their 'ins and outs' for 2025...

Let us know any other trends you've spotted by commenting below!

#DigitalTrends #2025

Purple background, white text reads: 2025... we're ready!

We're kicking off the new year with ten cohorts currently taking part in the #LightfulBRIDGE programme, and we're privileged to be supporting over 280 incredible organisations across Africa, Asia, Ukraine, the UK and the US.

We can't wait to see what this year brings!

YouTube video by Lightful A message from the Lightful team

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Lightful team! youtu.be/7AfPvmlUXBY

YouTube video by Lightful A message from the Lightful team

As 2024 draws to a close, the Lightful team have a message to share...

Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey so far - we can't wait to see what 2025 brings!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a peaceful new year 🎄🌟

#LightfulBRIDGE

youtu.be/7AfPvmlUXBY

We're so pleased to see incredible organisations come together on this global day of giving, and love seeing #LightfulBRIDGE participants building their digital resilience by investing in online fundraising. Show your support today, and let's be generous this #GivingTuesday!

YouTube video by Fresh Life Restoring Joseph Nyabuto's residential plot with clean, safe sanitation for his tenants.

Gift a Loo is a brilliant campaign from Fresh Life - take a look at this video: youtu.be/TSP6ip_G0hA?...

Благодійний Фонд "Орфанні Синиці" are supporting people living with rare diseases in Ukraine with life-saving medicines and medical care: globalgiving.org/donate/97172...

Giving BACK Tuesday: How Hope Academy Students Are Flipping the Script — Hope Haven Discover how our Hope Academy students at Hope Haven are giving back this Giving Tuesday. Learn about the impact of donor generosity on our student-run microenterprise, Hopeful Bites, and the meaningf...

Hope Haven are thanking their donors after the support they received last year profoundly impacted their Hope Academy programme - read more: hope-haven.org/news/2024/12...

🌟 Embrace the Spirit of Giving: Stand with Our Nurses! 🌟 Exciting News! This November and December, your online donation will be matched up to $15,000 by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, doubling your impact! When nurses thrive, so do their patients, families, ...

In the US, the American Nurses Foundation invite you to support nurses as this season of giving begins, donating to programmes that support well-being, foster innovation and celebrate the ingenuity and leadership of nurses: givetonursing.networkforgood.com/projects/209...

The Tanzania Midwives Association is fundraising for life-saving midwife training and tools. Take a look at their 'Midwives Save Lives' campaign: tama.co.tz/save-lives-n...