Charities can use social media for political campaigning, Commission’s new guidance confirms
Melanie May | 18 September 2023 | News
The Charity Commission has published its guidance on charities’ use of social media, which confirms that it can be used for political campaigning, providing it abides by certain rules.
The release of the guidance follows a consultation, which ran earlier this year, and also comes after the RSPB apologised this month after calling the Government liars over plans to get rid of water pollution restrictions for housing developers in a post on X (Twitter).
The Charity Commission’s new guidance clarifies that charities can engage on emotive issues if this is a way of achieving their charitable purpose and is in the charity’s best interests, and that charities can also use social media to engage in campaigning and political activity, providing they follow the rules. These include that charities can take part in political activity that supports their purpose and is in their best interests, but must remain independent and not give their support to a political party.
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The guidance says that social media can be a highly effective way for a charity to engage its audiences and communicate about its work but that it does come with risks, which trustees should plan for. The guidance aims to help trustees understand these risks, how their legal duties apply, and what to consider if issues arise, and says that charities using social media should have a policy in place and ensure this is followed.
Paul Latham, Director of Communications and Policy at the Charity Commission, said:
“There are many benefits to using social media, which can be an effective tool for campaigning, communicating with the public and reaching new and existing supporters. However, trustees need to be alive to the risks it can generate, including to a charity’s reputation. We have published this guidance because we want trustees to think carefully about what they want to achieve when using social media and then apply our guidance to help ensure their charity is protected.
“We know trustees are busy and don’t expect them to be social media experts. Our guidance is also clear that their oversight need only be proportionate. However, it is the duty of trustees to act responsibly, in their charity’s best interests, and in line with the law. This includes when posting online. Our guidance will help charities to navigate their use of social media with greater confidence and will support the Commission to regulate this high profile and fast paced area in a fair and balanced way.”
In an exclusive interview with The Guardian yesterday, the regulator’s Chair Orlando Fraser said the guidance was supportive and clarified the law in what was often a politically fraught area. He also said he would “robustly” defend charities’ right to campaign lawfully, including where campaigning covers “sensitive or politically divisive ground”.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.