How to Build a Charity Marketing Plan That Actually Gets Done

Introduction

Every charity I have ever worked with faces the same challenge: there is always more ambition than capacity.

You have campaigns to run, income targets to hit, and an inbox full of “can we just” requests, but no roadmap that ties it all together.

A marketing plan should not be a 30-page document that gathers dust. It should be a living, flexible blueprint that helps you make smarter decisions, faster.

Here is how to build one that actually gets done and gets results.

1. Start with Purpose, Not Platforms

Too often, planning starts with “We need to do more on Meta” or “We should try TikTok.”
Stop. Start with why.

Ask:

What are we trying to achieve this year?
How does that ladder up to our organisational strategy?
What behaviours are we trying to change?

A strong plan begins with a clear definition of success, whether that is more regular givers, a legacy pipeline, or better event sign-ups.

2. Choose Fewer Priorities and Stick to Them

A good rule of thumb: if everything is a priority, nothing is.
Pick three to five key marketing objectives for the year. Then map your fundraising streams against them.

Objective	Fundraising Area	Channel Focus
Grow Regular Giving	Individual Giving	Meta, Search, Email
Strengthen Legacy Pipeline	Legacy Giving	SEO, Organic, Retargeting
Increase Event Sign-Ups	Community and Events	Paid Social, Landing Pages

This creates clarity and focus, your best defence against “random acts of marketing.”

3. Build a Budget backed by Data, Not by Habit

Too many charity budgets repeat last year’s spend because “that’s how we have always done it.”
Instead, weight your budget by potential return and strategic value.

If your Legacy campaigns drive long-term value, allocate resources for consistent visibility. If corporate fundraising has high ROI but low reach, invest in LinkedIn targeting.

Use data, not instinct, to guide where each pound works hardest.

4. Set Success Metrics You Can Actually Track

Avoid vanity metrics like “impressions” or “reach.” Focus on outcomes such as:

Lead submissions
Donations
Legacy inquiries
Volunteer sign-ups

Then ensure your analytics setup (GA4, Meta, CRM) actually captures them. A great plan without tracking is like fundraising in the dark.

5. Keep It Simple, Visible, and Alive

Turn your plan into a one-page dashboard that your team reviews monthly.
Highlight what is working, what is not, and what comes next.

The best marketing plans are not written once a year; they evolve with insight, data, and collaboration.

Side Note

I love working with charities, the most open, supportive community working for good.
It took me 6 years to finally structure our own marketing plan, which I’d imagine is half of size of yours.
I’m always here to help

Looking to Get More from Digital Marketing?

The Farrer Charity Programme is committed to helping charities maximise their impact through paid media. If you’d like to discuss your current strategy or anything covered in this post, we’d be happy to help.

Book a call with Ollie

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