Fundraising
Case Study
Social Impact
Global Communications
When Your Values and Your Language Don’t Match
A case study in how Global Fund for Children built a practical, organisation-wide solution, and what it means for your communications.
THE CONTEXT
Turning Inclusion into Practice
Global Fund for Children (GFC) partnered with TSIC and Communicate Inclusively to co-create a comprehensive Inclusive Language and Asset Framing Guide, a practical, organisation-wide resource designed to transform how they communicate about children, young people, and community-led partners.
Rather than producing a traditional "top-down" style guide, this project was intentionally co-created with GFC teams, ensuring the final output reflected lived practice, internal values, and the realities of fundraising, storytelling, and global communications.
The result is a 50+ page, practical and deeply applied guide that embeds asset framing into fundraising, impact reporting, social media, and global communications.
THE CHALLENGE
Navigating Real-World Tensions
GFC was already committed to dignity-led, inclusive communications. But they faced several challenges that are among the most common tensions facing fundraising and communications teams across the sector, which needed a structured, organisation-wide response.
Balancing ethical storytelling with fundraising demands
Navigating donor-required deficit language while maintaining integrity
Ensuring consistency across global teams and contexts
Avoiding narratives that unintentionally reinforce power imbalances or 'saviour' dynamics
Supporting teams to apply inclusive language practically
Crucially, this wasn't about introducing something entirely new. It was about formalising and scaling what was already working well across the organisation.
IS THIS YOU
Does any of this sound familiar?
Your team wants to tell ethical stories but feels pressure to use deficit language for donors
You have values around inclusive communications but no consistent, shared framework
Different teams or regions are applying language differently
You’re unsure how to centre community voice without losing fundraising impact
If so, this work was designed for exactly the challenges you’re facing.
OUR APPROACHFrom Intention to Implementation
We designed a qualitative insight programme rooted in psychological safety, inclusion best practice, and evidence-based facilitation.
Co-Creation, Not Consultation
1
We designed a collaborative process involving GFC's communications and development teams through a series of workshops and working sessions.
The guide reflected real-world challenges (not theory)
Teams felt ownership and confidence in applying it
Existing strong practices were identified, validated, and scaled
Translating Values into Practical Tools
2
A key focus of the work was moving from intention to implementation. We developed:
→ 5 core asset-framing principles to guide all communications
→ Context-specific guidance for proposals, impact reporting, social media, and global contexts
→ Checklists, frameworks, and decision tools to support day-to-day application
Addressing the Hardest Tensions Head-On
3
Rather than avoiding complexity, the guide directly tackles the most difficult areas teams face:
How to secure funding without deficit narratives
How to tell honest stories in crisis or conflict contexts
How to use donor-required language without compromising values
How to retain partner voice while applying asset framing
The guide introduces a practical structure for fundraising communications: Vision → Barriers → Solutions, ensuring agency is always centred before need.
We positioned asset framing not as a writing technique, but as a power-shifting communications approach:
Embedding Asset Framing as a Strategic Shift
4
Centering people's strengths, aspirations, and leadership
Positioning GFC as a partner and catalyst, not a 'saviour'
Naming systems and structures, not individual deficits
Ensuring storytelling reflects dignity, agency, and ownership
"Asset framing is about recognising people's strengths and potential before describing the barriers they face."
DELIVERABLES
What We Delivered
GFC was already committed to dignity-led, inclusive communications. But they faced several sector-wide challenges that needed a structured, organisation-wide response.
Comprehensive Inclusive Language & Asset Framing Guide (50+ pages)
Practical application guidance across key communication channels
Decision-making tools, checklists, and frameworks
A shared language and approach for teams globally
A resource designed to evolve with the organisation
THE IMPACT
Measurable, Meaningful Change
Stronger, More Consistent Communications
GFC now has a clear, shared framework for communicating with dignity and consistency across teams, regions, and outputs.
Improved Fundraising Integrity
The guide enables teams to meet donor expectations, maintain ethical storytelling, and position funding as investment in community-led change.
Power Shift in Narrative
From deficit to agency. From beneficiaries to leaders. From organisation-led to community-led impact.
Practical, Everyday Application
Actively used in proposal writing, impact reporting, social media content, and partner storytelling. Designed to be used, not just read.
WHAT SET THIS APART
What Made This Project Different
Co-creation as Methodology
This was a collaborative build. That approach increased internal buy-in, ensured relevance, and strengthened long-term adoption.
Ethics & Effectiveness
You do not have to compromise dignity to achieve impact. Asset-framed communications strengthen storytelling, improve donor engagement, and build deeper trust.
Designed for the Sector
GFC made the decision to share this guide publicly, enabling other organisations across the social impact and fundraising sector to benefit from a tested approach.
TESTIMONIALS
In Their Words
“This is the resource that I wish I had had 13 years ago. Early in my career – as the sole fundraiser in a direct services organisation – I first experienced the complicated balance of fundraising within an anti-racist mandate. How do you talk about people who need help, while also disrupting power dynamics? Is it more important to secure the gift, or stand up for our values? I felt a unique pressure to get it all right – and a resource like this would have been a big help. I'm excited to use it today - and I genuinely hope it is useful to others, too.”
Mea Geizhal - Global Fund for Children
“Atlyn and I learnt so much from the GFC team along the way. Their honesty about the real tensions in this work shaped every section of the guide. It is a genuinely valuable resource for any fundraising or communications team asking the same questions, and we look forward to sharing the learnings more widely with the sector.”
Timothy Cheng - TSIC
Ready to build something like this for your organisation?
Whether you’re starting from scratch or formalising what already works, we can help you create an inclusive language and communications resource your teams will actually use.
If your organisation is looking to:
Develop inclusive resources
Strengthen ethical storytelling
Embed inclusive practices