The decline in support for INGOs in recent years is widely recognised, as charitable giving moves ‘closer to home’. But isn’t the world our home? And aren’t we all connected?

It’s this belief that lies at the heart of international development organisations – a fundamental need to deliver change for a more just and equal world.

The range of activities international NGOs deliver is vast. Explaining it to those not in the sector is tricky at the best of times. And international development is a complicated beast, one which in recent years has been open to criticism from all sides. Power dynamics, decolonisation and ethical representation are all hotly contested issues. Openly addressing these challenges is crucial to truly move the dialogue forward.

It’s a fascinating challenge and one that CAFOD is facing head-on with us as we develop a new brand strategy for them.

CAFOD is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. For over sixty years it has been working around the world in emergencies and in long term development projects. It’s well known, especially in the Catholic community, and highly trusted.

And now we’ve been asked to get to the heart and soul of the brand, to find CAFOD’s point of difference and help them speak to their supporters with more confidence, clarity and relevance.

But it goes way beyond that. Exploring the values that matter to Catholic supporters, embedding anti-racism and digging deep into the personal agency and autonomy of their partners and the people they seek to support while inspiring greater engagement, are all part of our brief.

Lucinda Devine-Kennedy, Head of Communications at CAFOD, said:

“Some of CAFOD’s challenges are commonplace – needing to reach a younger demographic, translating the complexity of our work into something that’s more easily understood – and some are more specific, like ensuring we better reflect the increasing diversity of our community in England and Wales. As well as this process helping us encapsulate what we do, and how to convey that to best effect, we’re excited at the positive impact that better understanding our audiences will have on our communications.”

CAFOD has made a powerful decision to take a lead in tackling some of the sector’s challenges. It’s a great brief and one we’re delighted to take on.