What to do when “life-saving” no longer works.
Foreign aid has fallen to its lowest level in almost five decades. As governments turn inward, charities, INGOs, and UN agencies are being forced to make harder choices about how, where, and even whether they can help.
At the same time, the language and imagery that once mobilised public support is losing its power. “Life-saving” – a term designed to provoke urgency and generosity – no longer cuts through. Audiences are overwhelmed by a constant stream of crises, desensitised by shock imagery, and gripped by anxiety about their own futures and the planet their children will inherit.
This is a moment of profound challenge for fundraisers, but also one of creative opportunity.
To survive and remain relevant, the sector must undergo a fundamental rebrand. In the years ahead, charities will need to become some of the most powerful and imaginative storytellers in the world, shifting from urgency to relevance, from pity to agency, and from transactional giving to cultural connection.
This session will explore what needs to change and what the next era of creativity for aid can look like. From redefining impact to rebuilding trust and hope, together we will examine how creativity can help reimagine life-saving for a fatigued, fractured world.
Learning outcomes
- Learn how programme, fundraising, advocacy, and comms teams can come together through creativity
- Understand how your organisation can elevate its creative storytelling with different levels of resources and investment
- Learn what different audiences are responding to in terms of building action and income across corporates, the public, and high-net-worth individuals