Bijal Rama

Charities play a vital role in championing marginalised Minority Ethnic communities. That’s why building strong, meaningful connections at every level of your organisation is so important. Community engagement is one of the most effective ways to foster these bonds. Our Minority Ethnic research consistently shows that people from Minority Ethnic backgrounds are far more likely to engage with charities with deep, visible ties to their local community. During recent interviews which we conducted with Minority Ethnic groups, we heard how charities facilitated a connection with people and their communities.

“The community is helping me. If they weren't there, I don't know how far I would have gone basically in terms of surviving with the children, you know, so I have faith in my community charity and some of them I don't know how much faith you would be until you see it yourself.”

Female, 44-45, Black African

“We are a local shop. We were obviously running a business, but we always have this thing that we're part of the community. You know, I mean people were very generous in using our shop and supporting us. So, the only way we could support was to do something for the community… and be part of them… I won't say we were heavily involved, but we've done the best we could. If anybody was doing a collection for somebody. If they came with a thing to sign and pay money. We always paid.”

Male, 65-74, Indian

For many, charities offer a way to give back, stay connected, or access vital support. So why does this connection matter – and how can local engagement make it stronger?

1. Building Trust through Local Connections

In September 2024, just 59% of people from Minority Ethnic Communities told us they trust charities –nine percentage points lower than the general public. For charities, this isn’t just a statistic; it’s a call to action.

Trust is the bedrock of engagement. Without it, your ability to reach, support, and mobilise communities is weakened. While charities are still more trusted than many institutions, that trust is fragile—and for many Minority Ethnic groups, barriers remain that stop them from accessing help or stepping forward to get involved.

Building trust starts with visible, genuine engagement. Forge partnerships with local leaders, community organisations, and influencers who are already trusted and integrated. These relationships are not just bridges—they’re lifelines.

But don’t stop at presence. Demonstrate cultural competence. Listen closely. Address concerns head-on. When communities see that your organisation understands and respects their experiences, trust follows.

Failing to engage meaningfully risks more than poor uptake of services—it undermines your mission. By leading with authenticity, your organisation can become not just a provider of support but a trusted partner for long-term change and a charity that people will rally around and fight for.

2. Prioritising Cultural Competency and Sensitivity

Understanding the cultural values, practices, and needs of minority ethnic communities isn’t optional – it’s essential. Language barriers, dietary requirements, or religious/cultural customs and attitudes can all shape how charities are received. An example of this is when we asked which causes people wouldn’t support:

“I feel bad saying, you know, not older people, but that's probably because of the community that I grew up in, you know that I'm from. You don't have a lot of older people that don't have family looking after them, so it's just not something that I’m aware of that a lot of older people need that support. But I'm not saying that it's not important. But I'm just saying in relation to me specifically, if I had, you know, 100 pounds to give, I probably wouldn't give it to older people because I would feel like younger people or cancer would benefit from it more.”

Female, 35-44, Pakistani

What we see here is a case in which older people’s charities are not able to make a compelling ask to our respondent. This is because her cultural experiences don’t align with the narrative that she has heard from older people’s charities. By learning more about people’s experiences, we can start to tailor our work to better connect on their level. In more extreme cases, without cultural awareness, even the most well-intentioned initiatives risk missing the mark or unintentionally alienating the very people they’re designed to help.

Community engagement offers a crucial opportunity to listen, learn, and adapt. By immersing your organisation in the lived experiences of diverse communities, you can co-design comms and services that are not only inclusive but also genuinely effective. This level of insight will allow your teams to deliver programs that resonate and build lasting trust.

3. Breaking Down Communication Barriers

Clear, accessible communication is central to your mission – but standard channels don’t reach everyone. Minority ethnic communities often face language challenges, unfamiliar messaging styles, or limited awareness of available support.

You must ensure that communication strategies are as inclusive as possible. That means engaging trusted local networks (46% of minority ethnic donors gave at their place of worship), producing multilingual and culturally relevant materials, and showing up in the spaces where communities already connect. Working with local influencers or holding in-person community events can vastly improve reach and outcomes. 

4. Empowering Communities Through Participation

Community engagement isn’t just about delivery – it’s about partnership. By involving minority ethnic communities in shaping the decisions that affect them, your organisation moves from service provider to true ally. Participation could be asking for feedback on how to improve a programme or even helping to plan an event. And, there’s a dual benefit. You get to improve and embed further in the community, while you locals get to enjoy connecting with others, learning new skills and getting that hit of altruism.

“I like to get involved in community events… I really enjoy connecting with people on a community level and actually having direct work with them because I don't do as much of that now in my main job. So it sounds very selfish, 'cause. There's all the things that I like. So that's why I do it. But then at the same time, people are getting a good service as part of me doing the volunteering. So it. It works, but yeah, I like the variety of it. I like connecting with people. I like to feel like I'm making a difference, even if it's on a small scale. And it's really interesting and sometimes really creative.”

Female, 35-44, Black Caribbean

Empowering communities to co-create solutions not only builds local engagement but ensures long-term sustainability in your activities. When people feel ownership over your work with their community, they are more invested in your success. For charities, prioritising participation helps foster deeper relationships and more effective, lasting impact.

5. Addressing Intersectionality in Program Design

Minority ethnic communities are diverse within themselves, spanning gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, disabilities, and more. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it. It’s essential to understand how overlapping identities create compounded challenges. The experiences of a Black woman differ significantly from those of an East Asian man. Understanding these nuances allows you to design programs that meet people where they truly are, resulting in better-targeted and more impactful support.

6. Designing More Inclusive Charitable Programs

Community engagement creates a feedback loop that drives smarter, more inclusive programming. Charities that embed continuous dialogue into their strategy can quickly adapt services to meet evolving needs—especially in communities that are too often excluded from the conversation.

For instance, if your organisation provides mental health support, direct engagement may reveal stigma or cultural beliefs that influence how mental health is perceived. This insight enables you to deliver services that are culturally appropriate and more likely to be accessed.

7. Strengthening Advocacy and Extending Impact

When your organisation is deeply connected to diverse communities, your advocacy gains both credibility and power. Real engagement grounds your campaigns in lived experience—making your voice more authentic and effective in pushing for systemic change.

Charities rooted in the communities they serve are also more agile. As needs shift, your team is better positioned to respond quickly and advocate on the issues that matter most, when they matter most. If you can link them to what’s happening locally, you’re also more likely to get a surge of local support.

“I've done letters to MPs just about really local stuff like, you know, they were gonna close the local post office. It sounds really silly, but I feel like if everybody did it, then obviously they might make note more.​.. I think I'll do it more if it's linked locally. Yeah. So like if it's something that's directly gonna have an impact on my local community, I think that's the deciding factor sometimes when it's bigger, it feels like. I'm less connected to it, if that makes sense.”

 

Female, 35-44, Black Caribbean

Conclusion: Leadership That Listens, Learns, and Leads

For charities, community engagement is not a box to tick—it’s a strategic imperative. It builds trust, shapes better services, breaks down barriers, and empowers communities to drive their own change.

In an increasingly diverse society, the charities that lead with humility, curiosity, and courage will be the ones that make a lasting difference. The path to greater inclusion starts with listening and ends with stronger, more resilient communities built in partnership. Let us help you to take the first steps with our nfpPublic Minority Ethnic research.

For more information, get in touch or download a briefing pack below.