A community charity runs a food bank and advice sessions in a diverse city neighbourhood. Many of the people it helps speak Arabic, Polish, Urdu or Somali at home. Some of its most generous local donors are from the same communities. Yet the website is only in English, and most messages in other languages sit unanswered until a volunteer who speaks the language can help.
Language barriers cost charities supporters and leave people who need help without it.
Who is affected
- Service users who need help but struggle to read English information
- Donors who want to give but have questions they would rather ask in their own language
- Volunteers from the community who want to help
- Families of service users who want to understand how the charity works
Donor questions in general are covered in donor questions that go unanswered on charity websites.
Why it matters most for service users
People seeking help are often in difficult circumstances. A language barrier adds to their stress and may stop them reaching out at all. Clear information in their language about opening times, what help is available and what to bring can make the difference between getting help and not.
Answering in any language
SpideyChat for nonprofits replies in the language the person writes in, using the charity's own pages. Someone writing in Arabic gets clear answers about opening times and services. A donor writing in Polish gets answers about how to give. Personal enquiries are passed to staff.
Visitor (in Arabic): When is the food bank open? Assistant (in Arabic): The food bank is open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10am to 2pm, as the get help page explains. You don't need a referral for your first visit.
Donor admin in other languages
Donor admin questions, such as tax relief schemes and regular giving, can be confusing in any language. Clear answers are covered in gift aid, legacies and other donor admin questions.
Lessons from healthcare
Clinics answering patients in their own language see similar benefits, as described in patients writing in other languages to clinics.
Where services are offered
Multilingual communities may be spread across a wide area. Being clear about where the charity's services are available helps people find the nearest one. Area questions are covered in answering service area questions.
Printed materials and events
Websites are only part of the picture. Leaflets, posters and event information in community languages help people find out about the charity in the first place. Translated materials should match the website, so that someone who reads a leaflet in Urdu and then visits the website finds the same information. Consistency builds trust, especially with people who have been let down by services before.
Donors from diaspora communities
Many donors give to causes connected to their heritage, and prefer to communicate in their first language. Answering their questions in that language, and thanking them in it, shows respect and encourages long-term support.
Volunteers who speak other languages
Volunteers who speak community languages are valuable. Say which languages are spoken at sessions, and invite multilingual volunteers to help.
Trying it in another language
Write to your own website in one of your community's languages and see what happens. Then add a short section explaining which languages are spoken at your services. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about multilingual replies on the features page.