26 Nov 2026 Content calendar (template)
A content calendar is one of the most valuable tools your charity can use to stay organised, plan ahead, and communicate with purpose throughout the year. Having a clear overview of your upcoming content helps ensure your messages are timely, relevant, and aligned with your wider goals. It’s not just about keeping up with regular posting – it’s about creating intentional, impactful communications that truly resonate with your audience.
In this updated guide for 2026, you’ll learn how to build and make the most of a content calendar that supports your charity’s mission. Whether you’re part of a small team managing multiple responsibilities or a larger organisation looking to streamline your processes, this resource will help you stay focused, consistent, and confident in your planning.
To help you hit the ground running, we’ve also included a refreshed, downloadable content calendar template designed specifically for 2026, so you can start mapping out your key moments and campaigns straight away.
What is a content calendar?
A content calendar is more than a simple timetable—it’s a strategic map for your charity’s communications. It brings clarity to your storytelling by helping you:
- Plan and organise content with purpose
- Connect your messaging to key moments, campaigns, and events
- Track each piece of content from early ideas through to final publication
With a content calendar, you can keep on top of everything from social posts and blog articles to email campaigns, fundraising appeals, volunteer features, and more. When it’s kept up to date, it gives your team the oversight they need to stay organised, intentional, and ahead of schedule.
Why is a content calendar important for charities?
A well-planned content calendar gives your charity the structure and visibility needed to communicate with confidence. It helps you:
- Stay consistent: Regular, reliable messaging builds trust and keeps your supporters engaged.
- Use resources wisely: By planning ahead, you can align your content with the capacity of your team and the tools you have available.
- Increase your impact: Scheduling around key campaigns, awareness dates, and fundraising moments ensures your content supports your charity’s priorities.
- Reduce pressure: With everything mapped out in advance, you avoid last-minute rushes and enjoy a calmer, more organised approach to communications.
Getting started with our content calendar
1. Identify key dates and events
2. Brainstorm content ideas
Begin by mapping out the major points in your year. These will act as the backbone of your content planning and help ensure your communications align with what matters most. Consider including:
- Seasonal opportunities: Such as winter fundraising activity, summer events, or end-of-year campaigns.
- Awareness days and weeks: Highlight the dates that directly relate to your cause; for example, World Mental Health Day or other sector-specific moments.
- Fundraising activities: Note the timing of your major appeals, events, or challenges so you can build supporting content around them.
- Organisational milestones: Include things like anniversaries, launches, achievements, impact releases, or internal celebrations.
Next, explore the stories and themes you want to highlight throughout the year. Think about what your audience values, what inspires them, and what helps them understand your mission. You might include:
- Impact-led stories: Share real examples of the difference your charity makes using testimonials, case studies, or behind-the-scenes insights.
- Educational pieces: Create how-to guides, explainer posts, or practical tips linked to your cause.
- Volunteer and supporter spotlights: Shine a light on the people who help drive your mission forward.
- Calls-to-action: Encourage your audience to get involved, whether that’s through donations, event participation, volunteering, or sharing your message.
How to use our content calendar template:
Once you’ve gathered your ideas and identified your key dates, the template will help you bring everything together in a structured, manageable way.
Start by ranking your ideas
Decide which pieces of content are the highest priority and map out when you’d ideally like them to go live. This helps you shape a realistic timeline and ensures your most important messages don’t get lost.
Work backwards from your launch dates
Aim to begin creating each piece of content at least a month before you plan to publish it, longer if you know you have limited internal capacity. Remember to factor in the full process:
- research and information gathering
- writing or scripting
- editing and approvals
- scheduling or publishing
Building in this buffer ensures your content is delivered on time, to a high standard, and without unnecessary last-minute pressure.
How to fill in your content calendar
Each row in the calendar represents one piece of content. Fill out the columns as follows:
Due Date
- Add the planned publish date or event date.
- If it’s not fixed yet, use an estimated date (you can update later).
Content Destination (Where the content will be used)
- Choose from the dropdown (e.g. Website, Social Media, Email, Events).
- Ask yourself: “Where will this content live or be seen?”
Content Type (What the content is)
- Select the format from the dropdown (e.g. Blog / Article, Social Post, Guide / Resource).
- Ask yourself: “What kind of content is this?”
Status
- Track progress using the dropdown:
Idea, Draft, Review, Scheduled, Published, Ongoing, Archived.
Owner
- Assign who is responsible for creating, approving, or publishing.
Title
- Write a short description or working title (e.g. “Christmas Appeal Donation Page”).
Meta Description
- Add the short summary for web-based content.
- Keep under 155–160 characters so it works for search engines and previews.
- For social or email content, you can use this as a short teaser copy line.
File Link
- Add a URL to the draft or the live published content.
- This could be a Google Doc, a web page, a social post link, etc.
Progress Checklist
Use tick boxes (✔) to track each stage of content development:
- Content → written draft complete
- Images → graphics/photos created
- Design → layout/formatting complete
- Proofed → spelling/grammar checked
- Signed Off → approved for publishing
This ensures nothing is missed before scheduling or publishing.
Notes
Use this space for extra details such as:
- Platforms (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram).
- Audience focus (supporters, beneficiaries, funders).
- Key campaign details (hashtags, budget, goals).
Download the template, make it your own, and get ready to tell your charity’s story with purpose and impact!
To download the calendar, simply click the button below, then save the Excel file and edit it as required.
