Charity and Event Management: Why Social Impact Is Now a Must-Have in Communication

In a landscape where events and communications are expected to prove their usefulness, charitable initiatives have emerged as a powerful driver of engagement. Flagship moments like the Téléthon, Octobre Rose, and ZEvent show that a solidarity-based strategy can simultaneously mobilize communities, generate visibility, and deliver measurable impact (donations, volunteering, awareness). Beyond the “PR stunt,” these initiatives demand coherence, transparency, and environmental responsibility—skills that sit at the heart of EFAP’s programs.

The public no longer expects brands merely to entertain; it wants to understand what they are for. In this context, charitable and solidarity-driven events represent a major turning point. They align narrative and proof: societal commitment, transparency, and impact measurement. The result is greater trust, lasting brand preference, and more active communities. Charitable initiatives also bring compelling storytelling, clear causes, concrete objectives, and moments of mobilisation, that give meaning to the experience, both in person and live online.

Why it works

Solidarity initiatives set everyone in motion: employees, customers, influencers, media, and local communities. They create “moments” in which people can contribute to something bigger than themselves: donating, raising awareness, bearing witness, collecting. The mechanics fit perfectly with today’s communication codes: participatory formats, live broadcasts, challenges, symbolic rewards, and community-generated content. And because impact is measurable (funds raised, volunteering, beneficiaries, reach), the value is tangible for organisations as well as for partner associations.

Flagship case studies

Mainstream events like the Telethon or Pink October have shown that an event can be both educational and unifying while sparking local initiatives (walks, challenges, corporate actions, in-store activations). On the digital side, ZEvent has profoundly reinvented fundraising: content creators gather for several days, live donation targets are announced, challenges are met in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers, with charitable merchandising, guest appearances, and concerts. This blend of spectacle, gaming, communities, and a social cause has set a new standard: real-time engagement that is transparent and embodied.

Telethon

Pink October

ZEvent

What ZEvent teaches communicators

ZEvent is a reminder that a charitable event is not limited to the “big moment.” It lives upfront, with editorial preparation and a clear choice of cause; during, thanks to live broadcasts, interactions, donation tiers, and short formats adapted to platforms; and afterwards, through transparent reporting: financial statements, highlighting beneficiaries, acknowledgments, behind-the-scenes content, and lessons learned. Managing the full lifecycle in this way strengthens both credibility and reach.

Best practices for credible initiatives

Success comes down to one word: coherence. Coherence between the cause and the organisation’s mission, between tone and audiences, between promises and resources. The partnership with the association must be established from the outset: project governance, image rights, fundraising methods, and traceability. Transparency is non-negotiable: explain where the funds go, what they are used for, and how the event’s organisational costs are covered. Eco-design and inclusion should guide production: accessibility of venues and content, material sobriety, low-impact mobility, and attention to the digital footprint of live streams. Finally, you must measure: not only audience and media coverage, but also social impact (amounts raised, volunteering, beneficiaries), participant satisfaction, and environmental footprint. These indicators drive continuous improvement, prevent “impact washing,” and provide solid arguments for leadership and partners.

How to integrate charitable initiatives into your calendar

Rather than waiting for a single “big night,” it’s better to weave a year-round solidarity throughline: a themed month (Pink October), a year-end event (fundraiser or charity dinner), a digital activation tied to an international moment (Giving Tuesday), local formats (blood drives, outreach, workshops), and an internal challenge coupled with skills-based volunteering. Each sequence feeds the next, embeds the cause over time, and makes buy-in easier.

Engagement: this is the EFAP spirit

At EFAP, engagement isn’t an abstract concept—it’s a practice. Throughout the year, our students take part in solidarity and civic initiatives that develop their human values as much as their professional skills: project management, partner coordination, event production, operational communication, media relations, and community management.

📍 On the Montpellier campus, a blood drive was recently organised, bringing together many students from EFAP, BRASSART, and CREAD. This initiative illustrates our “learning by doing” approach: an event that benefits the community, designed end-to-end by students, with close-range communication and meticulous logistics. Beyond operational success, it’s an experience that shapes responsible communicators who care about the real impact of their actions.

EFAP – Blood donation

EFAP – Charity

How EFAP prepares students to deliver high-impact charitable events

Our programs in communications and event managementteach students to connect strategy and execution. They learn to choose a relevant cause, build an association partnership, craft an engaging editorial line, produce experiential formats both in person and online, and then objectify the results using impact KPIs. They explore regulatory and ethical issues, eco-design methods, accessibility standards, and practise transparent reporting to stakeholders. The goal: to train professionals capable of orchestrating projects that have meaning and generate concrete outcomes.

What’s next?

For brands, institutions, associations, and agencies, charitable work is no longer a side activity—it is proof. Proof of responsibility, usefulness, and attentiveness to societal expectations. Done well, it strengthens reputation, unites communities, and leaves a positive footprint. For students, it is an unparalleled learning ground at the crossroads of strategy, creation, and production.