Introducing Microsoft Disability Answer Desk

Microsoft needs little introduction. The world’s largest software maker, over 1.4 billion people and businesses use Microsoft products and services globally.

The brand is best known for its Windows operating systems software, Office applications suite and the Internet Explorer web browser, but it’s also a leading provider of cloud computing services, video games, computer, and gaming hardware.

Over the years, Microsoft has been building inclusion into its products and services. Three years after launching the first version of Windows in 1985, the company introduced ‘Access Utility for Windows 2.0’ – a programme that improved the accessibility of Windows for users with hearing impairments and/or limited dexterity.

Since then, the brand has released a slew of accessible programmes, tools and products to support a wide range of needs and disabilities - the most recent being the Xbox Adaptive controller. And the latest incarnation of Windows (Windows 11) is being marketed as the ‘most accessible version of Windows yet’. 

Microsoft Disability Answer Desk

If you have a disability, you may be well-versed in Microsoft’s vast array of accessible products and tools, but did you know about their Disability Answer Desk?

If not, here’s the lowdown.

Launched in 2013 as part of the brand’s commitment to ‘bridge the disability divide’, the Answer Desk is a free resource disabled customers can use to:

• Troubleshoot issues with Windows products, tools, and accessories.

• Learn how to use Microsoft’s accessibility features.

• Ask questions about assistive technologies. 

Available 24/7, the support line is manned by a team of assistive technology experts, who undergo mandatory disability awareness, etiquette, and sensitivity training.

Fielding around 150,000 enquiries a year, they help customers with products such as Office 365, Xbox, Windows, and Skype, as well as third-party assistive technologies, such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and speech recognition software.  

Accessibility Help and Learning Centre

In addition to the helpline, Microsoft’s Accessibility help and learning centre lists all the accessibility tools available in Windows (grouped by disability). There are also a series of simple how-to guides, explaining how to access and use each tool.

In addition to mobility, vision, hearing, and neurodiversity tools, there are guides on how to use Microsoft’s learning tools to improve your writing and reading, and their mental health tools, that can help you improve your mental focus and minimize distractions.

Final Word

If you’re confused by live captions, flummoxed by colour filters, or stumped by keyboard shortcuts, the Disability Answer Desk can help.

There are a number of ways to contact them. You can call on 0800 026 0584, or speak to them on live chat.

If you’re visually impaired, you can get support through Be My Eyes - a free app that connects blind and low-vision users with volunteers for visual assistance via a live video call. 

The power of charity PR stunts

There are just under 169,000 registered charities in the UK. In such a heavily saturated sector, how can you make your organisation stand out in a unique way without spending a fortune?

Three words. A PR stunt.

For the unfamiliar, a PR, or publicity stunt, is a disruptive marketing tactic with one simple goal – to get people talking.  

More specifically, PR stunts:

• Are short or one-off events, not long-term campaigns.

• Are interesting, original, and memorable.

• Rely on viral marketing, where people share footage of the stunt with their friends, resulting in exponential reach.

If you haven’t experimented with PR stunts, it may be worth considering, as, when they’re planned effectively, they can raise a ton of awareness, generate free column inches, and drive donations.

What does a charity PR stunt look like?

PR stunts come in various shapes and forms and aim to achieve different things.

Let’s look at a few examples.

USA for Africa
Goal: Raise awareness and boost donations

One of the first notable charity PR stunts took place in 1986. Organised by USA for Africa, the stunt, dubbed ‘Hands Across America’ aimed to raise awareness of poverty and hunger by uniting millions of Americans in a single cause: forming a human chain spanning the continental United States.

The ambitious stunt attracted 6.5 million participants, including celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld.

Former President Ronald Reagan and the White House staff even took part.

Participants donated $10 to stand in the chain, and the stunt raised a whopping $34m for the charity.

Greenpeace
Goal: Raise awareness and solicit signatures

PR stunts can also be an effective way to campaign for change.

In 2013, six female activists from global campaigning network, Greenpeace scaled London’s 1,017-foot Shard tower (without permission) to highlight Shell’s plans to drill for oil in the Arctic.

They chose the Shard as Shell’s headquarters are located near the iconic building.

The six women began their ascent in the early hours of July 11, and reached the top at around 7.10pm, at which point they attached a protest flag with the words "Save The Artic" to the building.

The stunt was broadcast live via the internet from cameras mounted on the climbers’ helmets. Greenpeace urged followers to monitor the climber’s progress via a live video link on their website, which featured pop-up boxes asking people to sign a petition and donate.

The women were arrested "on suspicion of aggravated trespass", but the stunt had the desired effect: 65,000 people signed up to support the campaign in the 24 hours following the stunt, and the live stream peaked at 13,000 viewers.

The story also trended globally on Twitter and dominated media coverage on the day.

RNIB
Goal: Raise awareness

In 2021, The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) opened a mock corner shop to highlight the inaccessibility of packaging by stocking the shelves with vaguely labelled products.

The "WhatsIn store" pop-up provided an insight into how it feels to be confronted with inaccessible packaging, something regularly experienced by people with sight loss.

Hidden cameras in the shop filmed shoppers' reactions to the blank or intentionally vague packaging before the shopkeeper revealed that this is the reality for people with sight loss when they’re out shopping or want to buy food on the go.

The footage was uploaded to RNIB’s social media channels, attracting thousands of views and shares. It also generated widespread media coverage.

The stunt also prompted global drinks brand Coca-Cola to release a line of accessible packaging for blind and partially sighted people.

Sanku and Choose Love
Goal: Raise awareness and funds

In 2022, surprise performance company, ClubMob took to the streets of London for a charity flashmob. (If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a flashmob is ‘a large public gathering at which a group of people perform a seemingly random song, or dance routine, and then disperse’. Flashmobs are designed to attract attention by disrupting the normal and taking people by surprise).

The professional dancers performed a pre-choreographed routine in four high-profile locations in London, to raise money for two charities; Sanku and Choose Love.

In advance of the event, ClubMob filmed a tutorial of part of the routine, posted it online, and invited people from across the world to learn it and join them on the day. 100 people travelled to London to take part.

The stunt caused quite a stir, with large crowds of bemused passersby stopping to watch and film the performances.

The video has been viewed 320k times and the stunt raised just under £4,000, which was split between the two charities.

WaterAid
Goal: Raise Awareness and solicit signatures

In 2021, WaterAid placed four ice sculptures on the banks of the Thames, to highlight how climate change is causing fragile water sources to disappear for vulnerable communities.

The ice figures depicted people from some of the world’s poorest communities collecting water, to highlight the reality of those living on the frontline of climate change.

The stunt, which formed part of WaterAid’s ‘Our Climate Fight’ campaign, highlighted how climate change is causing fragile water sources to disappear in vulnerable communities.

The charity used it to encourage the public to sign their open letter to the UK Government, urging them to ‘invest a third of the UK’s committed international climate funding in locally-led adaptation projects, to help vulnerable communities get a reliable source of water, so they can protect themselves against the impacts of climate change’.

Looking for an experienced event fundraiser to make your next event go off with a bang? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 1111 or email us on info@bamboofundraising.co.uk

Disability in the workplace: Georgie’s Story

A recent study by healthcare provider Bupa found that two in five (43%) employees with a less visible disability haven’t disclosed it to their employer.

This got us thinking. Half the team at Bamboo has a disability. Have they felt comfortable enough to talk about their disabilities at work?

Let’s find out.

Here’s Georgie’s story.

What disability do you have?

My disability is called Stickler's Syndrome and I was born with it. Basically, my body is lacking in collagen. It affects my ears, eyes, nose, throat, and joints.

I was born with a cleft palate, and I had surgery to repair it three times. This is also part of the Syndrome: I had surgeries at 10 months, 13 and 16 years old. I also had facial reconstruction beginning at age 17 due to a lack of cartilage and bone in my nose.

One of my ribs was removed to build it up.

How does your disability affect you?

My ears and eyes are underdeveloped due to the lack of collagen, which means I have both visual and hearing impairments. It also causes my bones and joints to hurt. On the upside, the lack of collagen means I'm super flexible!

Also, now I'm older, a lot of my joints, such as my wrists, hips, and knees regularly pop out.

How do you manage your conditions?

I don't take medication for any of my ailments.

Have you disclosed your disabilities to employers?

My mother told me to keep quiet about my disabilities once I got into a work environment. However, I did reveal my disabilities to a former employer and regretted doing so.

Why?

I was discriminated against for my hearing impairment. My colleagues were horrible. They purposely spoke quietly around me and told me off when I didn't hear what they'd said. It dented my confidence.

What did you do about the discrimination?

Due to my lack of confidence and the health problems my family was experiencing, I didn’t hold the nursery accountable. I held my tongue, kept my head down, and got on with my job.

However, I had the opposite experience at Bamboo.

Graham (Bamboo Co-Founder) has a disability of his own and disclosed some difficulties he’s experienced, which made me feel comfortable telling him about my own. He inspired me to open up and advocate for myself.

What can employers do to support people with the same condition as you at work?

It doesn’t require a huge amount of adjustment. For me, (due to my sight issues), a games monitor is ideal, (as the screen is larger than a standard laptop screen) and a large font is a must.  

Also, due to my impaired hearing, I need people to speak loudly and clearly.

If someone discloses a disability, the team needs to have a basic understanding of the condition and how it affects the person. They also need to be patient and understanding.

What advice would you give someone with your condition when applying for jobs? Should they be open about the condition to potential employers?

I’d say be honest, and don’t let your disability define you!

Trustee Roles 101

In one of our previous blog posts, we gave you the lowdown on trustees. We looked at what a trustee is, the benefits of taking on a trustee role, and the responsibilities that come with it.

In this post, we’re going to look at:

• the composition of a charity board

• the skills and experience charities look for when recruiting board members

• the various roles you can apply for

Before we dive in, here’s a quick recap on the role of a trustee board.

A trustee is a volunteer who serves on the governing body of a charity, (known as the board of trustees.) The board has overall control of a charity and is responsible for making sure the charity does what it was set up to do.

Taking on a trustee role is a great way to help your community/a cause you care about while meeting new people and developing new skills. An invigorating and dynamic role, it puts you at the very heart of a charity and its work.

Composition of a charity board

Charity boards often comprise of 5-12 trustees. And they thrive on diversity, so charities look to recruit trustees of all ages, and from a range of backgrounds, with a variety of skills, experience, and perspectives.

Every charity is different, but most boards consist of trustees with a mix of:

• Specific professional or business skills such as finance, marketing, IT, or human resources.

• Personal, lived experience of the issues the charity focuses on.

• ‘Soft’ skills such as facilitating, teamwork, problem-solving, or even building the social side of being on a board.

• Experience working at a strategic level.

Honorary Officers

You can either apply to be a general trustee or what is known as a ‘charity’ or ‘honorary officer’. While each trustee has equal legal and financial responsibility, charity officers carry out specific duties to help the board function effectively.

Charity officer roles include a Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary, and they’re usually appointed/elected by the board.

What do honorary officers do?

Every charity is different, but we’ve outlined the key responsibilities for each role to give you an idea of what’s required.

Chair

The primary role of a chair is to provide leadership to the board.

Responsibilities

• taking responsibility for the board’s composition and development

• planning and conducting board meetings

• ensuring the board is effective in setting and implementing the charity’s direction and strategy.

• supporting and supervising the chief executive and acting as a channel of communication between the board and staff

• acting as a figurehead for the charity (for example, representing it at functions, meetings, or in the press).

• leading on the development of the board and making sure that its decisions are carried out.

• taking urgent action (but not decision-making unless authorised) between board meetings when it isn’t possible or practical to hold a meeting.

Vice-chair

Some boards recruit a vice chair. In some cases, the vice-chair acts as a deputy for the chair, taking on the chair’s role when the chair is absent. In others, the vice-chair is the ‘chair in waiting’ or ‘chair designate’ and will take over the chair’s role at the end of their tenure.

Treasurer

The treasurer helps trustees carry out their financial responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• presenting financial reports to the board in a format that helps the board understand the charity’s financial position.

• advising the board on how to carry out its financial responsibilities.

• ensuring compliance with financial systems and policies.

• working with professional advisors.

• overseeing the preparation of annual accounts.

• taking on some of the day-to-day financial duties, such as book-keeping, budgeting, and preparation of reports (particularly in small charities)

In case you’re wondering, the Treasurer is not solely responsible for the charity’s finances. All the trustees are jointly responsible and should be able to understand, consider and comment on financial information.

Secretary

The role of the Secretary is to support the Chair in ensuring the smooth functioning of the board.

Responsibilities

• Liaising with the Chair to plan committee meetings.

• Ensuring meetings are effectively organised and minuted.

• Checking that agreed actions from board meetings are carried out.

• Keeping up-to-date contact details of board members.

• Keeping a record of the organisation’s activities.

• Acting as a custodian of the organisation’s governing documents.

• Ensuring elections are in line with stipulated procedures.

• Ensuring organisation’s activities are in line with its objectives.

• Ensuring charity and company law requirements are met.

• Sitting on appraisal, recruitment, and disciplinary panels, as required.

• Ensuring meetings are in person or online in line with the governing document.

• Responding to all committee correspondence.

• Preparing a report of the organisation’s activities for the Annual General Meeting.

 Interested in becoming a trustee and want some help finding the right cause and role? We can help. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to chat to our friendly team.

How to fundraise on TikTok

If you’re a regular reader of the Bamboo blog, you’ll be aware that we’ve been dedicating blog space to helping you up your fundraising game on social media.

In this post, we’re looking at TikTok.

TikTok by numbers

Since launching in 2016, the video-sharing app has been downloaded three billion times. Today, it boasts more than a billion monthly active users and 45 million daily users.

With the average user spending 95 minutes a day on the app, you’ve got ample opportunity to reach donors and level up your fundraising on the platform.

More than just a dance

You may be wondering why a charity would bother with TikTok. After all, it’s just a bunch of kids dancing and lip-syncing to chart hits, right?

Sure, there’s a lot of that on the platform, and you can jump on the trend to raise awareness like British Red Cross did with their handwashing dance routine in March 2020. But there’s a lot more to TikTok than viral dance routines.

Let’s look at some of the ways you can use TikTok to attract the attention of donors and add some much-needed coffers to the fundraising pot.

Storytelling

TikTok videos can be up to ten minutes long. That’s plenty of time to hit people right in the feels.

You can use video (and music) to captivate donors with a compelling story that triggers an emotional response.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• A promotional video highlighting your charity’s mission

• A behind-the-scenes look at the work you do

• Video case studies from service users

• Archive footage

Live video

Going live on TikTok allows you to connect with donors in real time. There’s no time limit on live videos, and you can earn money through LIVE Gifts.

Live content can take many forms. For example:

• Fundraising events (you can include interviews with attendees and beneficiaries for added impact)

• Online charity auction

• Q&A’s

• Thank you messages to donors

• News updates

However, before going live on TikTok, you need to make sure you’re prepared. Here are some things to think about:

Time of day

What time is your live stream planned for? Do some research into when your audience is most active on the platform and schedule the stream around that.

How long?

As we said earlier, there’s no limit on the length of a live stream. TikTok suggests the sweet spot is 30 minutes, but it’s up to you. Go longer. Go shorter. Just make sure you’re ready and able to keep viewers engaged for the duration.

Sound and vision

You don’t need to deliver a BBC-quality broadcast, but you want to optimise it as much as possible. Put some thought into lighting, camera angles, and microphone placement, and test your equipment in advance to ensure you’re getting the best possible quality from it.

If viewers are struggling to see or hear you, you’ll struggle to hold their attention.

Quality connection

Before you go live, check your internet connection. A solid connection is a must-have. Wi-Fi is best. If not, at least 4G. You don’t want to go dark in the middle of your stream.

Even a momentary disconnect will have a negative impact on viewership.

Donation stickers

When you post a video to TikTok, add a donation sticker. Viewers that tap the sticker will be taken to an external page that provides information about your charity and the opportunity to donate.

To benefit from this feature, you’ll need to sign up to Tiltify. This is the company that TikTok has partnered with to process charitable donations.

Once signed up, you can add donation stickers to all your videos and direct users to your donation page.

Hashtag challenges

One of TikTok’s unique fundraising features is hashtag challenges.

To give you an idea of how they’re used, for every video posted with #PetBFF during a period in 2019, Tik Tok donated $1 to animal welfare organisations worldwide, including Blue Cross. That’s potential income, for, well nothing!

While we’re talking animals, Caenhill Countryside Centre has accumulated almost 350,000 followers with the help of a hashtag. Not bad for a small, Wiltshire-based animal shelter!

Display a fundraiser on your profile

One of the simplest ways to attract donations through TikTok is to add a fundraiser link to your profile.

Adding a link is straightforward. Click ‘edit profile’, hit ‘add nonprofit to your profile,’ and choose your charity from the list. Visitors will then be able to see a ‘Supporting [your charity name]’ link on your profile, which they can tap to donate to your cause.

Again, to make use of this feature your charity needs to be approved on Tiltify.

Final word

TikTok is a social media fundraising must-have. It offers some neat fundraising features in-app and has the potential to skyrocket awareness of your cause due to its immense popularity.

Download the app, sign up, and kickstart your TikTok fundraising journey today.

Do you need a social media guru to manage your social media fundraising efforts? We can help. Give us a call, on 020 3750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk.