What is ‘tone of voice’ ?
Our tone of voice is the distinct personality of Tearfund expressed through language. It’s how Tearfund speaks. Not just what we say.
It defines how our messages are delivered. It is consistent across all communications. It may dial up certain traits depending on the circumstance, but it should always be recognisably Tearfund.
Why is it important?
- It helps to build recognition with our audience and potential audiences. Much like with our logo and design, consistency of tone of voice helps us become more easily identifiable.
- It conveys our values. It lets people know what Tearfund stands for and what we believe.
- It creates an emotional connection and fosters loyalty with our audience. Our tone of voice is an expression of our brand personality, and it’s our personality that supporters connect with over time.
Above all, every communication should sound distinctly Tearfund: unflinching in the face of the most extreme poverty, devoted to those we serve and assured by the difference we help them to make.
Tearfund’s tone of voice
Tearfund’s tone of voice reflects our character as an organisation rooted in faith and action, following Jesus’ example of transforming and radical love.
Looking for guidelines on putting our brand voice into action? Use our writing toolkit, which contains key messaging, guides and checklists.
We are Unflinching, Devoted, Assured
Unflinching
We are motivated by faith and called by Jesus to help people living in the most extreme poverty.
Every day, millions of people in extreme poverty face unrelenting hardship – hunger, conflict, exploitation. And every day, Tearfund helps people lift themselves out of that hardship. Where suffering is at its most extreme, we are there. We are steadfast in our pursuit of lasting, positive change.
Compassionate in the face of human suffering, we are compelled to act. We challenge systemic injustice and tell the truth about what we see, even when it is uncomfortable.
How it sounds
Frank
We say it as we see it. We present unvarnished accounts of the hardship facing the people we work with, while respecting their dignity and resilience.
We are honest with those who support us. If we need more funding for a project, we are up front about this. If we believe Christians should put their faith into action, we say this clearly’ If we believe that it is not enough to pray, we will say this directly.
Direct
We do not need to rely on hyperbole or embellishment because the reality is emotive enough. We are plain-speaking and avoid jargon.
Emotive but never sentimental
We write with compassion about the people we work with, but never with pity. Where possible, we share the lived experiences of people in their own words, using first-person narratives and quotes to authentically represent the reality of their situation.
Do's and Don'ts
Example: Eniya was just 15 when she was trafficked into sexual slavery. As Eniya says, “I was tricked. I thought my life was going to get better. Instead, I almost died.”
Looking for guidelines on putting our brand voice into action? Use our writing toolkit, which contains key messaging, guides and checklists.
Examples of ‘unflinching’
Web story synopsis
Risk sexual assault or go without water? Read Munodei’s story and the stark choice her children faced.
Social media campaign headlines
People in Gaza are starving. Your gift could save lives. For us, it’s just water. But for Rose, it’s a silent crisis that could kill her children. Give hope with £7 a month.
Appeal landing page
When a mother has already done the unimaginable for their child, we cannot sit back and let their child be taken from them by unsafe water. We must act with love, just as Jesus showed us.
Devoted
Compelled to act, we draw close to human suffering. We show compassion and love through our actions, just as Jesus shows us.
We are deeply committed to reaching and connecting with the world’s most vulnerable people and their communities. We listen to and learn from them, knowing they are key to building lasting change. As long as people suffer in extreme poverty, we will continue to take action by their side.
Every action we take is one of devotion – to our faith, and to the people most in need.
How it sounds
Human
We are people committed to working together with other people, so that they can lift themselves from hardship. We speak with sincerity, warmth and quiet strength. We are never overblown or grandstanding.
Intentional
We are deliberate and focused. We speak as we act – with intention. We have committed to helping people around the world in extreme poverty. Everything we say or do honours that commitment.
Whole-hearted
We are unswerving in our commitment. We speak with passion and urgency about the challenges people face and the work we are doing to help them overcome them.
Do's and Don'ts
Do: Write as a peer, walking alongside those who are living and working in the hardest of circumstances.
Example: When Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique, we worked through the night with local volunteers to bring emergency food and shelter, returning again and again to rebuild schools and homes over the following weeks.
Looking for guidelines on putting our brand voice into action? Use our writing toolkit, which contains key messaging, guides and checklists.
Examples of devoted
Appeal landing page
When people like Rose in the DRC are forced to flee, it’s not just their homes and belongings they lose… But Tearfund is there with them. With your support, we walk alongside people like Rose, providing emergency food and access to clean water first.
Social media
In the face of suffering, Jesus calls us to act. Will you walk alongside families in the DRC this Lent?
International comms
The success of the emergency response relied upon Tearfund’s strategic oversight. We implemented our standard intervention models to ensure all delivery targets for the affected population were met.
Assured
Our conviction in the God-given potential of people is realised every day. Every day, we see the difference that people are making in their communities, fueled by their determination to build their own future free from poverty.
We have an unshakeable belief that lives can be transformed. This belief is grounded in the undeniable fact that what we do works and helps people across the world change their lives every day.
Ultimately, we believe that we are doing what Jesus called us to do. He called us to serve people in the most vulnerable situations.. His love guides and sustains us.
How it sounds
Stirring
We know that what we do works. We see it every day. This certainty empowers us to speak with an energy that inspires action.
Value-driven
Our Christian values are central to everything we do. While we are never proud, boastful or insensitive, we are confident as we demonstrate Jesus’ love through our words and actions.
Confident
We speak with a calm confidence. We are decisive and compelling. We do not ramble or hesitate.
Do's and Don't's
Example: Every day in South Sudan, women like Ruth are starting businesses with the knowledge they’ve gained from Tearfund agricultural education projects. Because faith, action and partnership work.
Example: This incredible transformation is down to the local church and women in the community working together to free themselves from extreme poverty.
Looking for guidelines on putting our brand voice into action? Use our writing toolkit, which contains key messaging, guides and checklists.
Examples of ‘assured’
Social media
‘Basic needs’ are about more than just food and shelter. They are about the right to be seen, heard, and valued.
Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and isolation.
Web story 1
But we know that ‘basic needs’ go beyond just food and shelter. They include literacy and life skills that give a child more freedom to aspire, and to be seen, heard, and valued.
By providing access to education, our partners are ensuring that a disability doesn’t lead to a lifetime of poverty.
Web story 2
This is what Tearfund’s environmental and economic sustainability work is all about: helping families, and God’s creation, thrive in harmony with one another.
Have any questions?
For all questions related to the brand portal, contact natasha.gibson@tearfund.org
