How do you write impact reports well? A dark-haired man in white, button-through shirt man sits at an office desk with a laptop and documents. His head is buried in his hands as though he doesn't know where to start..
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How to write impact reports that people actually read – and act on

They're your organisation's chance to make an impact on your readers, in more ways than one. Find out how to write impact reports well and how you can leverage them for full value.

Reading time: 4 minutes | By Lee Ellwood

Do you see impact reports as little-read compliance documents, something you have to produce to meet legislation or funding requirements? Think again: they can also be an important tactic in your communications strategy.

That's why it's worth knowing how to write an impact report that people notice – and why a clear, confident, inspiring report can be one of the hardest-working documents your organisation produces.

So if you've been googling 'how to write impact reports' or 'what should be included in an impact report' only to be overwhelmed by AI suggestions, ugly templates and corporate jargon, this article’s for you. We'll walk you through the essentials and show you what separates an ‘okay’ impact report from a truly impactful one.

Why do impact reports matter?

Impact reports for social impact organisations can have more value than you expect. They may be program-specific, accounting for progress and expenditure. They may be annual reports, dictated by legislation or governance obligations. But whatever their purpose, you can use impact reporting to do so much more than be accountable.

A well-written impact report:

  • establishes trust with funders, donors, partners and the communities you serve
  • attracts funding by demonstrating you know what you're doing
  • builds your credibility as an evidence-led voice in your sector
  • yields content you can repurpose across your website, grant applications and social media
  • celebrates your team and volunteers, reminding them that their work is making a difference.

A good example is an annual philanthropic report, generated by donation-driven organisations. It’s an accountability tool, but also a PR exercise – aimed at inspiring more donors and continued donations.

What should be included in an impact report?

Whether you're new to the task or refreshing your current approach, every compelling impact report should cover these essential points.

  • 1. Context: you and your mission. Briefly orient readers: who are you, who do you serve and what are you trying to change? Don't assume people already know.
  • 2. Approach: your theory of change. What activities do you deliver, and what outcomes do you expect them to produce? This is the basis of your whole report.
  • 3. Method: your data and evidence. It’s impossible to report on social outcomes without measuring their impact. Be ready to substantiate your statements with solid evidence.
  • 4. Connection: your stories. Data tells readers what happened; stories tell them why it matters. Case studies, client quotes and practitioner reflections bring your numbers to life.
  • 5. Reflection: your learnings. The best impact reports are honest about what worked, what didn't and what you've changed as a result. Transparency earns respect.
  • 6. Projection: your forward look. Where are you headed? What are your priorities for the next year or funding cycle?

Those are the main elements of an impact report. There may be other sections you’re required, or want, to include. But keep them relevant; don’t add sections just to make the report seem more substantial.

The challenges in writing impact reports

These reports are important, complex, deadline-driven and high-profile. (Ha. What could possibly go wrong?) Here are some of the difficulties we’ve seen.

  • The data challenge: outputs, not outcomes. Many organisations collect data in systems that weren’t designed with storytelling in mind. Come reporting time, your evidence is lacking or talks about outputs (how many activities were delivered) rather than outcomes (how people's lives changed). Measuring impact needs to be built in from the start.
  • The stakeholder challenge: multiple voices. Even small social impact organisations will have multiple people contributing to or signing off on their reporting (or wanting to). The result can be an inconsistent and unclear document. Your impact report needs to display one voice and one mission: the organisation’s.
  • The jargon challenge: excluded readers. Social impact work is full of specialised terms and acronyms that mean nothing to people outside it: ‘theory of change’, ‘SDG alignment’, ‘logic models’, ESG, SROI … Good impact report writing translates this jargon into plain language that everyone can engage with.
  • The structure challenge: unclear story. A report with all the right content but an illogical order – with no narrative thread – will lose readers fast, because it’s too hard for them to know what’s going on. Structure and flow are just as important as substance.
  • The time challenge: maxed-out teams. Impact reports take a lot of work. When reporting falls to a program manager or administrator who’s already working at capacity or doesn’t have a communications skillset, the results can’t be optimal.

A step-by-step guide to drafting an impact report

From blank page to polished document, here's how to write impact reports that people will actually read and act on.

Step 1: Know your audience

Who will actually read this, and why: funders? Community members? Government? The board? Plan your report with your main audience – and their needs – front of mind.

Step 2: Gather your data early

Pull together your quantitative data (numbers, percentages, reach figures) and your qualitative evidence (surveys, case studies, interviews) before you start writing.

Step 3: Decide your narrative

Before you start drafting, identify the theme or achievement that will tie your impact report together. What's the central story of this reporting period?

Step 4: Structure before you write

Create a simple outline based on the essential elements listed above. Draft sections in bullet points first, then write prose. AI can be helpful here, if you know how to prompt it well.

Step 5: Write clearly and humanly

Use plain language, active voice and real stories. Write in varied sentence lengths but nothing over about 25 words. Cover one idea per paragraph.

Step 6: Check your claims

Check everything: every statistic, outcome claim and attribution should be accurate and verifiable. Don’t trust AI to get its facts right: always have a human be the last layer of quality.

Step 7: Edit ruthlessly

Cut out waffle, tighten the language, and make sure every sentence earns its place. Then get someone else – a knowledgable colleague or, better, a professional editor – to read it critically.

Consider getting expert help

Your organisation is doing amazing work. Your impact report should say so, loud and clear. Knowing how to write impact reports well is vital for your cause, and knowing where to get help with them is strategic.

But, let's be real: maybe writing isn't your strongest suit, or time just isn’t available. Maybe you recognise the value in having your report objectively reviewed before it goes out.

Editors and writing consultants can do this. We can help with impact reporting at every stage: from structuring the report and stengthening its narrative to editing your drafts, blending multiple voices into one and giving the final document a thorough, professional polish.

Even if outside help is not an option right now, the tips in this article should help your impact reports serve your organisation to the maximum. Once you recognise just how valuable they really can be, you can start to rethink your approach.

Photo by Lev Dolgachov, Depositphoto, by licence

Legal writing: a female lawyer writing in plain language on a clipboard. She is young, Asian, and working at a desk in a law firm.
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Legal writing and plain language

Legal writing can be both user-friendly and lawyerly, when it matters that its readers can understand and act on it. If you write official correspondence, terms and conditions, policies or procedures, plain language is now the standard.

Reading time: 3.5 minutes | By Kylie Howard

What do most people think of when they think of legal writing? Long, complicated sentences? Indecipherable words and Latin terms? Passive voice? Legalese? It can be enough to make eyes glaze over – especially for the non-lawyer (although even lawyers aren't immune to its sometimes-eyes-glazing-over effect).

The problem is that the more complicated and convoluted your writing, the more likely you are to alienate readers.

This could be because they don’t have a legal background or English might be their second language. But it could also be because they are time-poor professionals who need information quickly – information that is succinct and to the point.

Why does it matter?

Plain language in legal communication is important for many reasons. Here are just a few.

  • Readers are more likely to understand their rights and comply with their responsibilities.
  • Readers can more easily get access to justice and the services they need when they need them.
  • It helps build and maintain trust – when someone understands what you’re telling them, they’re more likely to trust you.

Take the common example of a fine. We’ve all received one. But how many times do they look complicated – if not scary? Small, barely readable font. Unnecessary detail. Hard-to-follow instructions.

Most of the time, what the reader needs to know is what they have to pay, by when, how, and what they need to do if they don’t agree with the fine. If these are set out following plain language principles, the reader is more likely to:

  • understand their rights and comply with their responsibilities
  • get access to justice they need
  • trust the organisation who issued the fine.

Plain legal writing isn’t dumb legal writing

Converting your legal writing into plain (or plainer) language doesn’t mean ‘dumbing it down’. On the contrary: you’ll usually make it more readable, more persuasive and more effective – without compromising legal accuracy. In other words, it will do what you want it to do.

Legal communication often buries the point. Plain legal writing makes the point sing.

When I was practising as a lawyer and instructing barristers in court, some of the most effective (and impressive!) written arguments I saw were short, to the point and clearly set out. They were written by senior, highly respected professionals who distilled complex concepts into plain legal language. And they did it to convince a judge.

Not so dumb.

Plain language is the standard

Still not convinced? In 2025, the International Standards Organization (ISO) published its first plain language standard for legal communication. The standard provides that legal communication should be ‘so clear’ that intended readers can easily find, understand and use the information they need.

Tips for better legal writing

  • Identify who you’re writing for. Knowing your audience is key for any good writing. The way you communicate to the general population is going to be different to the way you would write to a mainly professional audience or to a mainly legal audience.
  • Think about the way you’ve set out the information. Things like headings, lists and numbered steps make information easier to navigate. Diagrams, images and flowcharts can make sense of complicated processes.
  • Be careful with legalese and complicated expressions. Most of the time, there’ll be a simpler way to express the same thing without compromising accuracy or legal meaning. For example, instead of using phrases like ‘in regard to’ or ‘in relation to’, try ‘about’ or ‘for’. And, unless you’re communicating with a strictly legal audience, there’s usually no reason to throw Latin in.
    Sometimes, it can be hard to avoid legal ‘terms of art’, especially if it’s important to communicate or comply with the wording of legislation. If you do have to use these terms, try easy-to-navigate and -find glossaries and for online resources, use linked cross-references to definitions.
  • Use active not passive voice. Sometimes, particularly in legal contexts, the passive voice can’t (or shouldn’t) be avoided, but most of the time, it can. Switching to active voice will usually improve your writing and, most importantly, make it more useful to the reader. For example, instead of writing ‘care should be taken to’ try ‘take care to’ or ‘make sure you’.
  • Use short sentences. They’re easier to read and comprehend. They’re also usually more persuasive. Win-win.

Legal writing that hits the mark

By applying plain language principles to your legal writing, your legal communication will be accessible, impactful and useful to more readers – readers who will trust you and your organisation.

At EllWords, we understand that applying plain language principles to legal writing can be daunting and time-consuming. While we can’t give legal advice, we can convert complex legal communication into readable, engaging text without compromising accuracy.

We offer legal editing and writing for lawyers and non-lawyers: think policies, terms and conditions, law research, procedures and official correspondence.

Get in touch with us to ensure your legal writing makes an impact.

References / further reading

Plain English Foundation – It's finally here! An ISO plain language standard for legal writing

Victoria Law Foundation resources – Victoria Law Foundation plain language resources

ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s Office – Words and phrases guide: a guide to plain legal language

Clarity (an international organisation promoting plain legal language)

Butt P (2018) Legal usage: a modern style guide, Lexis Nexis, Australia

An edited document lying on a desk with pens and an open laptop. Editorial insights into writing make all the difference.
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The how, when and why of editor accreditation

Ever wondered how to become an editor in Australia? IPEd accreditation should be part of your goal.

Reading time: 2 minutes | By Lee Ellwood

For anyone wanting to become an editor in Australia, membership of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) is a must. Even entry-level - or 'Associate' - membership gives you access to professional development, advocacy, networks, local and online events, and editor accreditation.

[Author note: this article was updated 23 February following IPED's announcement that the 2026 accreditation exam has been postponed.]

What is editor accreditation?

IPEd’s Accreditation Scheme is a benchmark for editorial practice in Australia and New Zealand. Achieving editor accreditation certifies that a candidate actually can edit, to a peer-recognised (and high) standard and in line with IPEd’s Australian Standards for Editing Practice (3rd ed).

IPEd is the national professional association for editors of all genres in Australia – well, international, with editors in Aotearoa New Zealand joining as their own branch a few years back.

Part of IPEd’s mission is to ensure that editorial clients in both countries can know what to expect from a professional editor and understand what editing is (and isn’t). Accreditation is a confidence boost for both early career editors and potential clients.

The accreditation exam

The exam is a tightly timed, open-book, 4-hour session, and candidacy is open only to current members of IPEd or other, approved editing organisations around the world.

It’s not an easy exam, and not everyone passes first go. EllWords editors Dr Penny Hayes and Lee Ellwood are 2 of many accredited editors in Melbourne, and they both succeeded on first sit. Colleague Kylie Howard is preparing to sit the exam this year.

‘All the preparation in the months beforehand – joining study groups, practising on past exam papers, and attending IPEd’s prep workshops – really consolidated my knowledge,’ says Lee.

Tough, but worthwhile

Potential accreditation candidates often ask: is the effort and expense of sitting the exam worth it?

‘Absolutely,’ says Lee. ‘Gaining my accreditation just when I’d lost my job and taken the leap into freelancing reassured me that I did know my stuff. Everyone who was good at English at school thinks they know how to edit – I know I did, until I joined IPEd and learned more about the craft of editing!

‘Preparing to sit the exam is, in itself, a fantastic development opportunity. And I’m increasingly finding that IPEd’s editor accreditation is becoming more widely known and recognised by clients.’

Is editor accreditation important to you?

If you’re an early-career editor in Australia and New Zealand and you’re interested in accreditation, here are some resources you should read.

For editorial clients, IPEd accreditation is a marker of expertise that you can trust. Have you noticed whether your inhouse or on-call editor holds accreditation?

Note: There are many talented professional editors in Australia whose careers and editing experience date from before the Accreditation Scheme began, and many of them have opted not to pursue accreditation. You can access a directory of Australian and New Zealander editors on the IPED website to find someone with the right skills, experience and background for your project.

A person is using lists in documents on their laptop. Transparent icons of lists appear over the hands and laptop in the photo.
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Using lists in documents: how to help your writing, not hurt it

Knowing how to use lists well in documents can make all the difference to your writing's success.

Reading time: 4 minutes | By Lee Ellwood

There are lots of reasons for using lists in documents, but the secret is to use them well. A quick scribble will do fine for Christmas shopping, New Year’s resolutions and coffee orders, but for documents intended to make an impact, poorly constructed, formatted and located lists can set you right back.

Why lists matter in impact writing

Lists look pretty, the little text-breaker-uppers that they are. But here’s why you should pay attention to the way you’re using lists in documents. Sure, they give the eyes somewhere to rest on the page, but they do much more than that for your audience—and your communication success.

  • Readers are busy, so they skim text, and lists make your information scannable and easier to access.
  • Lists can foreground key information by making it stand out among a flood of words.
  • Lists can establish an order of steps to be followed or a hierarchy in the information to be absorbed.
  • Lists can highlight the relationships between pieces of information.

If you’re in impact reporting, research, opinion writing and content for social good, it’s vital that your writing engages your target audience every time. If the funding assessor or donor or program partner can’t quickly grasp what you’re trying to say, you could lose their attention in seconds.

In short, lists can make it easy for people to say ‘yes’ to your document.

(By the way, that list is a sentence list. Each item is a full sentence, so it takes an initial capital and a final full stop. It may or may not have an introduction in the preceding paragraph.)

What goes wrong with lists in documents?

We’ve seen a lot of lists over the years, and they haven’t all been effective. As a result of poor list construction, the information has been disjointed and hard to follow, or the chosen punctuation and list item structure has been distracting and confusing. The problem here is that readers disengage.

Some of the common issues with lists include:

  • list items with varying structures in the one list (distracting)
  • list items that are too long, or a mixture of lengths (confusing)
  • list items in an illogical order (disconnecting)
  • inconsistent list styling across the document (confusing and unprofessional)
  • overuse of punctuation (unclear and distracting)
  • overuse of lists (narrative-breaking).

Lots of list writers don’t ensure parallel structure of items in a list, and this causes problems in the document. ‘Parallel structure’ means that every item in the list follows the same syntactic pattern. Because humans like patterns, parallel structure helps readers extract your meaning more quickly and easily. For example, our list items are all noun phrases.

(As an aside, that list is a fragment list: each item is a piece of a sentence, not a complete one. Fragment lists have a lead-in sentence or phrase—‘Some of the common issues with lists include:’—and no punctuation after list items except the final one.)

How to write a good bullet list

The Australian Government Style Manual offers a clear, step-by-step to the principles of well-constructed and consistently formatted lists in documents. The guide covers capitalisation in lists, how to write a good bullet list, the differences between numbered and bulleted lists, and how to punctuate a list correctly.

Here are some of the key principles we follow at EllWords for using lists in a document.

  • Ensure parallel structure of items, so that all are consistent in tense, sentence type or word class within that list.
  • Minimise punctuation use and conjunctions—semicolons aren’t needed at the end of items, and you can skip the joining ‘and’, as well. (Except in legal contexts, where it really matters.)
  • Make sure the list serves a purpose and hasn’t been thrown in to break up the page. It should outline a genuine series of examples, options, key points or steps.
  • Apply numbering when the order of the items matters—as in a sequence of steps or instructions, for example. If the order doesn’t matter, use a bullet list.
  • Check that lists are scattered among paragraphs, not replacing them. A list should complement the way you present the more detailed information.

We recommend that writers don’t worry too much about the formatting details of their lists when they’re compiling their documents—just get the ideas and information flowing. Then, examine your lists closely during the editing and refining stage, when you can approach the text more critically.

One more list type …

  • A standalone list
  • Initial capital, like headings
  • No full stops—not sentences
  • E.g. shopping lists, brain dumps

Using lists in documents—for good

How does your list-writing shape up? The key thing is to be aware of the effect poor lists have on your document and the points (no pun intended!) to watch out for. Following our tips (and the AGSM) will have your lists performing for you in no time.

However, tidying up lists is one common aspect of our editing and writing work in impact reporting, research and legal writing, and long-form content. If you have a great document that’s almost ready to go and time’s running out, why not contact us for a final pre-distribution check and make sure your lists are carrying their weight?

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Why you need an editor in your toolkit

Even comms professionals can benefit from calling in an editor. Find out how professional editing can boost your organisation's image, brand and engagement.

Reading time: 4 minutes | By Lee Ellwood | Copyedited by Kylie Howard

Talking about what editors do can be fun. (No, really. Hear us out.)

Over glasses of wine and cups of coffee, we’ve heard everything from 'finding typos' and ‘putting commas in’ to ‘checking facts’ and ‘taking over my writing’. Upon hearing the phrase ‘I’m an editor’, people visualise either glamour (wine at a book launch) or pedantry (red pens and stern faces). We can always tell which one it is by their expression: awe or revulsion.

So, lean in, as they say: here’s the secret.

You need an editor to ensure your words work hard

Editing is about clarity, consistency, engagement, story. It makes sure your words fulfil their purpose. And you need an editor because editing is vital for your communication strategy to succeed. Why?

  • If people don’t get your point immediately, they’ll go read something else. What’s the point of writing something if it doesn’t stand out from the sludge?
  • If people look but don’t engage, they won’t keep reading. How can your writing achieve its purpose if no one reads it?

Here’s the lowdown on what editing can do for you, your writing and your communication strategy.

Editing supports your brand messaging

Editing makes sure all your organisation’s written communication aligns with your brand. We check that your report, web article, capability statement or other document has a consistent voice, language level and tone so it sounds like your organisation. If not, we fix it.

Branding gives your audience a shortcut to knowing your organisation. If your writing contradicts your brand messaging, you’ll confuse your target market and struggle to engage them.

Achieving consistency is particularly important when multiple people contribute to your documents and publications (think annual reports and external newsletters).

You’ve put time and money into your brand. Why undermine it with inconsistent writing?

Editing boosts your credibility and expertise

You know your field, and your writing should show it. An editor will pick up any waffle, contradiction and uncertain expressions in your communications so that your expertise and reliability can shine through.

Getting your facts right also helps to build trust in your brand, and an editor can have your back here.

As standard process, we check basic facts like the spelling of people and place names, and we watch for flaws in logic. Other, more detailed fact checking needs to be stipulated in the project brief – and factored into your budget.

Editing shows you know your audience

Unless your target audience feels seen and heard, you won’t engage them. Your editor can make sure your writing has them front and centre: people-focused, problem-solving and relatable.

We also review documents for inclusivity and sensitivity, so your writing displays your organisation’s empathy, understanding, respect and values. Our accessibility checks and suggestions help your words reach more people, more easily. We consider the language level and whether it's appropriate for the audience.

What kind of editing do you need?

We’re back at that party, explaining what we do and why people need an editor.

Editing can be light-touch or deep intervention, depending largely on your purpose, your budget and your timeframe. But to give you an idea, let’s briefly outline the 3 most recognised categories of editing.

Structural editing: for engagement and accessibility

This is a ‘bigger-picture’ approach that allows your reader to find their way around your document in an enjoyable, user-friendly way, making it more attractive and engaging.

Your editor will review the document’s cohesion, flow and navigation. We’ll look at the balance between the sections and the overall pace of the piece. Is its length suitable for purpose, and is its focus even?

  • This level is equally effective on shorter texts (like brochures, newsletters and feature articles) or full-length documents (such as reports, capability statements and white papers).
  • It's also key for developing effective, engaging web content.

Copyediting: for distraction-free text

This is a detailed review of the language, form and grammar in the document. It should be done after a structural edit.

Our copyeditor will find and correct typographical errors, lapses in appropriate grammar or word usage, spelling mistakes, text misalignment, errors in number format or punctuation, general factual inaccuracies and style inconsistencies.

‘Line editing’ is similar to copyediting, and in Australia many copyeditors undertake both when they work. In fact, the two terms are often used interchangeably here, but they’re considered separately in the UK.

  • Line editing works at sentence and paragraph level and looks at word order, sentence structure, tense and voice.
  • Copyediting works at word level and covers errors and inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, factual accuracy, styling, spacing and layout.

Proofreading: the last chance for perfection

This is a quality control step: the very last check of documents, manuscripts, web content or page proofs prior to their publication or distribution.

Depending on the type of document, your proofreader might check the page layout, order and numbering of pages, sections and chapters. We review the positioning of graphical elements, consistency of heading levels and other formatting, and make sure links and navigation are functional. We also make sure that earlier edits have been accurately taken in.

  • A tip: proofreading is not copyediting! Proofreading is a quality control step. Copyediting is the polishing step.
  • If your writing has not yet been professionally edited, ask for a ‘copyedit’ rather than a ‘proofread’. Or, avoid the terminology altogether and tell your editor exactly what you want them to look for.

Working with EllWords' editors

When the EllWords group works with you, we’ll find out your writing project's purpose, budget and audience. We’ll listen to the ideas in your mind and the vision in your head. We’ll ask what deadline you’re facing. Then we’ll find the best way to make it happen.

Our professional editing team can take the pressure off you, leaving you free to focus on leading, coordinating, planning and evaluating.

Why stretch yourself too thin when we can put time back in your hands? Contact us today.

An editor's hands are typing on a laptop, with a notebook, pen and coffee cup lying nearby.
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5 reasons why ‘good writing’ matters

As professional writers and editors, we know that good writing matters to any purpose-led or socially focused organisation. But if you’re a time-poor, overloaded communications officer, you may not have had time to think much about it.

Reading time: 4.5 minutes | By Lee Ellwood | Edited by Penny Hayes

Why does ‘good writing’ matter, and what value does it offer your purpose-led organisation? What does 'good writing' actually mean?

In high school English class, it probably meant perfect grammar, vivid adjectives and beautifully crafted sentences. In business, those things can help create good writing, sure—but let’s dig deeper.

‘Good writing’ means effective writing

Anything written is written for a purpose. Whether it’s a novel, a shopping list, a business report or website copy, you always have a reason for writing it.

Good writing means effective writing: it achieves your purpose.

And effective writing maximises opportunities.

Everything you write for your organisation is an opportunity to get people on board with your purpose: to educate them, make them aware, inform them, update them, persuade them.

Effective writing allows you to make the most of those opportunities to engage your audience. It drives clarity, trust, engagement and results.

Those factors underpin the success of your communication strategy. You can have a brilliant strategy, but without effective writing, your tactics won’t carry it out.

Writing effectively takes time and skill, but it’s a worthwhile investment. Here’s why.

1. Good writing matters for efficiency

Good writing is clear—it ensures your message is quick to spot, easy to understand and confusion-free. Clarity is so important now because people are overwhelmed with information and skim content more than they read it. Clear writing makes it easy for them to get your point as they zoom past, thus increasing your chances they’ll stop and read more.

Clarity also reduces misunderstandings or mistakes that can cost your organisation time and money.

  • A poorly written webpage can increase your phone enquiries and take up more of your time.
  • Unclear procedures are inefficient, generating multiple revisions and more back-and-forth among your staff.

Here's a professional writing tip: follow plain English principles to maximise clarity. It reduces confusion for the reader and inefficiency for you. It also ensures your content is more widely accessible, which enhances your image as a relatable, client-focused and approachable organisation.

2. Good writing builds trust and credibility

For organisations trying to change people’s lives for the better, earning trust is vital. If people trust you, they’re more likely to come on board with you. Polished, professional and brand-aligned content signals credibility to your audience, and credibility builds trust.

You also need to convey expertise and reliability to succeed in influencing, persuading and engaging people. Good writing makes this possible.

  • Well-crafted storytelling allows you to share valuable insights and solutions.
  • Thoughtful writing can clearly and convincingly demonstrate a deep understanding of your chosen cause or issue.
  • Writing that is factually accurate, direct and honest will position you as committed, empathetic and authoritative in your sector.

But poor writing will undermine your expertise and credibility. If you can’t make your organisation sound interesting, committed and motivated, why should anyone listen to you?

3. Good writing connects and engages

Writing well makes people feel heard and understood. If you speak directly to your audience’s beliefs, circumstances and concerns, it creates connection, and that drives action.

  • Writing with empathy shows you care about your cause.
  • Acknowledging your audience’s pain points and offering valid solutions demonstrates that you know and understand them.
  • Writing inclusively tells people you respect diversity.

Let your writing show that you’re ‘on the same team’ as your audience, and it will help you build relationships and increase loyalty.

4. Good writing gets results

Ultimately, effective writing delivers the results you’re after. Whether you’re crafting web copy to convert visitors into participants or preparing a grant application to secure funding, the quality of your writing can make or break the outcome.

Why? Because writing is effective when it's focused on the purpose you want to achieve and the interests and needs of your target audience. Without taking those two things into account when you write, your message won’t engage the people you want to hook.

  • Writing a grant application? Write in a way that makes it easier for the assessors to see why your organisation deserves the funding.
  • Pulling together the annual report? Highlight what your stakeholders will most want to know about what you’ve achieved. Make it easy for them to find what they’re looking for and quickly grasp the key points.

Good writing adapts to suit the context, whether formal, technical or conversational, by tailoring its tone, style and language level appropriately.

Two people stand a metre apart texting each other. They both wear blue shirts and reading glasses. The girl's text message says 'Where are you?'. The boy's text message says 'I am here!'
Is effective communication really so hard?

5. Good writing attracts attention

It’s a ‘look at me’ world. Everyone is vying for attention and churning out content, which means much of it is poor quality—written fast and thrown into the void of the interwebs.

That’s why writing well can help you stand out.

  • High-quality content with well-expressed insights attracts readers. (Not everyone wants funny cat videos all the time.)
  • Quality writing also keeps readers engaged longer, which boosts metrics like time-on-page or click-through rates.
  • Search engines may reward well-written content with higher rankings in search results—a critical factor for driving organic traffic to websites.

It’s tempting to take the quick and easy route, thinking content quality doesn’t matter. But if your organisation invests in high-quality, professional writing for your content strategy, you position yourself ahead of other organisations that settle for mush.

Good writing matters to your organisation

Writing that's effective adds value to every communications tactic. From building people’s trust and confidence to saving you money and driving results, good writing matters because it's an essential tool for achieving your organisation’s goals. And it's so easy to achieve.

In our experience, many comms officers are under-resourced, on a deadline or stretched thin. If that’s you, consider outsourcing the writing. You’ll then be free to drive your strategy, lead your team, schedule your media and keep the bigger picture moving.

At EllWords, we specialise in effective writing for organisations making a difference, and we believe it can be transformational. We offer professional editing that makes your impact reports stand out and all kinds of writing to help you change the world.

If you’re ready to elevate your communications with clear, engaging words that deliver real benefits, let’s talk!