Benefact Trust’s new video series explores society’s toughest questions
‘Asking the Big Questions’ marks an evolution from our previous podcast series, ‘Beyond Funding,’ shifting from exploring a charity’s specific response to social challenges, to addressing the wider issue itself. Answering the real - often unfiltered - questions people are asking across search engines, discussion forums, and AI tools.
Essentially, our new approach has evolved from telling stories about beneficiaries to exploring society’s biggest social issues with them.
Going beyond ‘Beyond Funding’
The Trust’s previous video series, Beyond Funding, showcased the work and experiences of our grant recipients. It aimed to go beyond grant support to highlight the real stories behind the funding and amplify the voices of the inspiring churches and charities we support.
But as audience behaviours have evolved, so has the Trust’s approach. Increasingly we recognise that audiences are turning online, actively searching for answers about the very issues our beneficiaries deal with every day.
The new series, Asking the Big Questions, builds on Beyond Funding’s foundation but instead of answering the Trust’s questions, it’s drawing directly from the questions people are typing into major search engines and discussion forums. This is helping us engage with the public’s curiosity and concerns about what is happening in today’s society. As conversations around social issues increasingly take place online, the series aims to bring informed, experience-led perspectives into those discussions.
Tapping into real online conversations
The decision to source questions from platforms like Reddit, Google and AI tools is intentional, these spaces often reveal what people are genuinely thinking or struggling to understand from the comfort of their own home.
By bringing these questions directly to our beneficiaries, the Trust aims to:
• Address misconceptions openly and informatively
• Engage with taboo or sensitive topics that are often avoided
• Provide authentic, expert-led insights from organisations on the frontline
• Align our content with real life conversations
The first video in the series focuses on homelessness and features two beneficiaries working across different areas – Betel UK addressing addiction and homelessness and YMCA London City and North tackling youth homelessness. Both guests offer distinct but complementary perspectives on these complex issues.
Getting to the root of social issues
Another defining feature of the series is our commitment to going beyond surface-level explanations.
Homelessness, for example, is often discussed in broad terms, but its underlying causes, including addiction, family breakdown and systemic challenges, are complex and deeply connected.
By structuring content around specific, real-world questions, the Trust aims to unpack these layers to help people understand why these challenges are so prevalent in today’s society and the vital role these charities play.
Churches and charities leading the conversation
The series maintains a strong focus on being beneficiary-led. While the format has evolved from Beyond Funding, the principle remains the same - those closest to the issues are best placed to explain them.
By placing beneficiaries at the centre of these conversations, Benefact Trust ensures that responses are grounded in real experience rather than our own assumptions. This also helps build trust with audiences, who increasingly value authenticity and transparency.
A new direction for charity storytelling
The launch of Asking the Big Questions reflects a broader trend in the sector towards more interactive and audience-driven content.
As people turn to search engines, AI, and online communities for answers, organisations have an opportunity and a responsibility to contribute accurate, empathetic and experience-based perspectives.
Looking ahead
While still in its early stages, Asking the Big Questions sets the tone for how Benefact Trust plans to communicate going forwards.
Future episodes will continue to explore pressing social issues through the lens of real-world questions, ensuring that our content remains both responsive and impactful.
The series is about more than just content creation. It is about listening - to the questions people are asking, to the experiences of our beneficiaries, and to the issues society is trying to better understand. In doing so, we hope to play a small part in creating positive social change.