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IFRC Brand System

Introduction

The key brand resources and fundamentals to get started with our brand.

This online repository is a valuable tool for IFRC staff who need help applying our branding standards to their work. It's the one-stop-shop for designing and developing digital, print, and other visual material.

To get started on the right track, explore the key brand resources and fundamentals. You will find our logo, colour palettes, fonts and various useful templates that will contribute to a strong and consistent brand image.

If you need further assistance, please send a message to brand@ifrc.org

BASICS

Logo

The IFRC logo is our most recognisable visual identifier, representing our organisation and laying the foundation for a cohesive visual identity.

As it is often the first thing our audiences see, it is crucial to use it correctly and consistently across print and digital materials.

Download logo:

Elements

The IFRC logo consists of four elements: the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems, the word 'IFRC', and a white background.

Emblems

Wordmark

At the 2019 International Conference, a decision was reached in agreement with all National Societies to exclusively use the acronym 'IFRC' in English. This is why, we do not have alternative language versions of the logo.

White background

Please note that the white background is an essential component of the IFRC logo and should never be removed.

Clear Space

The logo must maintain a distinct and clear appearance at all times.

Regardless of the logo version used, it is essential to allocate a minimum clear space around it, free from any other visual elements. As the logo will be presented in various sizes, the clear space requirements should be proportional to the logo's dimensions.

Determine the logo’s clear space and the size of white container by measuring the size of the “x”, where “x” is the height of the emblems.

Logo colours

Grayscale logo

Please only use the grayscale logos in situations where a full-colour option is impossible, such as in black-and-white newspapers, or in cases when multi-colour printing is unavailable.

You can download logo in grayscale here:

Dos and don'ts

Co-branding with partners and donors

When presenting together with our partners and donors, our aim is to highlight a collaborative partnership that acknowledges the value each party brings to the table. We aim to maintain transparent communication regarding the origins of our funds and our partnerships. Clear rules guiding co-branding can help achieve this goal.

The placement of logos and the applicable co-branding guidelines depend on the leader of the marketing effort. Before proceeding, consider the following questions:

Who is the lead brand?
Does the partner have co-branding guidelines?
Do we have permission to use their logo?
Do we have their logo in high-resolution or vector formats?

Depending on the asset or the nature of the partnership, it might be better to develop two versions of the asset: one led by the partner and another led by the IFRC.

IFRC-led marketing

When the IFRC takes the lead in a marketing effort, follow our co-brand guidelines and templates. This doesn't mean disregarding the partner's brand guidelines; rather, it means using our fonts, visuals, and colour palettes in creating marketing materials. It's essential to treat partner's brand with the same respect as our own. Please use their logo without any alterations and follow their rules regarding safe space around the logo.

In this case, when using co-branding logo lockups, the IFRC logo is positioned first.

Logo usage

The IFRC regularly works with a range of partners outside the Movement. External partners can include government agencies or other public authorities, armed and security forces, universities, non-governmental organisations, the corporate sector or the media. These partnerships can have a number of purposes, such as training, education, dissemination, awareness-raising and positioning.

General Principals of Name and Logo Usage

Service providers may not use the IFRC logo.
Due diligence and screening of donors must be carried out before name and logo usage permission is given.
The logo may only be used by donors that enter into partnership with the IFRC.
The IFRC prohibits the use of its name or image on articles for sale.

Conditions

Use of the name or image of the IFRC must not cause confusion in the public's mind between the IFRC and the partner's activities and/or the quality of its products and services.
The name and image of the IFRC may only be used in connection with goods or services actually provided.
The IFRC must derive material or financial benefits from the use of its name or image through improved relations with the provider.

The IFRC reserves the right to withdraw its authorization at any time if there is a risk that a provider's activities might jeopardize the IFRC's reputation.

Advertising and Promotion with Corporate Partners

The IFRC may give permission to a partner company to display their logo on advertising or promotional material, but not directly on the partner’s products for sale or distribution.
When developing joint advertisements or other promotional materials, it is important to be clear about the association, in order to avoid any perception that IFRC is endorsing the company, its products or services.
It is not unusual for external partners to want to use the emblems in ways that aren’t in line with the 1991 Emblem Regulations or in a manner which implies a special status, as a result of too close an association with the emblems. Be sure to check any logo usage to prevent the corporate partner appearing to be part of the IFRC network or Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.

Partner-led marketing

When a partner leads a marketing initiative, co-branded materials should align with the partner's branding, consistent with any marketing materials they usually produce for themselves. It means that they are responsible for creating marketing materials and obtaining necessary approvals from the IFRC.

In this case, when using co-branding logo lockups, the IFRC logo is positioned second.

Logo lockup options

Logos vary in shapes and sizes, and our partners and customers may have specific rules or expectations regarding their logo usage. This is why, we offer two lockup options. Regardless of the chosen template, it's crucial to ensure a balanced co-brand appearance. Try to maintain logos at a visually similar size and weight for optimal visual harmony.

Explanatory statement

In some cases, it may be necessary to clarify the nature of our relationship with a partner or donor. We provide four alternatives for co-branding logo lockups, each consisting of the IFRC logo and a statement: 'In partnership with,' 'Supporting,' 'Supported by,' or 'Hosted by':

Other statements can be developed following this example. Please consult with our Strategic Partnerships and Resource Development department to determine which statement is appropriate for use.

Emblems and Movement logo

If you want to learn more about the history of Emblems and the Movement logo please follow this .

Emblems

The Movement has three globally recognised emblems—the red cross, the red crescent and the red crystal. They are symbols of assistance in times of conflict and disaster.

The use of emblems is safeguarded by international humanitarian law. Regulations governing the graphic depiction of the red cross, the red crescent and the red crystal on a white background must strictly adhere to.

Article 44 of the First Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949 makes the distinction between the protective use and thew indicative use of the emblems and outlines the general rules governing the two uses.

Used in times of armed conflict.

In protective use, to ensure maximum visibility, the emblems must be large in comparison to the person or object displaying it, e.g. on rooftops or armbands.

Mainly used in times of peace.

The emblems may be used as part of a national society logo to indicate that a person or object is linked to the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.

General rules:

The red cross, the red crescent and the red crystal must always be in plain solid red.
The shapes of the red cross, the red crescent and the red crystal must never be altered.
The cross, the crescent and the crystal must always appear on a white background. No variations, not even beige or grey shading, are allowed.
No lettering, design or object should be superimposed on the red cross, the red crescent and the red crystal or white background.
The red cross, the red crescent and the red crystal should never be three-dimensional.
The red cross, the red crescent and the red crystal should never be used in series as a border or a pattern.

Misuse of the emblems

The Geneva Conventions Act 1958 prohibits any design nearly resembling the emblems “as to be capable of being mistaken for, or understood as referring to, one of those emblems.”

The 1958 Act also prohibits the use of the white cross on a red background to represent any activity associated with a Red Cross or Red Crescent National Society.

Despite the significance of the emblem internationally, it is still widely misused by unrelated organisations including the manufacturers of first aid products, pharmacies, vets and medical professionals. Even if misuse occurs in a country that is not experiencing armed conflict, it can impair the emblem’s image and reputation globally and may weaken its protective effect.

If there is reasonable doubt that a mark or sign could be mistaken for the official emblems, it must be considered an imitation and not be registered as a trademark or used in any other way.

Movement Logo

Colour

Our core colour, red, serves as the heartbeat of our brand. It stands out as the most recognisable and vital colour in our palette. It embodies the essence of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Red evokes a spectrum of emotions, reflecting not only the challenges but also the resilience during the most difficult times, such as disasters and crises. It symbolises life, vitality and hope. Red, in its intensity, represents the unwavering dynamism and urgency with which we operate globally. It mirrors the dedication and resilience with which we bring aid and support to people in need around the world.

In essence, red embodies the strength, compassion, hope and vital spirit that define our mission.

Primary colours

Our primary colour palette is composed of white, black, and navy blue alongside our iconic red. Together, these colours form the foundation of our visual identity, ensuring a cohesive and recognisable representation across all applications, from field vests to publications, presentations, social media, and beyond.

These colours are most closely associated with our brand. If you’re not sure where to start, always use these colours.

Secondary colours

While our core colours are the foundation of our brand, there are cases where flexibility is needed. Our secondary colour palette comes into play, offering a variety of colours tailored for specific themes. For example, green is designated for Climate and environment materials, violet for everything related to Values, power and inclusion, blue for Health and wellbeing, and orange for the Migration and identity. Given our main mission is assisting people during emergencies and crises, the primary red should be used for the Disasters and crises theme.

Corporate fonts

Typography is everywhere and it plays an important role in brand identity. As a humanitarian organisation, we must exercise extreme care when selecting fonts for our brand materials. Font choice not only represents our brand but also has the power to create either a very positive or a very negative experience for our viewers.

Key questions considered before selecting brand fonts

Is the font legible, ensuring readability for individuals with visual impairments?
Does the font family offer ample variations, providing flexibility in design?
Does the font include a sufficient number of glyphs (special characters)?
Does the font support multiple languages?
Does the font show proper character kerning (space between characters)?
Is the font available for free, and if not, what are the associated costs for licensing and installation?

After careful consideration, two typefaces were selected: Montserrat and Open Sans (to be only used for body text). Please note, that both font families are part of the free Google Fonts collection.

Advantages of opting for Google Fonts include

High quality and legibility
Support for multiple languages
Extensive sets of glyphs
Proper character kerning
Free availability with open licenses for web and print
Ease of implementation on websites

Montserrat

Montserrat is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Julieta Ulanovsky, inspired by posters and signage from her historical Buenos Aires neighbourhood of the same name. It is rather close in spirit to Gotham and Proxima Nova, but has its own individual appearance — more informal, less extended, and more idiosyncratic.

It is provided in a total of nine different weights, each having eight figure styles and small caps in both upright and italic shapes.

Download Montserrat Typeface

Open Sans

Open Sans is a humanist sans serif typeface designed by Steve Matteson, Type Director of Ascender Corp. This version contains the complete 897 character set, which includes the standard ISO Latin 1, Latin CE, Greek and Cyrillic character sets. Open Sans was designed with an upright stress, open forms and a neutral, yet friendly appearance. It was optimised for print, web, and mobile interfaces, and has excellent legibility characteristics in its letterforms.

Download Open Sans Typeface

Icons

Design stereotypes are everywhere. This is evident across so many fields, including iconography, illustration, infographics, and photography. Unfortunately, even humanitarian organisations like ours have room for improvement in achieving diversity, inclusion, and representation in design.

To counteract this, we are dedicated to developing an inclusive, diverse, and gender-neutral brand that challenges harmful stereotypes and toxic hierarchies. One of our initial steps is to focus on iconography, ensuring that the IFRC becomes a leading inclusive brand.

The goals:

Challenge our stereotypes and assumptions
Change our illustration language
Better represent marginalised groups
Make gender-neutral icons the default

Download icons:

Core Brand Package

Key brand resources

Find our core brand assets available for download below. These assets are particularly valuable for establishing IFRC brand presence during emergencies or missions in remote areas where branded materials are limited.

If you have any questions or requests, please contact .

Corporate brochure

Corporate presentation

About IFRC flyer

Generic PowerPoint presentation

Virtual backgrounds

Virtual backgrounds Geneva office:

Tip: Backgrounds with "blurry" at the end of the image name create an effect of shallow depth of field, giving a more realistic look while keeping the focus on your face.

Generic office virtual backgrounds:

Change your background before a meeting starts

Your background will persist in all your meetings and calls until you change it again.

Click on the provided link to download the IFRC backgrounds to your computer.
Once the download is complete, locate the downloaded archive file (usually in your "Downloads" folder) and unzip it. On Windows: Right-click the file and select "Extract All..." On Mac: Double-click the file to automatically unzip it
Move the unzipped folder containing the backgrounds to a location on your computer where you can easily find it. For example, you might save it to your "Documents" or "Desktop" folder.
To use an image of your own as a Teams background:
- Click on "More video effects".
- Select "Add new".
- Navigate to the IFRC backgrounds folder on your computer and choose an image to upload.
To turn off background effects, select None.

Note: If you don't see this option in the menu, the feature might not be available on your device.

Change your background during a meeting

To use an image of your own as a Teams background:
- Click on "More video effects".
- Select "Add new".
- Navigate to the IFRC backgrounds folder on your computer and choose an image to upload.
To turn off background effects, select None.
Select Preview to see how your chosen background looks before you apply it, and then select Apply.

Banners, exhibition stands and posters

Roll-up banners

Exhibition stands

Due to the large file sizes, please contact brand@ifrc.org to request the Exhibition stand designs. Please specify the languages and design formats you need.

One language

Two languages

Posters

Simple posters for staff

Editable Canva link

Posters with Fundamental Principles

To request the design files for the Fundamental Principles posters (7 posters in four languages), please contact brand@ifrc.org.

Historical posters

To request the design files for the retrospective exhibition about the history of the IFRC (21 posters in four languages), please contact brand@ifrc.org.

Stationery

Letterheads

InDesign (for professional print)

Word (for everyday use or print with office printers)

Envelopes

C4 - 324 mm x 229 mm

C5 - 229 mm x 162 mm

Compliment slips

Folders

Business cards

Business cards are available in four languages with two format options:

Single Language: One language per business card, featuring the logo and tagline on one side, and contact details (with an optional QR code) on the other side.

Dual Language: Two languages per business card, with contact details (and an optional QR code) in one language on one side and the same information in another language on the other side.

You can also request a digital business card. If you choose this option, a unique QR code will be created specifically for you and included in the right corner of the printed business card. You will also receive a separate PNG file with the QR code to share during conferences or meetings.

Merchandise

T-shirts

Polo

Caps

Lanyards

Hoodies

Bags

Bottles

Notebooks

Mugs

Flags

Printing technical specifications

Paper

The choice of paper should take into account how the publication will be used (audience, training, etc.). For advocacy reports, annual reports or case studies, we recommend using recycled uncoated paper. For technical and training materials, use semi-matte paper for covers and uncoated papers for inside pages. The touch and feel of uncoated, natural white offset paper can accentuate the message and reinforce the visual imagery by adding texture. Uncoated paper can reproduce strikingly beautiful monochrome and full colour pictures, and its excellent opacity allows for clear and legible reproduction of pictures, even when using thinner paper. Semi-matte paper is strong, provide long life and support intense use. It is well-suited for training and technical materials mostly used in the field.

Environmentally friendly paper and printing

Made from 100% recycled paper, our Geneva-based publications have a low carbon footprint. We also select our printers according to this philosophy. They use vegetable inks and recycle them. They are certified FSC, and they don't use chemical processes in the printing or recycling process during digital printing. Environmentally friendly paper and printing processes should be used whenever possible. Similar practices should take place in the regions as well.

Paper weight and quality

Corporate brochures and external reports

Uncoated paper, Offset

Cover: 250g, Uncoated paper, FSC
Inside pages: 120g, Uncoated paper, FSC
Binding: usually stapled binding, but can be glued binding in case of large amount of pages
(beyond 60 pages)

Technical and training material

Cover: laminated, 300g, Semi-matte paper, FSC
Inside pages: 90g, Uncoated paper, FSC
Binding: usually stapled binding, but can be either spiral or glued binding in case of large amount of pages (beyond 60 pages)

Case study and fact sheet

Uncoated paper, Offset

150g or 200g, Uncoated paper, FSC

Letterhead and stationery

Letterhead is printed on standard office paper, 80g

Paper sizes

Below are some of the standard European paper sizes which can be used:

A4 297x210mm
A5 210x148mm
1/3 A4 210x99mm
A6 148x105mm
A3 420x297mm
A2 594x420mm

House Style guide

Think first, write later: an A to Z

Every communicator in the IFRC network is working under high pressure. Every day, there is another crisis to cover, and the needs of another community to highlight. It can be overwhelming.

But no matter the pressure, it is always worth taking a deep breath and asking some questions before you start to write.

Who is the audience/s I want to reach?
What is their level of knowledge of the IFRC or the issue I am writing about?
What do I want this audience to understand, feel, and do after reading my communication?
Is there a specific “ask” to be communicated?
How can I structure this story/report to encourage people to keep reading?

When you are drafting your story, script or report, be mindful of the language you are using. Ask yourself the following questions:

Am I putting people at the heart of this information, and showing them as dignified individuals with agency?
Is my language inclusive? Have I accidentally used language that could increase stigma, or reinforce stereotypes?
Is my writing clear, or am I using internal jargon and industry language out of habit?

The following A-Z is designed to give advice and help answer any questions colleagues may have. It is a work in progress and will be expanded/improved with all feedback received. Please send any questions or suggestions to Alison Freebairn.

Accessibility

We often say that the IFRC network aims to “leave no one behind”, and this should also apply to our communications.

When writing for the web, please remember that people read online content by scanning it rather than reading every word.

You have a limited amount of time to grab people’s attention.

Please structure your communication as a reverse pyramid. The most important information must be in your opening paragraphs.

Ask yourself: if a visitor only reads half of this story, will they learn everything I want them to know?

You can encourage people to keep reading by using subheadings. These will break up the text. We recommend a “trees of threes” method: there should be an eye-catching subheading after every third paragraph.

This is interesting

Pick your subheadings carefully: online readers scan a text looking for something specific, or something that seems interesting.

Remember that IFRC communications will be read by people using screen readers. Avoid confusing text such as “click here” when hyperlinking.

You can also support people using screen readers by using clear alt text on all images accompanying your story or report. Describe what is happening in the image as clearly as you can.

It is not recommended to use graphics that are text-heavy, as these cannot be fully described in alt text and therefore are not accessible.

Acronyms and abbreviations

In public-facing communications, using acronyms is the quickest and easiest way to alienate your audience – even an IFRC audience. Someone focusing on protection, gender and inclusion in Asia Pacific will not necessarily understand the acronyms used by colleagues working in Shelter in Africa.

Always put the reader first when you’re writing. Please spell things out in full, unless an acronym is globally recognized, such as UN, CNN, BBC, or WHO.

The first example not only avoids acronyms, but also puts people at the heart of the information we’re presenting.

Alphabet

The international nature of our work means that, sooner or later, you’ll have to include a list of countries or National Societies in your writing.

We advise that you list the countries or National Societies in alphabetical order. This is a simple solution and avoids any perceptions of bias on the part of the writer or the reader.

Exceptions to this rule can be made in donor-facing communications on a case by case basis, e.g. if placing an initiative’s largest donor at the end of an alphabetical list would offend the donor.

Ask

The ask is associated with fundraising, but also applies to advocacy and campaigning. What do you want your audience to learn by reading your story/watching your video/reading your posts/etc.? What do you want them to do?

The ask should be a specific question that invites the audience to take a specific action: to join a campaign, donate to an appeal, take a first aid training course etc.

It can be as simple as asking readers to become aware of an issue. It can be as complex as inviting a private foundation to invest in the IFRC. But it must always be clear and specific – and compelling.

Work with relevant colleagues (file-holder, senior expert, strategic partnerships and resource mobilization department, global communications team) to identify any ask, and make sure it’s both clear and prominent.

Audience

Who do you want to reach? What’s their level of knowledge and understanding about the issue you wish to communicate? Where is your audience? Is it best to use social media, an opinion piece in an international broadsheet, or community radio?

Have a clear audience in mind, and tailor your messages to them. Be concise. Be dynamic. Be interesting.

The more high-level the audience, the less time you have to get your message across. Remember that you are trying to reach extremely busy people who have a long list of priorities, and an even longer list of people who are trying to get their attention.

Take the same approach when writing for the public – and even when writing to your colleagues. Everyone is busy, and people are bombarded with countless messages and calls for support.

Your work will have a better chance of connecting with people, and making them care about your message, if it is tailored to a specific audience.

Credibility

The credibility of the IFRC is an integral part of its reputation, and it is vital if we are to earn – and maintain – the trust of everyone we work with.

Informed consent must be given by the subject of the story or interview regardless of the format. The full names of people quoted should be taken, although these can of course be withheld from publication at the request of the interviewee.

The tone and meaning of any quotes used should not be altered and the writer should be able to prove the accuracy of the original quote when asked. Good practices such as these will allow the organization to uphold its reputation and avoid legal challenges.

Don’t attribute your quotes to “a resident of Anbar” or “a villager affected by the floods”: give people the dignity of their names - unless there are pressing security or privacy reasons not to.

The use of full names will also enhance the credibility of the story, e.g., a generic sentence such as ‘“I’m very grateful to the Red Crescent,” said Mohamed from Syria’ could have been written far from the scene.

Be careful when using quotes from more than one person in the same document. Structure your document so that it is immediately obvious who is speaking, and where their quote ends.

Tanzia Ahmed, the organization’s disaster management delegate, said: “The floods have destroyed dozens of settlements.”

Regional partnerships manager Julius De Michelis added: “I’m concerned about resource mobilization for this disaster.”

If you omit part of a quote – making sure that this does not alter the meaning of the statement – be sure to add an ellipsis to let the reader know that this is only part of the quotation, e.g.:

“The National Society’s work in … humanitarian education has already had a positive impact in how young people view refugees and asylum seekers,” she said.

Describing the IFRC

When naming our organization for the first time in an internal or external document, please use the full title with the IFRC acronym in brackets afterwards, i.e. – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – and then shorten to “the IFRC” for each successive use.

The IFRC is an international organization. It is the secretariat for 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, five Regional Offices, and more than 50 Country/Country Cluster offices worldwide. The term secretariat refers to the role we play with our members. The term Headquarters refers to our office in Geneva.

When communicating with all external audiences, simplicity is best. We should refer to ourselves only as the IFRC, never as “the secretariat”.

However, when communicating internally with National Societies or governance – audiences that have a nuanced understanding of our role and the structure of our global network – the term “IFRC secretariat” or just “secretariat” is appropriate.

We are one global organization, present in dozens of countries, supporting National Societies to respond to the needs of their communities. Our language should always make this clear. We are not “IFRC Asia Pacific” or “IFRC South Africa”, etc.

We are the IFRC.

We are not “the Red Cross Red Crescent”. We are absolutely not “the RCRC”.

Take care when typing the name of the organization. Some bizarre variants have appeared over the years, and this damages our credibility. If we cannot even type our own name correctly, how can anything we say be trusted?

Describing work by the IFRC and National Societies, and the IFRC, ICRC and National Societies

Please use “National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies” in the first instance, and “National Societies” thereafter.

Please do not use “Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies” or variants thereof.

If writing about a programme or response involving the IFRC and one or more National Societies, please refer to activities by “the IFRC network”.

If writing about an initiative or response involving the IFRC, ICRC and National Societies all working together, please refer to activities by “the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement” in the first instance, and “the Movement” subsequently.

Do not use internal jargon such as “host National Society” and “partner National Society” when writing for external audiences – this is a level of complexity that nobody needs.

Keep it simple.

Keep the reader’s attention on the action/result for people at risk, and on the National Societies doing the work.

Diversity

To the IFRC, diversity means acceptance of and respect for all forms of difference. This includes, but is not limited to, differences in gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, HIV status, socio-economic status, religion, nationality and ethnic origin (including minority and migrant groups, regardless of the latter’s legal status).

Language shapes how individuals and communities are perceived across the world. This can be seen in the media every day. Refugees and asylum seekers from the Global South are often referred to as economic migrants, while privileged people from the Global North are usually described as “expats”.

Language also plays a major role in how gender is constructed. Please use the inclusive and gender-neutral “they” in any sentence relating to communities or groups, although feminine, masculine and gender-neutral pronouns should be used for individuals where appropriate: he, she or they, his, her or their, etc.

The generic “he” should be avoided in all IFRC writing.

The IFRC’s work is people-centred, and our writing should reflect this. Put people first when writing about our humanitarian activities and encourage people to tell their own stories.

Avoid generalizations or stereotypes by asking individuals how they choose to describe themselves, particularly when writing about members of a marginalized or minority group.

Above all, treat the life stories of marginalized people with sensitivity, and do not increase stigma by making the risks they face the most significant thing about them.

Gender

The IFRC Strategic Framework on Gender and Diversity Issues is inclusive of all people “who are vulnerable to inequality, harm and loss of basic rights” because of their gender.

Gender refers to the social differences between females, males, and persons with other gender identities throughout their life cycles.

Men are usually not introduced and defined by their marital status or how many children they have, and neither should people of other genders.

Please ensure that you have obtained informed consent from marginalized and at-risk communities before identifying them on public platforms.

Please do not use “gender” as a synonym for issues that affect women and girls only.

Language

The IFRC has four official languages: Arabic, English, French and Spanish. Please remember that your writing will be translated. It’s safe to assume that most people reading your English language version will not be native speakers.

Use clear, simple English.

This has many benefits, particularly online. It will allow you to get your message across quickly, to people from different educational backgrounds and levels of language proficiency.

The Plain English Campaign offers several free guides to help writers choose simple and accessible language.

Hyperbole

Every disaster or crisis is experienced differently by the people affected by it, no matter its size or complexity.

Try to keep your language proportionate when describing an incident. A landslide affecting three houses will feel like the end of the world to the families who have lost their homes – and they will need our support to recover.

However, if the landslide is followed days later by a magnitude 9 earthquake that destroys the entire district, you will need to express the full scale of that human tragedy and devastation in your writing. Keep the most emotive and powerful language in reserve for the biggest and most tragic disasters.

Also take care when describing the reactions of survivors, e.g., “traumatized” is a clinical definition that may not apply in the context – please use alternative descriptions such as “terrified” or “shocked” where appropriate.

Intervention

Please do not refer to intervention in an IFRC context, and never refer to IFRC making a humanitarian intervention. This has a particular meaning in political and security contexts, and it’s not one IFRC should be associated with.

Jargon

Jargon and corporate language don’t fill people with emotion and inspire them to change the world. The IFRC has the most compelling stories in the world, so let’s keep humanity at the heart of our writing.

Please explain IFRC’s programmes and activities as you would to a friend or relative who doesn’t work in this sector. And please focus on how our work makes people’s lives safer and more dignified.

Take extra care to ensure that internal jargon and shorthand does not creep into external-facing documents.

For example, describing someone as “an expert in gender-based violence” means one thing in the office or at an industry event - but a member of the public will interpret those words in a completely different way, and they will be horrified.

Key

Use this very sparingly, as it is easily rendered meaningless through overuse. Something is either important, or it isn’t. If everything in a piece of writing is described as “key”, it implies that nothing is.

Key messages

The good news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you want to write something: some of the work has already been done for you.

The global communications team prepares key messages for every major disaster, humanitarian crisis or agenda-setting international event that IFRC is involved with (e.g., COP, the United Nations General Assembly, etc.). Thematic key messages are also available.

IFRC key messages are updated regularly – weekly, in the case of messages related to an ongoing emergency – so you can be sure you have the most recent approved numbers and information at your fingertips.

Each set of includes three to five strong, clear messages on the issue, the people affected, and what the IFRC network is doing to support them.

These messages can be adapted to your audience. Using them will not only improve the accuracy and immediacy of your work, but it will also ensure consistency across the organization.

Localization

Localization has been at the heart of IFRC work from our earliest days. We exist to support all individual National Societies so that they can meet the growing humanitarian needs in their countries, and to ensure effective and accountable coordination of their international work.

The organization has also made commitments to supporting and promoting localization, notably during the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit.

Every video, op-ed, social media post, or web story is an opportunity to tell people that the IFRC network is truly local. That every day, some 16 million trained volunteers work through 190,000 local branches and units to deliver humanitarian services in more than 191 countries.

Our network is powerful because it is rooted in local action and has truly global reach.

Don’t be shy about promoting this: nobody else will do it for us.

National Societies

Our National Societies are our most important partners.

Please use their names in full and in their preferred form, e.g., Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, not Iranian Red Crescent; Red Cross Society of China, not Chinese Red Cross; Saudi Red Crescent Authority, not Saudi Arabia Red Crescent, etc.

The easiest way to check a National Society’s correct name is to look it up in the Directory on our website.

Please avoid using acronyms when writing about National Societies. “MRC” could be Mali Red Cross or Maldivian Red Crescent; “ARC” could be Azerbaijan Red Crescent or Argentine Red Cross; “PRC” could be Paraguayan Red Cross or Pakistan Red Crescent.

Remember that some countries’ Red Cross or Red Crescent organizations have not yet been recognized by the ICRC and admitted as full members of the IFRC. Until these processes have been completed, do not refer to them as a National Society, refer instead to “the Red [Cross or Crescent] in [country or territory]”.

As the status of unrecognized republics and disputed territories can be a source of great political controversy, it’s always best to seek advice from the regional communications manager, or from the relevant Country Office or Country Cluster office, on how best to describe unrecognized Red Cross or Red Crescent organizations.

Natural disasters/man-made disasters

Avoid the term “natural disaster” - just use disaster. Even if a natural cause triggered an event, the resulting damage is usually influenced by human (in)action. Consider the different effects of a major earthquake in a country with a culture of disaster preparedness and strict building codes, and in one without these precautions.

“Man-made” is another example of gendered language that we should not be using. Please use “human-made” or “technological” disaster as appropriate.

Non-food items

“Non-food items” is a term that appears regularly in internal documents. But when you are writing about IFRC and National Society work for an external audience, it’s always better to be clear about how we’re helping people.

Nouns and verbs

Please do not turn nouns into verbs or vice versa. In particular, try to avoid “impacted”, which has needlessly graphic implications in a disaster context. Also, “might affect” is clearer and more concise than the stiff and pompous "could potentially impact on".

Please do not verb nouns by adding the suffix –ize or –ized to them (e.g. concretize) as it obscures meaning, confuses translators and interpreters, and looks ugly in print.

Spellcheck

Spellcheck is not a writer’s friend and should not be relied upon. It cannot tell you that you have made a spelling mistake that changes the meaning of a word or sentence, e.g. you typed “enrage” instead of “engage”.

It cannot tell you that a vital word has been missed from a sentence, e.g., “An appeal was launched seeking the unprecedented amount of 19.5 US dollars.”

It’s easy to miss errors like this because the writer’s brain knows what should be there, and it fills in the gaps. A second pair of eyes is invaluable: ask someone to read your draft before it is published.

Stakeholders

We advise against using this word as it has colonial associations: a stakeholder was a settler who would drive a stake into land being stolen from Indigenous Peoples.

Aside from this, it’s a word that is overused in IFRC communications and gives no meaningful information to the reader. It is always better to name the interested parties.

Tirelessly

This is the go-to adverb when people want to write about volunteers and volunteering. We’d like you to choose another way to communicate about them.

Describing a volunteer as “tireless” or “working tirelessly” is to do them a disservice. Much of the work – particularly in the aftermath of a major crisis – is exhausting, stressful and dangerous. In the IFRC network, many of the first responders will also be dealing with destruction and death on their doorstep.

Try to highlight the courage and resilience of volunteers wherever possible: make it clear what they are doing to help their community, and don’t be afraid to point out that this can often come at great personal cost.

Vulnerability

By definition, people supported by the IFRC network are experiencing some form of vulnerability in their lives. They might be living with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, or have lost their home in a hurricane, or they could be at risk from violence or trafficking while on the move.

The IFRC wants to highlight the risks that people are exposed to across the world and show how empowered communities are addressing these risks with the support of local organizations such as National Societies.

But we also want to highlight the power of human dignity. Communities are smart, motivated, and intrinsically resilient. Community members are first responders, volunteers, leaders, and organizers.

Many of the people in Red Cross and Red Crescent stories will be experiencing loss, heartbreak, and the uncertainty that follows a disaster or crisis. But this should not define them: they are survivors, not victims.

Who vs That or Which

Use “who” to refer to people. Use “that” or “which” when referring to anything that isn’t a person.

Jargonbusters

IFRC language should be clear, jargon-free and inclusive.

We want people to have a positive emotional response to the IFRC’s work, and this will only happen if our audience feels we are speaking to them directly.

We also want our readers to care about the people IFRC and National Societies are supporting. So please always put people at the centre of your communications about humanitarian work.

Don’t infantilize or dehumanize people with patronising language such as “the most vulnerable” or “those we serve”.

Please also try to avoid any words or phrases that have military connotations. Our own internal documents are littered with references to people being “targeted”, but it’s always preferable to say that people were “selected” or “identified” – or even just that they are being supported.

The following list includes common IFRC jargon words alongside some ableist, gendered and pejorative language that we should not use. This list is not exhaustive, and IFRC staff are encouraged to add to it by emailing Alison Freebairn.

❌ Words to avoid:

✅ Please use instead:

IFRC House Style and Guidelines

IFRC preferred spellings

This is an alphabetical list of some common problem words and expressions. If a word is not in this list, consult the New Oxford Dictionary of English. The most important point to bear in mind is that usage should be consistent throughout a manuscript.

A

ad hoc (not italic)

advertise/advertisement

advice (noun)

advise (verb)

ageing

analyse

anglocentric

antenatal

anti-personnel

anti-retroviral therapy (ART)

apprise

Aral Sea (but the Black and the Aral seas)

arise

Atlantic Ocean (but the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans)

audiovisual

authorise/authorisation

awareness-raising

B

back-up (noun)

back up (verb)

better- (adjective, as in better-coordinated disaster response)

bilingual

billion = thousand million

blood donor (but blood-donor centre)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

break-up (noun)

break up (verb)

by-law

C

capacity building

capitalize

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

caregiver/caregiving

case study

catalyze

categorize

ceasefire

central Africa

Central African Republic

central America

Central Asia

central Europe

centralize

centre

century: from first to tenth century, number spelled out; thereafter in figures: 21st century, etc.

changeover (noun)

change over (verb)

childbirth

childcare

coastguard

coexist

co-management

community-based first aid

community-based health worker

comprise

compromise

computerise

Congo, the Democratic Republic of the

Congo, the Republic of the

cooperate/cooperation

coordinate/coordination

Côte d’Ivoire (not Ivory Coast)

criticize

D

Darién jungle; Darién National Park (not Darién Gap)

data (treat as singular, as in “the data reveals” and “the data was collected”, not “the data reveal” and “the data were collected”.)

data bank/database

dates: always day, month, year (for example, 20 March 2024)

death toll

debt relief (noun)

debt-relief process (adjective)

decision-maker/decision-making

demise

department(s) (in the IFRC): always lower case, so digital transformation department, communications department, etc. (see also: IFRC departments and job titles)

dependant (noun)

dependent (adjective)

despise

destabilize

devise

diarrhoea

digital transformation not digitalization

disenfranchise

disguise

E

East (but the earthquake struck the east of the province)

East Africa

eastern Africa

east Asia

Eastern (of or relating to the East)

eastern Europe

economize

e.g., (with full stops and followed by a comma)

El Salvador (capital: San Salvador)

emergency obstetric care

emphasise

en bloc (not italic)

enfranchise

enquiry (Note: use enquiry for the act of asking a question, especially of a person; use inquiry when referring to an investigation, especially an official one)

en route (not italic)

enterprize

equalise

etc. (with full stop and followed by a comma in the middle of a sentence)

euro (currency)

eurocentric

excise

exercise

ex officio (not italic)

extranet

F

far-reaching

feedback

female genital mutilation (FGM)

fertilise

finalise

first aid (but first-aid courses, and never First Aid)

first-class

first-hand

first-rate

flood waters

flood plain

floodgate(s)

...fold (as in twofold, tenfold)

focused, focusing (not focussed, focussing)

food security

follow-up (noun)

follow up (verb)

foothold

forego (to precede)

forever

forgo (to relinquish, give up)

formalize

formulas

formulae (scientific or mathematical)

forums (never fora)

front line (but front-line operations)

fulfil/fulfilment

full time (but full-time job)

Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (but the fundamental principles)

fundraise, fundraising, fundraiser

G

galvanize

generalize

General Assembly (of the IFRC, but the Malaysian Red Crescent's general assembly. Note: to avoid confusion, always specify United Nations General Assembly/UN General Assembly)

goodwill (of a firm, but good will)

grass roots (but at the grass-roots level)

guideline(s)

H

haemorrhage/haemorrhagic

half-hour (but half an hour)

handbook

hand-picked

hard-line

hardest-hit countries (but the hardest hit countries are....)

harmonize

health care (not healthcare)

high-income countries

high-quality products (but the product is of high quality)

high-risk areas (but the community is at high risk)

hi-tech material

HIV-positive

home-based care

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China

human development index

Hurricane Franklin (but a hurricane hit the region)

I

i.e., (with full stops and followed by a comma)

ill-advised

ill health

immunize

improvise

incise

industrialize

infant mortality rate

information-sharing

inquiry (Note: use inquiry when referring to an investigation, especially an official one; use enquiry for the act of asking a question, especially of a person)

insecticide-treated net

institutionalize

interact/interaction

intergovernmental

internally displaced people

international non-governmental organization (INGO)

internet

interpersonal

interrelate

intertribal

intranet

Iran, the Islamic Republic of

J

jeopardize

K

Kazakhstan

Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of (North Korea)

Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

Kosovo (N.B. refer to Kosovo as a territory, not a country or State)

know-how

Kyrgyzstan

L

labour-intensive

laissez-faire (not italic)

laissez-passer (not italic)

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

landlocked

landmine

landslide

large-scale operation (but on a large scale)

Latin America

learned (not learnt)

least developed countries

leukaemia

licence (noun)

license (verb)

life- (as in life-threatening illness)

life-saving/life-saver

lifestyle

localization

localize

long-lasting insecticidal net

long term (but long-term trends)

loophole

low-income countries

low-tech

M

Macau Special Administrative Region, China (or Macau, China in non-official texts)

macroeconomics

Maghreb (as in the Maghreb region)

Marketplace

market research

materialize

maternal and child health

maximize

medium-sized organization (but a small organization, a large organization)

megacity

memorize

microaggression

micro-bank

microcredit

microeconomics

microfinance

micro-project

micro state (no hyphen)

Middle East North Africa (MENA)

middle-income countries

Millennium Development Goal(s)

minimise

Ministry of Health, Ministry of External Affairs (but the ministries of health and external affairs)

mobilize

Moldova, the Republic of

mother-and-child clinic

mother-to-child transmission

mudslide

multicultural

multidisciplinary

multilateral

multinational

multi-purpose

multiracial

N

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

National Society/Societies (but the society/societies)

nationwide

needs-assessment survey (but a needs assessment was carried out…)

non-cooperation/non-cooperative

non-governmental organization (NGO)

no one (no hyphen)

North (but the people live in the north of the country)

North Macedonia (not Macedonia or Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)

North Africa

North America

Northern (of or relating to the North)

northern Europe

O

official development assistance (ODA)

offshore

ongoing

online

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

organization

organize

orphans and vulnerable children

overrate

P

Pacific islands (but a Pacific Islander)

Pacific Ocean (but the Pacific and Atlantic oceans)

paralyze

patronize

peace talk(s)

peacekeeper/peacekeeping

peacetime

people living with HIV

people-smuggler

people-smuggling

per cent (use % in tables to save space)

policy-maker/policy-making

politicize

post-natal

post-traumatic stress disorder

post-war

power-sharing

practice (noun)

practise (verb)

premise

prenatal

primary health care

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (but the Australian prime minister agreed...)

prioritize

prise (to force open)

privatise

prize (to value highly)

problem-solving

programme (but a computer program)

profit-sharing

promise

-prone (as in a disaster-prone area)

pro rata (but on a pro-rata basis)

psychosocial

publicize

R

radioactive/radioactivity

raise

realize

real time (but real-time evaluation)

recognize

Red Cross and Red Crescent (never RCRC, RC/RC or Red Cross Red Crescent)

regionalize

-related (as in pregnancy-related diseases)

Represent but re-present (to present again)

-resistant (as in multi drug-resistant tuberculosis)

revise

revitalize

rise

River Thames (but the Indus and Amazon rivers)

round table (but round-table talks)

Russian Federation

S

Sahel (as in the Sahel region)

scale up (verb)

scaling-up (noun)

schoolchild/schoolchildren (but a pre-school child)

search and rescue (but a search-and-rescue team)

Second World War (not World War II)

secretariat (of IFRC)

Secretary General Jagan Chapagain (but the secretary general said…)

secretaries general (plural)

self-interest

Senator Jones (but the senator said…)

sensitize

sexually transmitted infection (STI)

short-term losses (but in the short term)

sister society/societies (see page 6)

small-scale project (but on a small scale)

South Africa (the country, but southern Africa the region)

South America

South Asia

South (the, but the south of the region was flooded)

South-East Asia

Southern (of or relating to the South)

specialize

stabilize

standardize

starting point

state(s)/states party (but New York State, the State of New South Wales)

stationary (not moving)

stationery (paper, envelopes, etc.)

Strategy 2030

subcommittee

subcontinent

subnetwork

subregion/subregional

sub-Saharan Africa

subsidize

sub-standard

subtotal

summarize

supervise

surmise

Sustainable Development Goal(s)

Syrian Arab Republic

T

Taiwan, China (refer to as ‘area’ not ‘country’)

Tanzania, United Republic of

task force

team player

team spirit

teamwork

televise

think tank

Timor-Leste (not East Timor)

toolkit

tsunami

Türkiye (not Turkey) but Turkish Red Crescent

U

ultra- (as in ultra-expensive airlifts)

uncooperative

underpay

underrate

under way (as in negotiations are under way...)

underuse

United Nations Secretary-General

up-to-date information (but the information is up to date)

urbanize

V

Viet Nam (not Vietnam, but Vietnamese)

visualize

vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA)

W

wartime

water and sanitation (always write out in full, not WatSan or watsan)

water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH)

web

website

wellbeing

well-established programme (but the programme is well established)

well-functioning National Society/well-functioning National Societies

well-known organization (but the organization is well known)

well-established programme (but the programme is well established)

West (the, but the programme was carried out in the west of the country)

West Africa

western Africa

western Europe

Western (of or relating to the West)

worldwide

X

X-ray

IFRC preferred spellings

A

ad hoc (not italic)

advertise/advertisement

advice (noun)

advise (verb)

ageing

analyse

anglocentric

antenatal

anti-personnel

anti-retroviral therapy (ART)

apprise

Aral Sea (but the Black and the Aral seas)

arise

Atlantic Ocean (but the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans)

audiovisual

authorise/authorisation

awareness-raising

B

back-up (noun)

back up (verb)

better- (adjective, as in better-coordinated disaster response)

bilingual

billion = thousand million

blood donor (but blood-donor centre)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

break-up (noun)

break up (verb)

by-law

C

capacity building

capitalize

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

caregiver/caregiving

case study

catalyze

categorize

ceasefire

central Africa

Central African Republic

central America

Central Asia

central Europe

centralize

centre

century: from first to tenth century, number spelled out; thereafter in figures: 21st century, etc.

changeover (noun)

change over (verb)

childbirth

childcare

coastguard

coexist

co-management

community-based first aid

community-based health worker

comprise

compromise

computerise

Congo, the Democratic Republic of the

Congo, the Republic of the

cooperate/cooperation

coordinate/coordination

Côte d’Ivoire (not Ivory Coast)

criticize

D

Darién jungle; Darién National Park (not Darién Gap)

data (treat as singular, as in “the data reveals” and “the data was collected”, not “the data reveal” and “the data were collected”.)

data bank/database

dates: always day, month, year (for example, 20 March 2024)

death toll

debt relief (noun)

debt-relief process (adjective)

decision-maker/decision-making

demise

department(s) (in the IFRC): always lower case, so digital transformation department, communications department, etc. (see also: IFRC departments and job titles)

dependant (noun)

dependent (adjective)

despise

destabilize

devise

diarrhoea

digital transformation not digitalization

disenfranchise

disguise

E

East (but the earthquake struck the east of the province)

East Africa

eastern Africa

east Asia

Eastern (of or relating to the East)

eastern Europe

economize

e.g., (with full stops and followed by a comma)

El Salvador (capital: San Salvador)

emergency obstetric care

emphasise

en bloc (not italic)

enfranchise

enquiry (Note: use enquiry for the act of asking a question, especially of a person; use inquiry when referring to an investigation, especially an official one)

en route (not italic)

enterprize

equalise

etc. (with full stop and followed by a comma in the middle of a sentence)

euro (currency)

eurocentric

excise

exercise

ex officio (not italic)

extranet

F

far-reaching

feedback

female genital mutilation (FGM)

fertilise

finalise

first aid (but first-aid courses, and never First Aid)

first-class

first-hand

first-rate

flood waters

flood plain

floodgate(s)

...fold (as in twofold, tenfold)

focused, focusing (not focussed, focussing)

food security

follow-up (noun)

follow up (verb)

foothold

forego (to precede)

forever

forgo (to relinquish, give up)

formalize

formulas

formulae (scientific or mathematical)

forums (never fora)

front line (but front-line operations)

fulfil/fulfilment

full time (but full-time job)

Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (but the fundamental principles)

fundraise, fundraising, fundraiser

G

galvanize

generalize

General Assembly (of the IFRC, but the Malaysian Red Crescent's general assembly. Note: to avoid confusion, always specify United Nations General Assembly/UN General Assembly)

goodwill (of a firm, but good will)

grass roots (but at the grass-roots level)

guideline(s)

H

haemorrhage/haemorrhagic

half-hour (but half an hour)

handbook

hand-picked

hard-line

hardest-hit countries (but the hardest hit countries are....)

harmonize

health care (not healthcare)

high-income countries

high-quality products (but the product is of high quality)

high-risk areas (but the community is at high risk)

hi-tech material

HIV-positive

home-based care

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China

human development index

Hurricane Franklin (but a hurricane hit the region)

I

i.e., (with full stops and followed by a comma)

ill-advised

ill health

immunize

improvise

incise

industrialize

infant mortality rate

information-sharing

inquiry (Note: use inquiry when referring to an investigation, especially an official one; use enquiry for the act of asking a question, especially of a person)

insecticide-treated net

institutionalize

interact/interaction

intergovernmental

internally displaced people

international non-governmental organization (INGO)

internet

interpersonal

interrelate

intertribal

intranet

Iran, the Islamic Republic of

J

jeopardize

K

Kazakhstan

Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of (North Korea)

Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

Kosovo (N.B. refer to Kosovo as a territory, not a country or State)

know-how

Kyrgyzstan

L

labour-intensive

laissez-faire (not italic)

laissez-passer (not italic)

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

landlocked

landmine

landslide

large-scale operation (but on a large scale)

Latin America

learned (not learnt)

least developed countries

leukaemia

licence (noun)

license (verb)

life- (as in life-threatening illness)

life-saving/life-saver

lifestyle

localization

localize

long-lasting insecticidal net

long term (but long-term trends)

loophole

low-income countries

low-tech

M

Macau Special Administrative Region, China (or Macau, China in non-official texts)

macroeconomics

Maghreb (as in the Maghreb region)

Marketplace

market research

materialize

maternal and child health

maximize

medium-sized organization (but a small organization, a large organization)

megacity

memorize

microaggression

micro-bank

microcredit

microeconomics

microfinance

micro-project

micro state (no hyphen)

Middle East North Africa (MENA)

middle-income countries

Millennium Development Goal(s)

minimise

Ministry of Health, Ministry of External Affairs (but the ministries of health and external affairs)

mobilize

Moldova, the Republic of

mother-and-child clinic

mother-to-child transmission

mudslide

multicultural

multidisciplinary

multilateral

multinational

multi-purpose

multiracial

N

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

National Society/Societies (but the society/societies)

nationwide

needs-assessment survey (but a needs assessment was carried out…)

non-cooperation/non-cooperative

non-governmental organization (NGO)

no one (no hyphen)

North (but the people live in the north of the country)

North Macedonia (not Macedonia or Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)

North Africa

North America

Northern (of or relating to the North)

northern Europe

O

official development assistance (ODA)

offshore

ongoing

online

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

organization

organize

orphans and vulnerable children

overrate

P

Pacific islands (but a Pacific Islander)

Pacific Ocean (but the Pacific and Atlantic oceans)

paralyze

patronize

peace talk(s)

peacekeeper/peacekeeping

peacetime

people living with HIV

people-smuggler

people-smuggling

per cent (use % in tables to save space)

policy-maker/policy-making

politicize

post-natal

post-traumatic stress disorder

post-war

power-sharing

practice (noun)

practise (verb)

premise

prenatal

primary health care

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (but the Australian prime minister agreed...)

prioritize

prise (to force open)

privatise

prize (to value highly)

problem-solving

programme (but a computer program)

profit-sharing

promise

-prone (as in a disaster-prone area)

pro rata (but on a pro-rata basis)

psychosocial

publicize

R

radioactive/radioactivity

raise

realize

real time (but real-time evaluation)

recognize

Red Cross and Red Crescent (never RCRC, RC/RC or Red Cross Red Crescent)

regionalize

-related (as in pregnancy-related diseases)

Represent but re-present (to present again)

-resistant (as in multi drug-resistant tuberculosis)

revise

revitalize

rise

River Thames (but the Indus and Amazon rivers)

round table (but round-table talks)

Russian Federation

S

Sahel (as in the Sahel region)

scale up (verb)

scaling-up (noun)

schoolchild/schoolchildren (but a pre-school child)

search and rescue (but a search-and-rescue team)

Second World War (not World War II)

secretariat (of IFRC)

Secretary General Jagan Chapagain (but the secretary general said…)

secretaries general (plural)

self-interest

Senator Jones (but the senator said…)

sensitize

sexually transmitted infection (STI)

short-term losses (but in the short term)

sister society/societies (see page 6)

small-scale project (but on a small scale)

South Africa (the country, but southern Africa the region)

South America

South Asia

South (the, but the south of the region was flooded)

South-East Asia

Southern (of or relating to the South)

specialize

stabilize

standardize

starting point

state(s)/states party (but New York State, the State of New South Wales)

stationary (not moving)

stationery (paper, envelopes, etc.)

Strategy 2030

subcommittee

subcontinent

subnetwork

subregion/subregional

sub-Saharan Africa

subsidize

sub-standard

subtotal

summarize

supervise

surmise

Sustainable Development Goal(s)

Syrian Arab Republic

T

Taiwan, China (refer to as ‘area’ not ‘country’)

Tanzania, United Republic of

task force

team player

team spirit

teamwork

televise

think tank

Timor-Leste (not East Timor)

toolkit

tsunami

Türkiye (not Turkey) but Turkish Red Crescent

U

ultra- (as in ultra-expensive airlifts)

uncooperative

underpay

underrate

under way (as in negotiations are under way...)

underuse

United Nations Secretary-General

up-to-date information (but the information is up to date)

urbanize

V

Viet Nam (not Vietnam, but Vietnamese)

visualize

vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA)

W

wartime

water and sanitation (always write out in full, not WatSan or watsan)

water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH)

web

website

wellbeing

well-established programme (but the programme is well established)

well-functioning National Society/well-functioning National Societies

well-known organization (but the organization is well known)

well-established programme (but the programme is well established)

West (the, but the programme was carried out in the west of the country)

West Africa

western Africa

western Europe

Western (of or relating to the West)

worldwide

X

X-ray

Think first, write later: an A to Z

Every communicator in the IFRC network is working under high pressure. Every day, there is another crisis to cover, and the needs of another community to highlight. It can be overwhelming.

But no matter the pressure, it is always worth taking a deep breath and asking some questions before you start to write.

Who is the audience/s I want to reach?
What is their level of knowledge of the IFRC or the issue I am writing about?
What do I want this audience to understand, feel, and do after reading my communication?
Is there a specific “ask” to be communicated?
How can I structure this story/report to encourage people to keep reading?

When you are drafting your story, script or report, be mindful of the language you are using. Ask yourself the following questions:

Am I putting people at the heart of this information, and showing them as dignified individuals with agency?
Is my language inclusive? Have I accidentally used language that could increase stigma, or reinforce stereotypes?
Is my writing clear, or am I using internal jargon and industry language out of habit?

Accessibility

We often say that the IFRC network aims to “leave no one behind”, and this should also apply to our communications.

When writing for the web, please remember that people read online content by scanning it rather than reading every word.

You have a limited amount of time to grab people’s attention.

Please structure your communication as a reverse pyramid. The most important information must be in your opening paragraphs.

Ask yourself: if a visitor only reads half of this story, will they learn everything I want them to know?

This is interesting

Pick your subheadings carefully: online readers scan a text looking for something specific, or something that seems interesting.

Remember that IFRC communications will be read by people using screen readers. Avoid confusing text such as “click here” when hyperlinking.

You can also support people using screen readers by using clear alt text on all images accompanying your story or report. Describe what is happening in the image as clearly as you can.

It is not recommended to use graphics that are text-heavy, as these cannot be fully described in alt text and therefore are not accessible.

Acronyms and abbreviations

Always put the reader first when you’re writing. Please spell things out in full, unless an acronym is globally recognized, such as UN, CNN, BBC, or WHO.

The first example not only avoids acronyms, but also puts people at the heart of the information we’re presenting.

Alphabet

The international nature of our work means that, sooner or later, you’ll have to include a list of countries or National Societies in your writing.

We advise that you list the countries or National Societies in alphabetical order. This is a simple solution and avoids any perceptions of bias on the part of the writer or the reader.

Exceptions to this rule can be made in donor-facing communications on a case by case basis, e.g. if placing an initiative’s largest donor at the end of an alphabetical list would offend the donor.

Ask

The ask should be a specific question that invites the audience to take a specific action: to join a campaign, donate to an appeal, take a first aid training course etc.

Audience

Have a clear audience in mind, and tailor your messages to them. Be concise. Be dynamic. Be interesting.

Take the same approach when writing for the public – and even when writing to your colleagues. Everyone is busy, and people are bombarded with countless messages and calls for support.

Your work will have a better chance of connecting with people, and making them care about your message, if it is tailored to a specific audience.

Credibility

The credibility of the IFRC is an integral part of its reputation, and it is vital if we are to earn – and maintain – the trust of everyone we work with.

Be careful when using quotes from more than one person in the same document. Structure your document so that it is immediately obvious who is speaking, and where their quote ends.

Tanzia Ahmed, the organization’s disaster management delegate, said: “The floods have destroyed dozens of settlements.”

Regional partnerships manager Julius De Michelis added: “I’m concerned about resource mobilization for this disaster.”

If you omit part of a quote – making sure that this does not alter the meaning of the statement – be sure to add an ellipsis to let the reader know that this is only part of the quotation, e.g.:

“The National Society’s work in … humanitarian education has already had a positive impact in how young people view refugees and asylum seekers,” she said.

Describing the IFRC

When communicating with all external audiences, simplicity is best. We should refer to ourselves only as the IFRC, never as “the secretariat”.

We are the IFRC.

We are not “the Red Cross Red Crescent”. We are absolutely not “the RCRC”.

Describing work by the IFRC and National Societies, and the IFRC, ICRC and National Societies

Please use “National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies” in the first instance, and “National Societies” thereafter.

Please do not use “Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies” or variants thereof.

If writing about a programme or response involving the IFRC and one or more National Societies, please refer to activities by “the IFRC network”.

Do not use internal jargon such as “host National Society” and “partner National Society” when writing for external audiences – this is a level of complexity that nobody needs.

Keep it simple.

Keep the reader’s attention on the action/result for people at risk, and on the National Societies doing the work.

Diversity

The generic “he” should be avoided in all IFRC writing.

The IFRC’s work is people-centred, and our writing should reflect this. Put people first when writing about our humanitarian activities and encourage people to tell their own stories.

Avoid generalizations or stereotypes by asking individuals how they choose to describe themselves, particularly when writing about members of a marginalized or minority group.

Above all, treat the life stories of marginalized people with sensitivity, and do not increase stigma by making the risks they face the most significant thing about them.

Gender

The IFRC Strategic Framework on Gender and Diversity Issues is inclusive of all people “who are vulnerable to inequality, harm and loss of basic rights” because of their gender.

Gender refers to the social differences between females, males, and persons with other gender identities throughout their life cycles.

Men are usually not introduced and defined by their marital status or how many children they have, and neither should people of other genders.

Please ensure that you have obtained informed consent from marginalized and at-risk communities before identifying them on public platforms.

Please do not use “gender” as a synonym for issues that affect women and girls only.

Language

Use clear, simple English.

This has many benefits, particularly online. It will allow you to get your message across quickly, to people from different educational backgrounds and levels of language proficiency.

The Plain English Campaign offers several free guides to help writers choose simple and accessible language.

Hyperbole

Every disaster or crisis is experienced differently by the people affected by it, no matter its size or complexity.

Intervention

Jargon

Take extra care to ensure that internal jargon and shorthand does not creep into external-facing documents.

Key

Key messages

The good news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you want to write something: some of the work has already been done for you.

Each set of includes three to five strong, clear messages on the issue, the people affected, and what the IFRC network is doing to support them.

These messages can be adapted to your audience. Using them will not only improve the accuracy and immediacy of your work, but it will also ensure consistency across the organization.

Localization

The organization has also made commitments to supporting and promoting localization, notably during the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit.

Our network is powerful because it is rooted in local action and has truly global reach.

Don’t be shy about promoting this: nobody else will do it for us.

National Societies

Our National Societies are our most important partners.

The easiest way to check a National Society’s correct name is to look it up in the Directory on our website.

Natural disasters/man-made disasters

“Man-made” is another example of gendered language that we should not be using. Please use “human-made” or “technological” disaster as appropriate.

Non-food items

Nouns and verbs

Please do not verb nouns by adding the suffix –ize or –ized to them (e.g. concretize) as it obscures meaning, confuses translators and interpreters, and looks ugly in print.

Spellcheck

It cannot tell you that a vital word has been missed from a sentence, e.g., “An appeal was launched seeking the unprecedented amount of 19.5 US dollars.”

Stakeholders

We advise against using this word as it has colonial associations: a stakeholder was a settler who would drive a stake into land being stolen from Indigenous Peoples.

Aside from this, it’s a word that is overused in IFRC communications and gives no meaningful information to the reader. It is always better to name the interested parties.

Tirelessly

This is the go-to adverb when people want to write about volunteers and volunteering. We’d like you to choose another way to communicate about them.

Vulnerability

But we also want to highlight the power of human dignity. Communities are smart, motivated, and intrinsically resilient. Community members are first responders, volunteers, leaders, and organizers.

Who vs That or Which

Use “who” to refer to people. Use “that” or “which” when referring to anything that isn’t a person.

IFRC House Style and Guidelines

IFRC House Style: standard usage

Standard spelling

The standard spelling used by IFRC is the Oxford English Dictionary preferred spelling. This includes the -ize suffix, not the -ise one, e.g., organize; organization.

Alternative spellings, which appear in brackets in the Oxford English Dictionary, should only be used if they are part of a name, title or quotation, e.g.:

the US Department of Defense (Oxford English Dictionary = defence)

Capitalization

Overcapitalization is common and is often used incorrectly for emphasis. However, it slows down reading speed, is uncomfortable on the eye, and can appear pompous. When used online, the reader will feel that you’re shouting at them.

Use initial capitals for proper nouns and names:

Department for International Development
Governing Board
Élysée

Do not capitalize temporary committees, teams or units:

migration task force
inclusion journey team

Capitalize the names of books, films and other major works in the usual way. Capitalize first words and all words apart from prepositions and conjunctions. These should also be italicized e.g. the World Disasters Report.

Always use lower case for rough descriptions or references.

the strategy (Strategy 2030)
the programme (the water and sanitation programme)
the Canadian development agency (Canadian International Development Agency)
the Chinese government
states parties to the Geneva Conventions
resolution 7 of the Council of Delegates

Use upper case for definite geographical places, regions, areas, titles and countries.

Use lower case for points of the compass.

east, west, north, south
Hospitals in the north-west of the country treat more than 900 patients a day.

Use lower case for seasons of the year in running text.

The strategy will be updated in spring 2025.

Use upper case for seasons in the title of a publication.

Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, Autumn 2022

Use capitals for titles of people. Use lower case when referring to the office or appointment.

He saw Prime Minister Justin Trudeau but He saw the Canadian prime minister.
We met King Charles III but We met the king of the United Kingdom.
The chief executive of the Burundi Red Cross
The Chinese health minister

Use capitals for established labels (-isms, -ists, -ites etc.).

Buddhism
Christian
Hinduism
Islam

Also use:

Koran
Bible

Hyphens

There are no simple rules for hyphens in English, but, as with capital letters, they should be used sparingly. However, there are some cases where hyphens must be used.

Hyphenate compounds when used attributively (before a noun). When using predicatively (after a noun), use space.

The out-of-date research paper
The research paper is out of date.
An 80-year-old woman
The woman is 80 years old.

Hyphenate fractions (whether nouns or adjectives).

two-thirds
four-fifths
one-sixth

Hyphenate quarters of the compass.

north-west
south-east

Words with prefixes such as anti-, neo-, non- and pro- should generally be hyphenated.

Exceptions are:

Hyphenate all nouns formed from prepositional verbs. A prepositional verb is one which is extended or changed in meaning by a preposition. When such a verb is used as a noun, it is always hyphenated.

At the end, the chair will round up the discussion. (verb)
The discussion ended with a round-up by the chair. (noun)
It was agreed that support to migrants must be scaled up. (verb)
The IFRC is scaling-up its support to migrants. (noun)

Hyphenate adjectives composed of two or more words.

Note the difference between simple adverbial use and the adjectival form.

IFRC is well organized.
A well-organized IFRC will be more effective.

Use hyphens with short adverbs only, for example, well, ill, most.

ill-advised action
most-favoured employee

Omit the hyphen with adverbs ending in -ly.

the relatively expensive drugs
the increasingly active youth programme

English has evolved so that two words have combined to become one word, and some prefixes have merged into their noun or adjective. If in doubt, refer to the Oxford English Dictionary (see also: Annex 1 – Preferred spellings).

One-word nouns:

Some nouns with two hyphens:

no-man's-land
prisoners-of-war

The presence of a hyphen can change the meaning of some words and phrases:

No hyphen

Hyphen

Some examples of words made up of two unhyphenated words:

Some examples of words made up of two hyphenated words:

Another important use of the hyphen is to mark word breaks at the end of lines. Avoid using too many word breaks as they slow down reading speed. When you hyphenate, break words into their constituent parts and avoid making unintentional words such as butt-ress.

Accents

Only include the accent on non-Anglophone words that have been absorbed into English if omitting the accent would change the pronunciation. Include the accent for café, cliché and façade, but not for elite. If in doubt, refer to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Accents should always be used on non-Anglophone names.

Prefixes

The normal rule is to use a hyphen to avoid a doubling of the same vowel:

re-elect, pre-empt
but readopt, coexist, prearrange

The Oxford English Dictionary and The New Fowler's Modern English Usage both abandon the hyphen in cooperate, coordinate, but retain it in words such as co-opt where pronunciation is important.

Double consonants

Consonants are often doubled when a suffix is added:

expel, expelled
fulfil, fulfilled
rebel, rebellious
quarrel, quarrelling

All other consonants are doubled when the pronunciation stress falls on the final vowel before the suffix:

regret, regretted, regrettable
commit, committed, committing
but credit, credited, creditable

Note: beware of some words which are both nouns and verbs, and pronounced differently, for example, object, project. The noun is stressed on the first syllable and the verb on the second. Here the rule does not apply - the suffix form is objected, projecting.

Standard usage

Apostrophes

The apostrophe is used in English to:

indicate possession
indicate that something is omitted or contracted

Do not confuse it's (it is), with its (the possessive pronoun).

It's not a successful institution. Its staff members are demotivated, and it’s no wonder that its programmes are not well planned.

Use the normal possessive ('s) after singular words, but not after names that end in s:

Use the normal possessive ('s) after plurals that do not end in s:

children's toys
people’s complaints
the media's attention

Use the plural possessive (s') on plurals that end in s, including plural names that take a singular verb:

the bosses' annoyance
Reuters' data
Barclays’ sponsorship

Although singular in other respects, the United States, the United Nations, the Philippines etc., have a plural possessive apostrophe.

The United States' new training centre for first aid.

Use an apostrophe for the meaning ‘worth of’.

She has five years' experience.
She will go on mission in a month's time.

Sometimes in modern English, the possessive is avoided by using the noun as an adjective. For example:

The IFRC’s Regional Office in Nairobi (proper possessive)
The IFRC Regional Office in Nairobi

Both are common, but the first is preferred. The second form is sometimes used when there is no acceptable adjective.

Omission or contraction

The apostrophe is also used to show something is omitted. For formal writing, do not use contraction.

it's (it is)
it'll (it will)
I'd (I would)

Do not put apostrophes in decades or abbreviations which are straight plurals.

NGOs
the 2020s
USGs

Punctuation

Full stops, commas, brackets, en dashes and exclamation marks.

Do not use full stops in abbreviations and acronyms.

UN
ICRC
WHO

But one important exception is for post office box numbers in addresses.

P.O. Box 372

Use full stops in lower case abbreviations such as e.g. and i.e.

Do not use full stops after titles such as:

For royal titles, use the following abbreviations:

Abbreviation

Full title

Do not abbreviate His Excellency to H.E., instead use the title in full, e.g. His Excellency Ambassador Mahmood.

For information on the correct protocol to use when writing about high-level people or when addressing IFRC correspondence to them, please consult the IFRC Protocol Handbook

The position of the comma can change the meaning of a sentence:

However, we learned it was going to be a slow process.
However we learned, it was going to be a slow process.

Use commas after expressions of time when they begin a sentence:

Yesterday, the Secretary General met a delegation from the Colombian Red Cross Society.
On 6 February 2023, a powerful earthquake rocked Türkiye and Syria.

Do not use a comma before ‘and’ in lists (the Oxford Comma):

The emergency kit contained jerry cans, cutlery and blankets.

But the Oxford Comma should be used where appropriate to ensure what you have written makes sense:

The emergency kit contained jerry cans, knives and forks, and blankets.
I want to thank my parents, Michelle Yeoh, and Idris Elba.

The Oxford English Dictionary describes parenthesis as “a word, clause or sentence inserted as an explanation or afterthought into a passage which is grammatically complete without it, and usually marked off by brackets, dashes or commas”.

Use commas for a routine, weak parenthesis:

A survey conducted by FAO, in April 2023, found that…
All staff, including part-timers, can benefit from…

To mark a strong but unemphatic parenthesis, usually to explain rather than to comment, use round brackets:

The next growing season (January to March) is expected to…

When the parenthesis forms part of a sentence, the full stop comes after the second round bracket (as here).

(However, when the whole sentence is a parenthesis, as here, then the full stop comes before the second bracket.)

For a parenthesis that is added by the writer or editor, either to explain or to comment, use square brackets:

According to the report: “The reduced availability of transportation and curfew [due to the conflict] had a significant impact on…”

To mark a strong and emphatic parenthesis, to comment rather than to explain, use dashes:

The other organizations – the vast majority NGOs – were prevented from operating in the area.

Do not use exclamation marks in non-fiction writing. However, it is acceptable to do so if reporting the shock – or joy - of a community member supported by the IFRC network.

“I really thought I was going to die! Everything went dark. It was terrible,” said the teenager, who was rescued from the rubble the day after the earthquake.
The farmer expressed his delight at how the drought-resistant seeds had transformed his crops. “It is incredible! This is the first season for many years that I have not worried how I will feed my family,” he said.

Colons

Use a colon to separate a general statement from specifics, usually putting the general statement first.

The delegates distributed necessary relief items: blankets, stoves and hygiene parcels.

Use a colon before a whole quoted sentence, but not before a quotation that begins mid- sentence:

She said: “It will never work.”
He retorted that it had “always worked before”.

Use a colon for antithesis or contrasts.

The rich get richer: the poor get poorer.

Colons are also used to introduce bulleted lists and numbered lists.

Bulleted lists and numbered lists

Lists that are not whole sentences should start with lower case. Do not add full stops, semicolons or commas at the end of each bullet. Instead, use a full stop at the end of the final bullet to indicate the end of the section. Such lists should start with either all nouns or all verbs. Do not mix nouns and verbs.

In lists that include infinitive verbs, ensure ‘to’ appears before the colon (not semicolon) and is not repeated each time.

The regional conference is an opportunity to:

identify and analyse major challenges
coordinate Red Cross and Red Crescent action
involve at-risk communities
tackle social exclusion and discrimination.

Use bullet points not numbers unless the number of items is relevant, e.g.:

Such an approach constitutes three main elements:

ensuring effective, evidence-based subsidies
enhancing market access
strengthening the links between science and policy.

If lists are whole sentences, start each item with a capital letter and end with a full stop.

The study highlighted the following issues:

Strategy 2030 has encouraged greater focus on community-based responses.
A regional or sub-regional focus and support network has been successful in some areas.
There is a high degree of donor dependency and a lack of effective marketing.

Dates, time, numbers, measurements and currencies

Dates

Use the British date format, not the US one. Format dates in the following order and style: day, month, year.

2 May 2024
12 August 2023

Not 2nd May 2024 or 12th August 2023 or August 12, 2023

Note: 10.12.23 means 10 December 2023 in Britain and 12 October 2023 in the United States.

Do not use figures for dates.

When using a date range with a preposition, use ‘to’ and not an en dash.

From 2019 to 2022 (not From 2019–2022).

Write out date ranges in full, using a hyphen to separate the years.

2020-2023 (not 2020-23)

Use: the 2010s, a woman in her 30s, their 33rd birthday.

When writing about centuries, spell out to tenth century and use figures from 11th century onwards.

seventh century
21st century

Time

Use the 24-hour clock written as 16:30 (not 16h30 or 16.30).

Numbers

Write out in full numbers up to ten.

There were six refugee camps in the country.
We needed ten trucks to make the deliveries.

Use figures for numbers from 11 and above.

The river was 15 kilometres from the camp.

Use figures for numbers below and above ten in the same sentence.

There were 19 small ones, 10 medium-sized and 8 large.

Use figures with percentages.

7 per cent, 8.2 per cent, between 5 and 15 per cent

Use figures for sums of money.

The centre cost 60,000 Swiss francs to build.

Use figures for resolutions and articles.

Article 1 states that…
Resolution 12 of IFRC’s code.

Use figures for the results of a vote.

Resolution 15 was adopted with 45 votes for, 7 against, and 3 abstentions.

Use figures with the words million, billion, etc.

6 million people, 1 billion Swiss francs

Never start a sentence with a figure. Write the number in words or turn the sentence around.

Seventeen children were rescued.
The number of children rescued was 17.

Write out in full numbers used figuratively.

I’ve told them a hundred times.

Write million in full. Use billion to mean a thousand million. Do not use “mio” to represent “million”.

Use commas with numbers of four digits and over in general text.

19,650
12,000,000

Use figures for decimals, using a full stop.

6.7, 120.33, 0.25 (not .25)

Hyphenate fractions and spell out in words.

two-thirds, one-eighth, thirteen-sixteenths

Use common fractions or percentages rather than decimals where possible.

Three-quarters of the staff members at the school are women.

Write per cent, percentage. In tables, use the % sign to save space.

Do not use Roman numerals. Not everyone is familiar with them and their use is unnecessary. However, there are situations where convention requires them to be used, e.g. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Measurements

Except when the specific context demands it, use metric forms in the English spelling.

metres, litres, not meters, liters
tonnes, not metric tons or MT (Ton = US or Imperial ton)
kilometres (km), kilograms (kg), hectare (ha)
centimetres (cm), millimetres (mm)

When writing out measurements, the figure should be followed by a space then the unit of measurement.

300 kilometres
50 kilograms
20 hectares

When using the abbreviated form, there should be no space after the figure.

300km
50kg
20ha

Currencies

IFRC works in Swiss francs and uses this currency in its documents and publications. Where necessary, e.g., for a particular audience, you can include a conversion of the amount in US dollars, euro, or a local currency.

The IFRC is appealing for 100,000 Swiss francs (112,068 US dollars/16.3 million Kenyan Shillings).

Note: never use the symbol ‘$’ on its own to represent the US dollar, as this could be confused with the currencies of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and New Zealand. For greater clarity, write out in full, e.g., 750,000 Canadian dollars.

Leave a space between the currency and the amount.

6 billion euro
70,000 Swiss francs
15 US dollars

If using CHF in a table, add a footnote explaining CHF = Swiss francs.

For less common currencies, use the full name with the abbreviation* in round brackets at the first mention.

20 Malawi kwacha (MWK)

The abbreviation should be used thereafter, followed by the amount.

MWK 3,000

*Refer to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) list for currency names and their associated three-letter codes.

Italics and quotations

Italics

Italics are used for the titles of publications. Use sparingly if writing for the web – italicised text is read with a strong emphasis, just as text in all capitals is perceived as shouting.

Use italics for the titles of books, newspapers and publications, plays, radio and television programmes, and films. If the definite article (the) is part of the title, then this should also be italicised.

The Times of India, The New Humanitarian, The Economist
but the Financial Times, the New Straits Times, the Yorkshire Post

Use italics for the names of IFRC publications and documents. However, a distinction needs to be made between publications and documents, which take italics, and policies, guidelines and initiatives, which do not.

Strategy 2030, World Disasters Report, the Everyone Counts report.
but One WASH, emergency response policy

Quotations

IFRC style is to use double quotation marks.

“This is the worst earthquake this decade,” the Secretary General said, “and the people affected will require long-term help.”

Whether the punctuation at the break comes within the quotation marks or outside is determined by the punctuation in the original statement.

“The challenge is enormous,” she said; “we have to meet it.”
“The challenge is enormous”, she said, “and we have to meet it.”

Quotations within quotations take single quotation marks.

He said: “I really meant to say, ‘I’m sorry’.”

References and bibliographies

Published works should be listed in alphabetical order. Examples of IFRC style for references and bibliographies, covering a range of different types of sources, are listed below. Follow the formatting given, depending on the type of source quoted.

For books:

Ruamps, C. The Humanitarian Exit Dilemma: The Moral Cost of Withdrawing Aid. (Routledge, 2023).
Duffield, M. Post-Humanitarianism: Governing Precarity in the Digital World. (Polity, 2019)

For articles in journals and magazines:

Aloudat, T. and Khan, T. Decolonising humanitarianism or humanitarian aid?: PLOS Glob Public Health 2(4) e0000179. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000179, 2022.

For newspaper articles:

Nogrady, B. ‘What happens to your body during extreme heat?’, The Guardian, 29 January 2024.

For news reports:

The New Humanitarian. Devastating floods add to Afghanistan's climate woes. 14 May 2024.
BBC. Waterborne disease outbreak after Brazil floods kills four. 26 May 2024.

For official papers and reports:

Solferino Academy. Humanitarian Leadership for the Future: When 2023 is the new 2030. (2023)
IFRC. Global Plan 2024. (2023)

Place names

Countries

Use the English form in the IFRC Directory, which includes the correct formulation in English of National Society names.

Cities and other places

Use the standard English spelling, not the original language.

Collective nouns

Some English writers use a plural verb after some nouns with a collective sense, for example, "the government are…“. Do not imitate. If the sense is a single entity, use a singular verb. This is true for all governments, companies and organizations.

For the word ‘number’ itself.

The number of casualties is increasing by the hour.

but

A number of villagers are prepared to relocate.

Titles

Because national usage varies so greatly, do not use titles if possible. On second mention, repeat the person's full name or use the personal pronoun.

Mark Duffield has written an interesting book on the humanitarian sector’s growing reliance on data. He looks at the problems facing…
This is Mark Duffield’s eighth academic work related to…

IFRC departments and job titles

In general, use lower case when referring to the specific names of departments.

The communications department has…

Use lower case when referring in general terms to the role or function of a department.

IFRC’s finance department has…

Use lower case when referring to the department in general terms.

The department has…

Use capitals for job titles when writing out the person’s name, followed by their job title.

Cristina Estrada, Team Leader.

When referring to their job title in passing, use lower case.

Cristina Estrada, the IFRC’s team leader responsible for…

Miscellaneous points

That or which?

Use ‘that’ in defining clauses.

The houses that IFRC built have provided a new home for more than 200 families.

Use ‘which’ in informative clauses.

The houses that IFRC built, which are made of bamboo, have provided a new home for more than 200 families.

As a general rule, if a clause cannot be deleted without removing information essential to the sentence, preface it with ‘that’. If the information in the clause can be omitted without rendering the main clause meaningless, then preface it with ‘which’.

Never use ‘that’ or ‘which’ to refer to a person.

Avoid the unnecessary use of ‘that’.

She said she was going to…
not She said that she was going to…

Forward slash

Do not use / (forward slash) to mean ‘or’.

Fewer, less

For countable nouns, use ‘fewer’.

There were fewer children than teachers.

For non-countable nouns, use ‘less’.

There was less wine than water.

Ampersands

Do not use the ampersand (&) unless for book titles and authors, or if it forms part of an organization’s name. Use ‘and’ for running text.

Web addresses

When writing for an online audience, add a hyperlink to the text so that readers can click through.

ifrc.org (not http://www.ifrc.org)

Use a full stop after a web address when this appears at the end of a sentence.

For more information, visit www.ifrc.org.

Email addresses

A person’s name is not always apparent from their email address. When quoting an email address as a contact, use the person’s name as well as the address. Add a full stop when the email address appears at the end of a sentence. E.g.:

For more information on the IFRC’s House Style, please contact Alison Freebairn at alison.freebairn@ifrc.org.

This applies to print as well as online. However, online, the email address can be presented as a hyperlink.

For more information on the IFRC’s House Style, please contact Alison Freebairn.

Trade marks

A trade mark is a brand, symbol or word registered and protected by law to safeguard a manufacturer’s product or intellectual property and prevent competitors and others from using it, e.g. Fibreglass, Land Rover, Scotch Tape.

Do not use trade marks unless they are important to the text. Use a generic equivalent instead.

Over, more than

Use ‘more than’ rather than ‘over’.

The earthquake affected more than 75,000 people.
not The earthquake affected over 75,000 people.