Behind the Impact • Sarah MacDiarmid

Meet Sarah MacDiarmid, Sefa’s new Impact Communications Manager.

With a passion for storytelling and a drive to amplify the voices of impact-first businesses, Sarah is on a mission to showcase the incredible work happening across our network, one story at a time. From refining our messaging to crafting campaigns that bring our impact to life, she’s shaping how we connect with our community. We sat down with Sarah to hear about her journey, what excites her about working at Sefa, and the power of good storytelling in driving change.

Can you tell us a little bit about your role on the team and what your day-to-day responsibilities entail?

In my role as Impact Communications Manager, I get to apply my love of storytelling to share the amazing work and far-reaching impact that Sefa creates. On a day-to-day basis, that means implementing our new marketing strategy and increasing our digital presence while showcasing the meaningful outcomes of our work. You'll find me digging into our personas, refining our messaging, developing campaigns and crafting new ways to share our impact – from the highest level to the tangible change we've helped make on the lives of individuals.

What's your go-to productivity hack when you need to power through a big project or deadline?

I have a few! I try my best to block out time in the calendar to get deep work done. I put on my headphones and have recently gotten into some focus frequency playlists that I find really helpful! A coffee or two is always on my agenda to keep me going too.

If you could switch jobs with anyone on the team for a day, who would it be and why?

Anyone in the engagement team! I find the range of help we're able to provide to the impact-first businesses that we collaborate with so inspiring. I'd love to experience being on the frontline, providing hands-on assistance to the people doing such important work in communities across Australia.

What's the most interesting thing you've learned or accomplished in your role so far?

I'm still fresh in my role (this is day 4!), but what I've learned and been so impressed by is the range of impact Sefa has facilitated. With over $144 million of funding unlocked for social purpose organisations, and countless capability building projects, they have literally shared the wealth across so many areas of Australian society; from women-led businesses, to education, affordable housing and innovative First Nations organisations. It's truly inspiring and I'm so excited to be part of it.

What motivated you to pursue a career in this field, and how did you get started in your current role?

Originally, I never wanted to be a 'marketer', but I did like crafting stories... so I began my career working in publishing as an Editor, then a copywriter. By connecting with the 'why’ behind the companies I was producing content for, I leaned more into marketing with Brand Manager and Brand Director roles. In more recent years I've also been a Brand Consultant for a range of businesses, but I've always been passionate about using my skills for good. So, after volunteering for many years, I made the decision to focus on working predominantly with impact-first businesses, which luckily has led me here!

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing your team or industry right now?

An ongoing challenge for me – which I love – is reaching all of our audiences, from our funding partners to CEOs of social purpose organisations, with the right message at the right time. Sefa is proud of the impact we've created, and we're excited about the innovation to come. So, it's down to me to make sure that we're engaging with the community effectively and that it's clear what Sefa stands for and the impact we can create together with our collaborators.

What do you enjoy most about your job, and what advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a similar career path?

I love that my role is different every day. I love that I can use a range of strategies and tactics to reach more people and ultimately help organisations do more good in the world. If you're pursuing a career in marketing but want to align your work with your values, a role with an impact-first organisation could be exactly what you're looking for!