We explore how the Charity Digital Code of Practice can help small charities become more strategic with their use of digital
More than four in five charities see using digital as more of a priority following COVID-19, according to the 2022 Charity Digital Skills report. But only 56% of charities say they have a digital strategy in place to determine how they use it.
For smaller charities, in particular, having a digital strategy in place is crucial, as they will likely need their resources to go further. They cannot afford to miss out on the benefits that a digital strategy brings, including improved decision-making, better team buy-in, and an increased understanding of progress.
It is just as important that small charities embrace digital as much as large ones. With more limited resources and funding, digital can be the great leveler, allowing organisations to reach more people and deliver more for their beneficiaries far more efficiently.
That’s where the Charity Digital Code of Practice (CDCoP) comes in.
The CDCoP is a framework created by organisations from across the charity sector to help charity professionals become more strategic with their use of digital.
Across seven areas (including leadership, culture, and ethics), CDCoP can help organisations understand the key actions they need to take to stay relevant and increase their impact, efficiency, and sustainability.
It provides consistent goals for the sector to work towards, offers resources to help, and points to examples from charities who have already started putting the Code into practice.
The Code is aimed at charities registered in England, Wales, and Scotland, and is designed to apply to charities of all sizes. However, each area of the CDCoP has been adapted specifically for small charities to show what success looks like at each stage, with acknowledgement of the digital barriers they may face.
Below are three ways your small charity can use the CDCoP.
Benchmarking is an important part of building a digital strategy. It gives charities a sense of where they’re at on their digital journey compared to others in the sector, allowing them to be honest about what their achievable goals are and identify next steps.
CDCoP should be used as part of the benchmarking process, giving them an idea of what they should be striving for. Some of the CDCoP’s goals are achievable now, with the words ‘must’ and ‘should’ indicating the minimum standard of good practice, while ‘could’ points to best practice, the high level goals the sector should be working towards.
Charities can also look at the CDCoP’s Stories section for inspiration from other organisations who have successfully implemented the guidance. There are case studies from a range of different charities, including the NSPCC, Youth Hostels Association, and DataKind UK, as well as a celebration of work from charities who deployed digital effectively during COVID-19.
For smaller charities, it can be particularly difficult to ask your senior leadership for more investment in digital infrastructure and support. Everything needs to be justified, backed up with data, to show why the investment is important and how it will help your organisation achieve its goals.
CDCoP’s framework allows charities to show their leadership exactly what is required of them, how they are measuring up against the sector standard, and what they need in order to compete with other charities. Decisions are made at the Board level, so using CDCoP ensures it stays at the heart of all conversations and is always considered as a vital part of the organisational strategy.
There are also specific goals laid out under the Leadership section, outlining the role of charity leaders in embracing digital. It advises, among other things, that digital skills should be represented on charity boards and that trustees and executives should take responsibility for cyber security and develop their digital skills as needed.
As digital consultancy Trillium points out, in its handy guide to the CDCoP, “Strategy defines vision for change. Without it, direction is frequently lost, budget poorly spent, and enthusiasm wanes.”
Formalising a digital strategy allows organisations to hold themselves accountable when it comes to digital transformation and ensure that every element of digital they use has a purpose within their mission.
Strategy includes looking at organisational objectives, digital inclusion, and overall approach, recommending that small charities should “challenge themselves about what they wish to achieve with digital, whilst being aware of what they can undertake based on capabilities and resources”.
Charities can use the CDCoP to build their strategy or revise their old one, aligning their goals directly with what their audiences need. It helps organisations to be ambitious, but realistic, and offers a blueprint for how they can remain relevant and sustainable in the future.
Check out the Charity Digital Code of Practice
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