21 October 2022
How can we build on the gains that many organisations have made during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Like many, I became a lockdown runner. I’m now confident about running 5km regularly, and my goal is to run 10km with the same ease.
But achieving this target is harder than I thought. I’ve seen something similar happen with charities and digital transformation.
Thanks to pandemic-fuelled digital adoption, your charity might now be running the digital equivalent of a 5km, or even a 10km.
This could include scaling up your digital service delivery, launching ambitious digital fundraising campaigns or mining your data for insights about your supporters.
I’ve spoken to many charities who are now hungry to do more, and who are finding the journey challenging due to many factors, from lack of resources to struggling with the complexity of getting the tech right or simply working out what to do next.
Their ambitions are right, as digital never rewards those who stand still.
The tools, and the ways we use them, are evolving so fast that we all need to keep growing our capabilities.
Done right, this will create a sustainable foundation for how you use digital.
Bluntly, it will also develop competitive advantage. That’s a term we may not always feel comfortable with in the sector.
Yet digital has opened up a whole new competitive field outside of your normal peers, increasing competition. For example, if you’re a mental health charity your audience might be using wellbeing apps built by large corporations.
It’s okay to acknowledge that we want to put our organisations in the best possible position, so that we make it easy for people to find, and use, our digital services, or to make an online donation.
So how can your charity ease the pains of digital transition?
Start by measuring where you are, so you can plan where you need to get to (much like getting a fitness assessment).
You could use a framework such as the NCVO Digital Maturity Matrix which will help you assess how your organisation is performing across key areas, from leadership and strategy to service design and communications.
Once you’ve got this data, define your challenges as clearly as possible.
David Hunt, associate director of digital at Breast Cancer Now, and his team are working on creating a better online experience for everyone who uses the charity’s various sites, from its main website to its donations platform, community forum and sites for fundraising campaigns.
“These various sites are based on a range of different technologies, with inconsistent navigation and branding, varying approaches to data and tracking across sites, and lack a cohesive overall user experience,” says Hunt.
Hunt and his team developed a roadmap to help Breast Cancer Now provide a frictionless, joined up experience for people affected by breast cancer.
“No matter what stage of their journey they’re at, and whether they’re seeking information, registering for one of our services, or supporting us through fundraising, volunteering or campaigning — the user will feel they are on one integrated and easy-to-use platform,” he says.
As you set goals for your digital progression, it’s vital to get the buy-in and resources required.
Hunt and his colleagues presented their plans to their senior leadership team for approval, demonstrating how the roadmap would help their charity increase its impact.
This helped them get support for the vision and budget and Breast Cancer Now was awarded funding for the project from the People’s Postcode Lottery.
It takes a rigorous, careful approach to plot the next steps on your digital journey, which can feel daunting.
Hunt’s advice is to begin by talking to your audience to find out their needs, because they are the best guide to what’s working, and not working for them, about your current digital offer.
He also encourages charities to be ambitious and most importantly, to link your digital goals to your organisational strategy.
Alongside having clear goals and plans, your secret weapon for pushing through the growing pains of digital transformation is grit.
Charities of all sizes can make progress with digital with the right help and a team that is focused on the right things.
Zoe Amar is founder of the digital and marketing consultancy Zoe Amar Digital @zoeamar
Register now to enjoy more articles and free email bulletins
Join a growing community of Third Sector professionals today
Forgotten password?
Sponsored webcasts, surveys and expert reports from Third Sector partners
For charities today the challenge is that…
The third sector has never been under such…
This report provides an overview of the current…
More Third Sector Insight
