The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Caledonian Exchange, 19A Canning Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EG.
SCVO Digital Call to Action 4
AI and everything else
Creating a digitally confident Scottish voluntary sector in 2026
Our fourth call to action
Scotland’s voluntary sector is operating in a world where digital and technology are no longer optional, specialist, or “back-office” concerns. They shape how people find help, how services are delivered, how trust is built, how funding flows, and how risk is managed.
Used well, digital and technology can make charities more effective, resilient and responsive, enabling better outcomes for people without increasing costs. Used poorly, or ignored, they can deepen exclusion, drain capacity, increase risk and undermine impact.
This Call to Action is about what needs to happen next. We are calling on Scotland’s voluntary sector, and those who support it, to take deliberate, sustained action to build digital confidence as a core part of effective, ethical and resilient practice.
Our shared call to action
We call on the sector to:
1. Put people first in all digital change
Design services, systems and communications around real user needs, accessibility and lived experience — not internal assumptions, legacy processes or supplier promises.
2. Treat digital as a leadership and governance responsibility
Boards and senior leaders must prioritise digital, data, AI and cyber risk as strategic issues, setting clear direction, realistic ambition and sustained investment over time.
3. Invest in skills, confidence and culture — not just tools
Digital confidence comes from people who are supported to learn, experiment and improve continuously. Technology alone will not fix problems rooted in ways of working, capacity or culture.
4. Use data to drive insight, learning and impact
Move beyond reactive reporting towards purposeful, ethical and secure use of data that informs decisions, improves services and clearly demonstrates difference.
5. Approach AI with curiosity and care
Explore the potential of AI through small, safe, values-led experiments. These should be grounded in good data governance, transparency, trust and human judgement, not hype or fear of missing out.
6. Communicate clearly, accessibly and strategically in a noisy digital world
Reach the right people with the right messages. Focus on accessible, user-centred content and high-impact channels rather than chasing attention, platforms or vanity metrics.
7. Build cyber resilience as a core duty of care
Recognise cyber security as a fundamental governance issue. Protect systems, data and people through leadership attention, training, planning and ongoing investment.
8. Focus on reliable, user-centred technology foundations
Prioritise dependable tools, infrastructure and partnerships that enable staff and volunteers to work well, safely and confidently, today and into the future.
What this means in practice
- For boards and leaders:
Make digital change a standing strategic priority. Invest realistically. Lead with curiosity, humility and intent.
- For managers and staff:
Champion user needs, build confidence, use data thoughtfully, and keep improving, even in small steps.
- For funders:
Support core digital capability, infrastructure and skills, not just short-term innovation projects.
- For technology partners:
Design accessible, secure, transparent tools that genuinely meet charities’ needs, and price them fairly.
SCVO’s commitment
SCVO will continue to support the sector through strategic leadership, practical guidance, training, one-to-one support and advocacy. We will help organisations of all sizes take meaningful, achievable steps towards greater digital confidence.
We will also play a convening role. We will support collective learning, sharing of practice and collaboration across the sector, so that charities can learn from what works, avoid duplication and make faster progress together.
This is not about chasing the latest technology.
It is about building a voluntary sector that can thrive, adapt and deliver impact in a digital society.
Executive summary
This document expands on the Call to Action above, providing a practical guide to how Scotland’s voluntary sector can strengthen its digital confidence in 2026 and beyond. It brings together learning from SCVO’s long-standing work with charities of all sizes and sets out the areas where focused, sustained effort will make the greatest difference.
The context for this Call to Action has continued to shift since the previous edition in 2022. Generative AI tools have moved rapidly into everyday use, hybrid working and cloud services are now embedded across much of the sector, and cyber threats have increased in scale and sophistication. At the same time, familiar pressures remain: constrained funding and capacity, persistent digital exclusion, and uneven confidence and capability across organisations.
Rather than focusing on specific technologies or short-term trends, this report concentrates on capability, confidence and practice. It is grounded in the realities faced by charities operating with limited time, money and specialist expertise, and focuses on practical approaches that can be adapted to different organisational contexts.
What this report covers
The report is structured around eight strategic digital themes that are essential to building digital confidence across the voluntary sector:
1. Putting people and user needs first
Designing services, systems and communications around real user needs, accessibility and lived experience.
2. Leadership, strategy and ambitions
Embedding digital as a leadership and governance responsibility, with clear direction, realistic ambition and sustained investment.
3. Culture, skills and confidence
Developing a positive digital culture that supports learning, experimentation and continuous improvement, rather than relying on technical expertise alone.
4. Data
Moving from reactive reporting towards purposeful, ethical and secure use of data to support learning, decision-making and impact.
5. AI
Exploring the potential of artificial intelligence through small, safe, values-led experiments grounded in good data governance, transparency and trust.
6. Communications, content and marketing
Using digital channels and content strategically to reach the right people with accessible, relevant messages, without chasing attention or vanity metrics.
7. Cyber security
Treating cyber resilience as a core duty of care, with leadership attention, governance, training and incident planning.
8. Tools, IT and infrastructure
Investing in reliable, user-centred technology foundations that enable staff and volunteers to work well, safely and confidently.
For each theme, the report sets out:
- what good practice looks like in 2026
- how organisations can make progress in practical, achievable ways
- common challenges and pitfalls to avoid
Case studies and examples
Throughout the report, real examples from organisations including PATH Scotland, Unity Enterprise, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and the Scottish Wildlife Trust illustrate how charities in different contexts are approaching digital change. These case studies highlight incremental progress, learning through practice and the effective use of low-cost or existing tools, rather than large-scale transformation programmes.
Who this report is for
This Call to Action is intended for:
- charity boards, trustees and senior leaders
- managers and practitioners
- funders and commissioners
- technology suppliers and partners
- infrastructure and support organisations
Different audiences may engage with different sections. Some readers will focus on the Call to Action and summary sections, while others may dip into specific themes or case studies most relevant to their role or current priorities.
Using this report
Digital confidence is built over time. This document is designed to be used as:
- a reference point for strategic conversations
- a prompt for reflection and discussion
- a guide to prioritising next steps
Not every organisation will act on every theme at once. Even small, incremental improvements can make a meaningful difference.
1. Putting people and user needs first
Digital tools and platforms are only useful when they fit into people’s lives and meet their needs. So they need to be accessible and easy to use.
It’s not just about legal responsibilities and the need to ensure that everyone is included. Discovering what real user needs are, and designing around these from the start will improve your digital services and platforms for everyone. Because digital tools and services are complex, and charity budgets are often lean, it can be hard to fully commit to people-centred design.
What does good look like?
- You use research and insight to build products and services that work well for users, not just for internal needs or imagined audiences
- You design digital services around people’s needs and context, making them effective and easy to use
- You see fewer queries and support requests from people using your services
- You can see that your services include a wide range of users and meeting their needs
How do we get there?
- Build in time and capacity to learn about user needs, and what problems they have, and test your assumptions at the start
- Use this discovery and learning time to build up evidence and insight about what people actually do – not what you think they do
- Invest time and capacity up front to ensure sure you focusing your efforts on the real problems
- Only add features or complexity when you have evidence that there is a real need
- Listen to user feedback and be ready to make incremental changes to improve your services
Common challenges
- Assumptions
- Complexity and unnecessary features
- Taking vendor assurances about accessibility at face value
Not enough time, capacity or insight to check user needs
Empowering with technology – The ALLIANCE
A distinctive feature of the ALLIANCE’s approach is its commitment to digital human rights principles. These principles, revised in 2025, guide service design and delivery, ensuring that technology enhances – not undermines – equity and dignity. The Digital Citizen Panel exemplifies this approach, enabling diverse voices to shape service design and improvement. Online engagement has proven essential for reaching geographically dispersed communities.
“Digital really keeps us connected… it offers flexibility and creates peer support networks across the country… it gives you access to every other aspect of life.”
- Digital inclusion is not solved by device ownership – connectivity, skills, and confidence matter.
- Human rights must underpin digital health – technology should empower, not exclude.
- Trusted intermediaries are critical – especially for vulnerable groups and those with language or cultural barriers.
- Evaluation tools need resilience – reliance on single platforms creates risk.
- AI requires clear guidance – to unlock benefits without compromising trust.
2. Leadership, strategy and ambitions
You won't make progress with digital change unless it has priority at a leadership level. Your board and CEO need to 'get' digital and set out a realistic, ambitious strategy.
'Getting' digital doesn't mean being tempted by the latest whizzy techno-thing. It means understanding how developments in digital and technology drive change: they lead to raised expectations from people who use your services, while giving you a bigger set of capabilities to meet those expectations. Making the most of those increasing capabilities involves being ready to test new ideas and learn together as a team.
What does good look like?
- You have a clear vision of how digital and technology could enable you to achieve your mission and improve your effectiveness
- You have a positive culture around digital change, including challenging or stopping approaches which are falling short or blocking your digital development
- You are clear about what resources and investment you need – what are you willing to put on the table in terms of budget and staff time?
- You’re committing to change that makes a real difference. Becoming more digitally capable will lead to new, better ways of working. Not just digitising old, inefficient ways.
How do we get there?
- Leadership recognise that digital is a key priority and commit to investing in it over time
- Develop a shared understanding of key user needs and business goals
- Embed capacity and skills wherever possible rather than buying in short-term solutions
- Use insights to build a 12-18 month digital roadmap of clear detail and accountability
Common challenges
- Limited/constrained thinking - not committing to enough resource to make change happen
- Driven by vendors and ‘solutions’ - Not enough focus on building internal capacity
- Unrealistic ambitions, trying to do too much in a short time frame
- Ambitions or goals that aren’t linked to user needs or business goals
- Being forced into digital change because systems have stopped working or need an urgent upgrade
- Digital change being seen as one person or one team’s responsibility and disconnected from wider ways of working
PATH Scotland – leading digital change in a small organisation
PATH Scotland (Positive Action Training in Housing Scotland) is a small charity dedicated to tackling underrepresentation of racial minority communities in the social housing and public sectors. With only three paid staff and limited resources, the organisation faced challenges in modernising its operations. Over 12 months, PATH Scotland introduced practical, low-cost tools:
- Microsoft Teams for meetings and internal messaging
- Microsoft Forms for membership and data collection
- Shared Drives for centralised file storage
- Eventbrite for workshop registrations
- Canva for marketing and branding
- ChatGPT for support with funding applications, emails, and social media posts
PATH Scotland built confidence and positive momentum for change by:
- Starting with basic digital improvements–they can have the biggest impact.
- Showing immediate benefits to overcome resistance.
- For small charities, free and low-cost tools are essential.
3. Culture, skills and confidence
You need more than a strategy to make progress with digital and technology – you also need a positive digital culture.
This involves being open to change and new ways of working – not just using digital buzzwords. Teams and organisations with a positive digital culture put people and service users first, and understand the need for making continuous improvements to keep responding to change.
What does good look like?
- Putting users and their needs first
- Agile and iterative, willing to recognise where things aren’t working and try different approaches
- Basic digital confidence and a willingness to grow from there – the skill of learning new skills
- A good digital problem-solving and learning ability
- At a senior level, enough knowledge about digital to seek out expertise, promote and model good practice and avoid expensive pitfalls
How do we get there?
There are three big changes in mindset that underpin a positive digital culture:
- Put people and service users at the heart of what you do, and ensuring that your team always advocate for user needs rather than internal assumptions or preferences.
- Embed a shared, straightforward understanding of key digital principles and you’re consistently applying them in practice.
- Find the right balance between optimism and humility. Optimism sparks enthusiasm for trying new things and knowing we can improve them. Humility is about recognising that some things may not work – but we can spot this and change our approach.
Common challenges
- Buzzword bingo – tying ourselves up in lots of jargon but not changing our practice
- Stuck in a ‘discovery’ loop – perpetually theorising or designing services without trying them
- Trying to change too much at once – having too many moving parts means you will struggle to deliver meaningful change
- Believing a new system alone will solve problems rooted in ways of working or a lack of digital skills
- Conflict and tension where ‘old’ ways of working are treated with contempt. Be respectful about intentions behind services, even if they need a major rethink.
4. Data
The voluntary sector is rich in data but often poor in insight. Many organisations are stuck in reactive mode with data; they capture standard metrics for funders or their boards, and look at these once per quarter.
Instead, organisations of all sizes need to develop a strategic approach to data: asking the right questions and building strategic data pipelines, then reviewing and responding to data on a regular basis.
What does good look like?
If your organisation is in a good place with data, you will be able to use data promptly to:
- Focus your efforts where they make the biggest impact,
- Guide your decisions
- Clearly demonstrate the positive difference you are making
Using data strategically involves:
- Aiming for ‘actionable insight’ – ‘we know this, so we can do this’
- Automating collection and collation of key data
- Having good data governance in place so it is held appropriately and securely
- Having a good data culture so that staff and volunteers at all levels understand its value and how to make good data-driven decisions
- Funders and other supporters are able to see data that clearly shows the difference your organisation is making
How do we get there?
- Conversations at all levels of your organisation to agree on smart, strategic questions and meaningful metrics
- Good data culture modelled from the top down - data and insight features regularly in real-time dashboards and reports and drives conversations.
- Investing appropriately in skills, tools, capacity and systems
- Doing the practical work to sort out data collection, improve consistency and automate wherever possible
- Your rationale for collecting and using data is always clear, your privacy policies are clear and up to date, and your data systems are secure by design
Common challenges
- Too much data – lots of data points and metrics but no clear sense of which insights would drive action, or what is making a difference
- Too little data, or poor quality data
- Lots of time spent manually compiling data
- Focus on ‘vanity metrics’ – numbers that look good but don’t mean anything
- Inadequate data governance
Making data strategic at Unity Enterprise
When Andy joined Unity Enterprise two years ago, digital systems were underused and fragmented:
“There was a CRM – Charity Log – but it wasn’t really getting used. There were lots of paper records and very manual processes, which made things like reporting and statutory reporting really difficult.”
Staff lacked training, and each site operated independently, leading to inconsistent data and inefficient workflows.
"Each site kind of did their own thing… which just meant huge variances in data and differences in processes."
Andy initiated a phased, user-led transformation:
“We used North Ayrshire as a test bed… that gave us a chance to learn what was capable and introduce changes. We worked backwards–what does our Health and Social Care Partnership need to know? What does the Scottish Government need to know?”
“We changed procedures and processes first, then adapted Charity Log to match it–rather than the other way around”
Unity Enterprise are now seeing some clear benefits: “For the first time ever, we’ve got management reports. We can actually see what’s working in one area and not in another. Carers can now sit with staff and do an application live. If it’s approved tomorrow, they’ll get their money in about five days.”
5. AI
Artificial Intelligence has dominated the tech headlines since generative AI tools like ChatGPT were publicly launched in 2023. Although AI tools and platforms have a lot of potential, there’s a risk that falling for the hype and froth around AI becomes a distraction and generates new risks and challenges.
We should approach AI with a combination of curiosity and care. Be open to new ways of working and untapped potential, but use your own values and context to keep the hype in check.
Organisations that do well with AI adoption are doing this by staying true to their vision and values, recognising that AI is not magic, and trying and sharing small, specific experiments to learn quickly. It’s not about pushing teams to put AI into everything, but about giving them support to do worthwhile experiments to grow their expertise.
What does good look like?
- Provide ‘just enough guidance’ – light touch and adaptable governance that evolves quickly, so your team can experiment with confidence
- Have a good overview of how AI tools work, and their limitations
- Experiment safely and reflectively, testing ideas to see how they will work in your context
- Augment and improve parts of processes, rather than replacing whole functions
- Ensuring that capacity and expertise is available to check the quality of any output
- Look for effort and time savings where risks are low
- Put user needs, trust, ethics and inclusion at the core
- Understand where the quality of what you do needs to be better than average (this is often better spotted by practitioners and experts rather than senior leaders)
- Recognise the pitfalls, risks and costs connected with AI including:
- Environmental impacts
- Litigation around copyright
- Bias and discrimination
- Deskilling and losing expertise
How do we get there?
- Shape an early, ‘version 1’ AI policy very quickly, then develop this as your experience grows
- Encourage your team to reflect on some first-hand experiments in your own context
- Be transparent about what you are doing with AI
- Talk to others who are testing similar tools or approaches
- Look out for areas that are ripe for automation, and conversely, any ‘no-go’ area where AI is never appropriate
Common challenges
- AI can easily become a distraction
- Getting swept away in the hype and FOMO
- Forgetting about good data governance
- Forgetting about the need for trust and care
- Polarised ‘all or nothing’ discussions
Piloting AI-Powered Carer Support at Unity Enterprise
“We’re creating a system where carers can go and find out everything they need to know… it’s very much AI-driven. You can just ask a question – ‘What grants are available to young carers in South Ayrshire?’–and it brings it all out.”
“Not everyone can read or has access to laptops. Having a voice coach means they can just talk into their phone. We’re testing how it responds to emergencies–like ‘he’s fallen down, what do I do?’–and it switches into crisis mode.”
6. Communications, content and marketing
Digital tools and channels allow even small charities to reach lots of people with relevant messages and content. But with so many channels available, and so much ‘noise’ on social media platforms, it can be hard to reach the right people with the right messages.
So how do you use digital content and channels to communicate effectively and strategically?
What does good look like?
- You identify who you want to engage with (specific key audiences and their needs)
- You understand which channels and platforms those key audiences regularly use
- You know what you want to say – your key messages
- Your values, priorities and tone of voice are clear and are reflected in what you do online
- You use a content design approach to create accessible, engaging content that meets people’s needs
- You’re regularly active on key platforms and channels
- You measure and review the performance of your content, and change your approach when needed
- You have strategies in place to reach people who are not on mainstream online platforms
- You’re willing to stick with tried and tested methods where they bring results
- You are ready to leave platforms that don’t align with your values or become ineffective
- You have developed your own digital footprint (your own website, an email list) that will survive the whims of social media platforms
How do we get there?
- Develop a strategy for your digital communications, to give clarity on:
- what you need to say
- who you want to engage
- what you want them to do
- which channels you will use
- how you will measure success
- Focus your efforts – it’s better to be consistent and effective in a few, high-impact channels than dabbling in multiple platforms
- Be patient – building an engaged audience and a quality platform takes time. Pushing for quick fixes in digital communication can lead you to chase shallow metrics (like follower counts) while losing sight of your communications goals.
Common challenges
- Publishing content which reflects your internal needs or assumptions, not the needs of real users
- Spending too much time on platforms that don’t deliver results
- Your content and communications are on ‘broadcast’ mode, reducing the visibility of posts and therefore reducing engagement
7. Cyber Security
Cyber security is about taking action to keep your data and systems safe and secure so they can’t be accessed or compromised by hackers. This is important because so much of our communications, transactions and data are now digital.
For most organisations today, losing access to our core digital services would pose a catastrophic risk. And cyber attacks are becoming more widespread and more sophisticated. So there is a real need to act to make sure our data and systems stay safe online. As charities, we’re trusted by people and communities, and our financial supporters to handle their data securely and carefully.
What does good look like?
- Cyber security is a leadership priority, driving a culture of accountability and resilience throughout the organisation
- Managing cyber risk is embedded into governance, supplier and risk management processes
- You have a cyber incident response plan in place and have recently tested it
- You understand gaps in protective measures and have a plan in place to address them
- You have a structured plan to tackle legacy systems, reducing risk associated with obsolete products
- You build in cyber security as we set up new suppliers and systems, using trusted partners and systems that are secure by design
- You do ongoing work to increase staff and volunteer awareness of cyber security
- You notify relevant authorities of cyber incidents when they occur
How do we get there?
- Update your board on common cyber threats and ensure they understand cyber risk as part of governance
- Treat cyber security as a priority for the whole organisation
- Embed cyber principles into strategic plans and operational processes so it becomes inherent
- Create and test your cyber incident response plan, ensuring everyone knows what to do in advance
- Regularly talk to staff and volunteers about how to spot cyber risks and act accordingly
- Use trusted tools to help identify and address gaps in protective measures and gain confidence in your organisation’s cyber position
- Upskill/reskill your digital workforce, where applicable, or seek external support to help enhance cyber security
- Share knowledge and expertise to help boost organisational cyber resilience
Common challenges
- Cyber not being talked about at board level, meaning the level of cyber risk is unknown
- Not enough investment (time and money) to focus on cyber security
- Lack of digital/cyber expertise required to improve cyber security and assure suppliers
- Misconception that cyber security is solely an IT problem
- Reluctance to report cyber incidents to relevant authorities
- Lack of awareness of available cyber advice and support to help
- Secure ways of working are regularly bypassed in practice as seen as blockers
Consolidating systems at RSGS to improve cyber security
The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS), an educational charity founded in 1884, has a mission to inspire people about geography and tackle pressing global issues such as climate change and biodiversity.
Why Digital Change Was Needed
The catalyst for transformation was practical rather than visionary. “We got to the point where systems were creaky and we knew the Windows 10 shut-off was coming… that really gave us the deadline,” Clare said. This urgency triggered a comprehensive overhaul of IT infrastructure and core systems.
What Changed
The programme included migrating finance and contact management systems online, updating legacy software, introducing new hardware compatible with Windows 11, and securing Cyber Essentials accreditation through an SCVO grant. Clare described the experience candidly: “Everything was done all at once. There are merits in doing that, but when you have a very small staff and all the day job to deliver as well, it was very painful at the time.”
8. Tools, IT and infrastructure
IT and technology should be a reliable, positive enabler – effective tools to empower your team to work at their best. Getting to this point requires focused attention, committed investment and access to the right expertise.
What does good look like?
A positive example of enabling your workers with good technology could look like: ‘we can all collaborate seamlessly and access all our documents securely from anywhere’. This is simple to imagine and technically possible but needs some effort to implement.
- Your team have the hardware, tools and systems they need to work well from anywhere
- People experience technology as a reliable, capable enabler – not a barrier or a blocker. Things work as expected.
- Your IT systems are built around user needs, and they’re seamlessly integrated
- Your software and operating systems stay completely up to date, and they’re set up to be secure by design, so that your team can keep data safe by default
How do we get there?
- Develop the right specification, built around user needs.
- Recognise that getting technology to a good place needs ongoing investment. Getting buy-in from your board and external funders for this.
- Build in technology costs into funding budgets so that you have the capacity to keep investing in technology.
- Collaborate with reliable and effective external partners to make sure your budget is focussed on investments that will deliver a high return.
Common challenges
- Team members ‘muddling through’ with tech that isn’t fit for purpose
- Lack of awareness of what systems are in place and where vulnerabilities are
- Single points of failure eg one person with all the admin logins
- Technology challenges frequently appearing as bottlenecks or constraints
- Waiting until IT systems fail or perform very poorly before investing in them
- Ignoring the need to update operating systems and software, leading to growing cyber risk and situations where major upgrades have to be done at short notice
Building digital capability at Scottish Wildlife Trust
The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) is a national conservation charity managing around 100 wildlife reserves across Scotland. These range from small urban sites like Johnston Terrace in Edinburgh to large-scale landscapes such as the 7,000-hectare Rhum estate. With a staff team of approximately 80 FTE (140 headcount), over 700 active volunteers, and 40,000 members, SWT plays a vital role in protecting Scotland’s natural heritage.
Project Water Bear
Launched six years ago, Project Water Bear was SWT’s foundational digital transformation programme. Named after the resilient microscopic creature, the project aimed to:
- Upgrade financial systems.
- Improve internal communications and file management.
- Introduce collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams.
- Build digital confidence across the organisation.
The pandemic accelerated adoption, embedding remote working and digital collaboration into daily operations.
Looking ahead
Alongside improving their core systems, SWT are looking at new projects:
Remote Sensing and IoT
- NoFence collars for managing cattle in remote areas.
- Thermal drone surveys, including Europe’s largest such survey for deer monitoring in northwest Scotland.
Artificial Intelligence
SWT is cautiously exploring AI, having drafted an internal policy that balances innovation with ethical and environmental considerations. Early pilots include:
- Using vector databases to structure and search over 300 historical policy documents.
- Investigating graph-based retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) for policy intelligence.
However, scaling these pilots is constrained by cost, capacity, and internal buy-in.
What next? Key actions to drive digital change
In this section, we highlight key actions for people in all parts of the voluntary sector to exploit the potential of digital and technology.
Charity boards and leadership
- Build digital change and improvement into your strategic agenda
- Be realistic optimists – recognise that digital and technology offer a lot of potential, but making the most of this needs sustained effort and incremental change over time
- Give your team the investment, capacity and time they need to keep growing their skills and improving things
- Be canny investors – some key parts of digital change will require investment and commitment, but use limited funds and resources wisely
Charity managers and workers
- Listen to your service users and use their insights and experiences to help identify the changes that will make the biggest improvements to your work
- Support your team with time and access to expertise to help them keep improving their digital skills
- Build and maintain a positive digital culture, in particular:
- being user-led
- being agile and adapting to change
- working incrementally and continuously improving
- responding to data and insights, including challenging assumptions where needed
- Commit to continuously improving your own knowledge and awareness of digital
- Become a canny investor and understand how to get the best out of digital partners and external contracts
Funders
- Understand that charities need funding to improve their digital capability and be open to supporting this in standalone bids and as parts of other funding requests
- Give charities space and time to try new things and learn from things that don’t work as expected
- Support charities to grow digital expertise and capability, recognising that this can mean focusing on routine ‘bread and butter’ aspects of infrastructure rather than shiny new innovations
- Beware vendor-driven ‘solutions’ which are not best suited to what charities and their beneficiaries actually need
Technology suppliers and partners
- Listen to what charities and the communities and people they serve actually need, to ensure your offerings are relevant and effective
- Be fair and transparent in your pricing
- Design products that are easy to use by non-specialists
- Prioritise user value rather than overloading products with features
- Recognise that charities frequently handle sensitive data, so ensure your products are secure by design and follow best practice around privacy and data security
AI transparency statement:
- No AI tools were used in writing this report
- AI transcription was used during case study interviews
- AI tools were used in drafting the summary
Our work to help organisations grow their digital capacity is supported by:
