Exploring the changes to the Code of Practice 2025

The Charity Digital Code of Practice (Code) addresses the digital skills gap in charities. The first iteration in 2018 proved immediately useful, as charity leaders navigated the challenges of the pandemic, such as the shifts to remote working and the move to digital service delivery.  

But digital has accelerated, arguably faster than ever, in the years since the pandemic. We’ve seen a shift towards the cloud, an embrace of blockchain and cryptocurrency, the rise and fall of NFTs, new challenges in cyber security, the emergence of green tech, and much more. We’ve seen social media platforms grow hostile and misinformation run wild. And, most importantly, the rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence (AI) changed just about everything. 

The 2025 update to the Code makes it fit-for-purpose. The evolution of the Code tallies with the broader evolution of tech, meeting the demands of the moment. In this article, we explore the changes we’ve made and offer advice for charities hoping to make the most of the Code.  

READ THE CODE 

The changes in the latest Charity Digital Code of Practice 

The Code has been developed and updated with collaboration from charity leaders, all committed to ensuring the Code effectively serves the charity sector.  

We recruited a Steering Group, with representatives from the ACEVO, CAST, The Charity Commission, the Charity Finance Group, Microsoft, and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action. The Steering Group helped Charity Digital promote, review, and champion the Code. 

We conducted user research, which meant in-depth interviews with seven leaders and a wide-ranging survey with more than 60 leaders, which informed us of the greatest challenges confronting the sector. We sent the feedback to our Review Board, who noted patterns, made suggestions, and provided rounds of feedback. Then we sent the Code, with changes, with amendments, for a sector-wide consultation, gaining feedback from charity professionals. 

These processes gave us the information to make sure the Code spoke to your needs. And the changes were significant. The first, and perhaps biggest, change was defining the different forms of AI and ensuring that AI was introduced across every principle in the Code.  

The introduction of a new principle, Data, highlights how charities can adopt a data-driven approach while practicing sufficient safeguarding and protecting the data of beneficiaries, employees and other stakeholders. We’ve added tips on how to buy digital and more on cyber security. We’ve enhanced the glossary, extended advice on inclusion, and so much more.  

These are just some of the main changes. The majority of changes are much smaller, making sure every sentence provides the best practice advice and continues to support the sector. 

How to make the most of the Code of Practice 

The Code should be used to benchmark progress in digital ad to inform key digital decisions. As such, we recommend that organisations use it regularly. Some charities may wish to make digital a standing item at board and leadership meetings, as appropriate to their size of organisation. The Code is separated into key principles, each broken down by an explanation of why it matters, what success looks like, and the best practice that is needed to achieve it.  

Charity Digital has become host to the Code, which means you can find it on our site, on the menu tab. We’ve created a bespoke homepage to host the Code, which puts the Code front and centre, surrounds the Code with several essential tools, and ensures that the audience have the right resources to use the Code to maximum effect.

We have an AI bot, called CAI, that will be trained on the Code, so you can ask the bot questions to receive quick answers. And, for accessibility needs, we’ve added an accessibility tool, ReciteMe, to the left-hand side of the webpage for your use.  

READ THE CODE