A leader’s guide to the Code of Practice

The Charity Digital Code of Practice (Code) is back and better than ever. In recent years, digital technology has changed how we live and work. We’ve seen the importance of digital grow during economic hardship, the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), seismic shifts in the social media landscape, and so much more.

All of this change creates new challenges and opportunities for charities to run effectively, to connect with people, and most importantly, to achieve their missions.  

To help charities make the most of digital in this changing world, we have updated the Code. Regardless of your charity, its size, its available budget, or its cause, the Code can help.  

The new Code simplifies the world of digital into eight key principles and gives charities practical help by outlining the steps towards best practice in each area. It embraces newly emerging tech like AI, and it equips readers with the tools to avoid social harms and organisational risks that can come with these new technologies. 

The Code is designed to help charities adopt digital tech responsibly, ethically, and inclusively, so they can model best practice for others and play a more influential role in fighting for social justice.  

Below, we explore how leaders should use the Charity Digital Code of Practice to fully realise the opportunities of digital tech in 2025 and beyond. 

Focusing your aim 

Working with limited time and resources, focus is important for charities. The Code is intended as a framework to help charities identify their digital strengths and opportunities and form priorities for making the most of tech to achieve their mission.  

The Code has been developed with resource limitations in mind, so charity leaders can apply the principles in ways that help them achieve more with less. 

The Code is aspirational, meaning it helps leaders focus their aim in key areas. It is not a regulatory requirement, so leaders can choose which areas to prioritise based on the needs of the organisation and its cause. 

Reviewing progress 

To make the most of digital tech, leaders should ensure there are continual processes of testing, learning, and improving. Leaders should measure progress against the Code at consistent intervals to see if the charity is moving in the right direction. 

That may mean making digital progress a standing item at board and leadership meetings, or regularly blocking in time in another useful way, depending on the size of your organisation. The “What success looks like” section for each principle creates a clear image against which to measure progress. 

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Connecting the technical with the purposeful 

The charity sector’s priority is material change. We care about how our actions will impact others, and we strive to be clear on the values and purpose behind everything we do. It’s what enables charities to achieve incredible results to improve life in the world, on whatever scale and in whatever way that may be. 

So we’ve kept that strength at the heart of the Code. Under each principle, we’ve explored “Why this matters” to help leaders contextualise the more technical world of digital with how it will make a material difference to their cause. Leaders can use this to envisage the difference that changes will make, to weigh up priorities, and support the buy-in of others. 

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A positive challenge 

Charities face many pressures and demands, and some can feel that “getting good at digital” is yet another one to add to the list. But digital tools should not be deployed arbitrarily for their own sake. Rather, when used intentionally, they can help you tackle the most important challenges faced by your charity and its service users, thereby lessening the pressure. 

The Code offers ambitious guidelines to support charities to move from surviving to thriving. It sets out positive challenges that support charity leaders to create a bridge from the charity’s current circumstances to its vision for the future.  

Leaders, then, should refer to the Code to help them use digital with intention, and to be ambitious in doing so, moving with confidence and clarity to achieving their charity’s mission. 

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