Tools for managing a remote workforce

Digital tools to manage projects

For charity digital leaders concerned about productivity, online project management platforms are available to ensure that deliverables remain on track. We feature some of the leading digital project management platform providers, at little to no cost:

• Trello: User-friendly and web-based, Trello’s project management platform is based on the ‘kanban’ or ‘sticky-note’ concept of project management. Project managers and users can post notes representing tasks under each workstream; once complete, notes can be moved into completed columns. For charity digital leaders, Trello offers an easy to use ‘overview’ of projects – the basic options are also subscription free.
• Monday: Offering bespoke project management software for remote working, the digital platform gives managers a real-time team view, allowing leaders to take charge of spare capacity. The platform also offers ready-made management information templates. For those in charge of many projects, the platform can aggregate the data into a single report, helping to enhance charity use of big data.
• Asana: Project management platform Asana organises projects in a Gantt chart format, enabling teams to see different workflows, deadlines, and responsibilities. To save teams time, the platform uses Rules to automatically assign tasks and ‘followers’ to each tag. Charities can get free support from Asana during the current crisis.
• Microsoft Teams enables your team to keep in touch remotely, through video conferencing and instant-messaging chat functions. It also allows for quick and easy file sharing. You can view discounted charity subscriptions to Microsoft Office 365 here.

Team communication tools

Reliable and regular communication is crucial for remote teams. Charity and corporate communication tools are available to help leaders reach their teams:

• Slack: Free for charities, the secure chat service allows users to be grouped by teams. Chat boxes between staff can be used for chatting and file-sharing – they are also easy to use – files can be dragged and dropped. The chat app can also be downloaded to mobile phones, allowing staff to be contactable wherever they are.
• Flowdock: For a more integrated approach, the platform offers chat and inbox functionality. Conversations are also organised by thread, making topics easy to follow. For charity digital leaders looking to improve operations and efficiencies, the platform’s basic subscription comes at no cost.
• Zoom: Video and audio conferencing without downloading software can be achieved by using Zoom. For charities, Zoom is free to use and is compatible with any device – perfect for staff meetings and catch-ups.

For managers, remember, team communication tools can also be used to organise video conference calls – virtual team meetings can happen anywhere.

For charity teams on-the-go, mobile devices can empower staff and volunteers

Charity digital leaders managing both staff and volunteers, frequent touchpoints may be needed to ensure the right level of support. Devices which enable mobilisation of both staff and volunteer workforces can make both managers and supporters feel comfortable.

Efficiency tools can help staff members and volunteers take donations. Accepting digital payments can both boost engagement and empower staff. Blue Cross, the UK’s pet charity took the unusual step of allowing its four-legged, furry, ambassadors take hold of mobile payment technology. Under the #patntap hashtag, the fundraisers accepted £2 donations at events. In their usual roles, volunteers and the dogs visit schools and events to raise awareness.

Learning from Blue Cross’ experience, charity digital managers can use Square Reader, Shopify’s retail kit, or iZettle to take donations or payments. The devices work by tethering to mobile phones, where a control app is located. Volunteers and staff are able to charge the point-of-sale machine for use all day, which is small enough to take on-the-go.

Digital event management tools streamline events remotely

Many charities have pivoted their physical events to be virtual. Reducing travelling costs and increasing operational efficiency, digital event management tools can track ticket sales, table settings, attendance and more.

Guests can be managed by both volunteers and staff. Boomset is an event tracking management platform and payment app – it also comes with a digital payments device which allows for ad-hoc sales at the door. Charity managers not attending the event can access the dashboard for a broad overview of the event, which includes real-time reporting. Boomset’s platform can send text or emails to notify teams that guests have checked in. For events located at venues which require added security, facial recognition is also available.

Webinars are also proving to be a great way to deliver charity services online. There’s lots of good platform options out there for charities, depending on what your organisation wants. Here are a few examples:

• ClickMeeting- ClickMeeting is a video conferencing platform, but also works well for webinars. The platform has good interative features if you want to keep your audience engaged.
• Zoom- Popular for remote meetings, Zoom is also a great option for webinars. Charities can upgrade to a pro account to get full webinar features or use the meeting function to run shorter webinars.
• Webinar Jam- Webinar Jam is an easy to use webinar platform. It is on the pricier side for charities, but offers lots of great features.

Discounted software is available to charities at the Charity Digital Exchange. We will continue to update you as more subscriptions become available free to charities.