Free toolkit helps charities build digital strategies

The digital world changes rapidly. One moment you think you’ve got a handle on the best way to deliver your services virtually and the next thing comes along before you know it. 

Download the Digital Skills Toolkit 

Keeping your digital strategy up-to-date accordingly is no mean feat – and that’s if you even have one. The Status of UK Fundraising Report, conducted by Blackbaud, found that 45% of organisations did not have a digital strategy, despite research in the same report demonstrating that putting one in place will pay dividends for charities in the future. 

Charities who said they were digital experts were also the most successful in terms of fundraising income, retaining supporters, and gaining new ones. Yet only one in ten charities fell into this category. The other nine were not reaping such rewards.  

The good news is that it is never too late to embrace digital. The fact that it changes so often means that organisations who are late adopting certain technology are never truly behind. The first step is making the strategy – everything after is experimenting to see what works for you.

How to build a strategy 

In the Digital Skills Toolkit, also from Blackbaud, digital expert Zoe Amar outlines the key tips that charities need to know to put together an effective digital strategy, from how to assess your current digital maturity to how to progress your team’s digital skills. 

“Developing a digital strategy can feel daunting or exciting, and sometimes a mixture of both,” writes Amar. “However, it is a manageable process and done right, can bring colleagues together to create a shared understanding of your charity’s digital strengths and weaknesses, and what the future looks like.” 

The toolkit also looks at other big challenges for charities looking to be more digital, such as budget. Budget might seem like an especially tough nut to crack for charities following the pandemic. 

But if there is a business case for investing in digital, communicating it is vital. The toolkit features a guide for charities looking to pitch their idea, including a list of questions teams need to answer to assuage any hesitance from their leadership. Matt Smith, Head of Development and Innovation at THINK Consulting Solutions, gives readers everything they need to have their communications plan ready when launching a business case.  

The final chapter, contributed by data analyst Susie Mullen, advises charities on how to use data to boost fundraising. As Mullen points out, data is often a forgotten part of digital skills building. But analysing your data can determine the way you use digital to interact with supporters and ultimately affect whether they choose to donate.  

For those looking to put the toolkits advice into action, the resources section also helps, directing readers to guides and templates that will help inform how they move forwards. For those who have yet to invest in digital technology, it is time to get involved. For those who have, there’s always room for improvement.