How charities can get technology for less

Charities relied on digital resources to adapt to changing circumstances in 2020. But if digital transformation during COVID-19 was about fighting fires, now it’s time to take stock of what technology charities do have and to think about what they need.  

 

According to the 2021 Charity Digital Skills report, more than two thirds of charities now see digital as a priority for their organisation, with 67% planning to invest more in digital infrastructure and systems.  

 

However, finding the funds to invest in new devices, software or infrastructure needed was highlighted as the third biggest challenge charities face when it comes to digital technology, after digital exclusion of beneficiaries and staff burnout due to remote working.  

 

Fortunately, there are ways that charities can invest in new technology, and replace existing systems, at a discount. As the UK partner of international nonprofit network TechSoup, Charity Digital provides registered charities with technology donated by some of the world’s biggest tech companies at a much cheaper rate than usual on the Charity Digital Exchange. 

 

Here are three of the best deals on the Charity Digital Exchange right now that can help your organisation with its digital transformation. 

 

1. Dell discount programme 

 

The Dell discount programme allows charities to gain 20% off all Dell laptops, desktops, monitors, and accessories. There is no admin fee and the discount is really simple for charities to access. All you need to do is request the offer through the Exchange (you’ll get the code straightaway) and pay Dell directly with the discount voucher. 

 

Organisations can place one order per fiscal year (01 July-30 June). After you have submitted your order, you can request vouchers up to eight times a year. Each voucher is single use and can be used to purchase a maximum of five products. 

 

Giving your volunteers and employees the right tools to do their jobs will help improve productivity and wellbeing, allowing them to collaborate more effectively as a team while reducing any areas of frustration from old and slow technology.  

 

As well as making their work easier, owning laptops as a charity also helps with cyber security, especially now people are working from home. With its own roster of laptops, a charity can monitor who has access to what online, create a list of approved apps to prevent downloading of suspicious malware, and be confident that their technology has the requisite level of security when it is being used to access their networks.

 

 

2. Avast 

 

Speaking of cyber security, charities can access a year’s subscription to Avast Antivirus for just £6 + VAT per user through the Charity Digital Exchange.  

 

Without proper cyber security software in place, charities run the risk of having their technology rendered unusable by cyber criminals, losing the sensitive data of their donors and beneficiaries, and potentially damaging both their reputation and bottom line in the process.  

 

Avast can help charities of any size with their cyber security. Bil Thorn, administrator at Suffolk-based animal charity Our Special Friends, has been able to protect the charity’s devices and keep track of operations, even when volunteers and staff are hotdesking or working from home, by purchasing Avast through the Charity Digital Exchange. 

 

Avast looks after each device on the charity’s cloud network to prevent criminals accessing it, scanning and detecting malware before it can do any damage.  You can read more about how Our Special Friends uses Avast here.

 

 

3. Zoom

 

Charities can get a one-year subscription to Zoom Meetings for £54 (including VAT) through the Charity Digital Exchange. This is a saving of 50% off Zoom’s rates and means no more 40-minute cut-offs using the free version – you can talk for as long as you need, which can be especially useful if using Zoom to deliver events or talk to your beneficiaries. 

 

Zoom, as we learned in 2020, is crucial for continued collaboration with members of your team who work in different places at different times. But it’s also become an important tool for service delivery, helping people who might not otherwise be able to access your services in person. More than four in five charities started offering online services after or during the pandemic, and 78% have deployed digital to speak to new audiences.