Introducing fundraising platforms to your team

Like most things in 2022, fundraising today is almost unrecognisable from fundraising in 2019. Tech that once seemed so alien – QR codes, social media donate buttons, contactless donation terminals, text-to-donate – is now commonplace and those charities which have yet to embrace the new ways face being left behind.  

 

Download the charity guide to managing change

 

In the 2021 edition of the Charity Digital Skills report, digital fundraising was cited as one of the top five skills lacking in the charity sector. The report found that half of charities now see digital fundraising as a priority – a statistic that is perhaps more sobering than hopeful, given that it is estimated that as much as 40% of the public have not made any form of cash donation to charity since before COVID-19 began.  

 

Indeed, using technology to fundraise was a matter of urgency even before the pandemic. In an increasingly cashless society, the need to diversify fundraising streams has been on the charity radar for a while. 

 

As digital consultancy Trillium notes, “Coronavirus hasn’t changed the game; it’s accelerated it. […] For most [charities], the need for change and adaptability was already present. Turns out that unplanned change is indeed the ultimate catalyst for real change.”  

 

Yet still there appears to be a lag between what charities want to do and what they can do with their existing technology. While cost is no doubt a factor in the struggle to implement new tech, having the requisite skills to use them has also proved to be a sticking point.  

 

A fifth of respondents to a survey by Nottingham Trent University and Sheffield Hallam said that the skill level of current staff and volunteers was one of the main barriers to continuing to improve their use of technology.   But when it comes to fundraising, using new technology is pressing – charities must find a way to do so while bringing along their people for the journey.  

 

In this article, we explore how charities can help staff members and volunteers fundraise effectively using new methods. Whether it’s helping supporters scan QR codes or processing payments online, the most important consideration when taking on new technology is that it will only be as effective as the people using it.

 

 

People over platform 

 

For that reason, charities should always maintain the mantra “People over Platform” during digital transformation. 

The best place to start is by putting people on your agenda just as you would budget, timeline, and scope.

 

“Add a fourth governance dimension and sense check all the others against it,” explains Alan Perestrello, co-founder and director of Trillium. “How will this timeline affect people? Have they got time to participate in the change program and do their day jobs?” 

 

Keeping people front and centre will also help charities prioritise during the project, and, as a result, can shape the budget and timeline too. Charities should ensure that there are involving people in the early stages of the project to define what can be done and at what pace.  

 

Two-way communication thereafter features strongly in all transformation plans. Build in meetings or check-ins at key milestones in the project to review what’s being delivered and see if it is meeting the needs of employees, volunteers, and supporters as they fundraise.  

 

Crucially, if tech isn’t meeting those needs, find out why. If it is hindering your employees and volunteers, look for a solution, or, worst case scenario, try something else entirely. It’s not a waste of time if it saves you plenty in the long run.  

 

Adopting new technology should always be aligned with your strategy – the very strategy your team spend day-in, day-out working towards. Pushing technology that doesn’t work for them will cause long-term problems and can even cause resentment within the organisation. Keeping the technology aligned with the strategy can be hard when it takes time to implement new platforms. The two need to work together.  

 

If problems with the tech go on to affect your supporters externally, then it can affect your reputation too. Remember, the whole point is to make it as easy as possible for your fundraisers, both inside and outside the organisation. Tech for tech’s sake won’t deliver the outcomes you and your beneficiaries are hoping for.

 

 

Change needs management 

 

Change management may sound like buzzwords but actually it’s a big part of successfully adopting new technology. Introducing new system and processes too quickly and without explanation of the benefits they will deliver can breed fear among teams and prevent them from becoming part of an organisation’s routine.  

 

Once again, communication proves to be the solution. “Fear of change is actually bigger than the actual change itself,” says Perestrello. “It’s easy for the change to first be seen primarily as disruption, and this fear is best addressed through direct, open and transparent communication. Understanding specific pain points and concerns will enable you to effectively counter resistance.” 

 

This means talking to them even, if not especially, when things aren’t going well.  Rest assured, employees will notice and, without communication from leaders, they will fill in the gaps themselves.  Transparency is the most effective way to counter this.  

 

Another way to counter fear is to offer opportunities for training and upskilling for those who need it. As noted in the Creating a Digital Culture e-book, for charities attempting digital transformation, much of the negativity from employees “comes from fear of no longer having the skills to do a job they’ve been doing for 20 years; their role changing so much it becomes unrecognisable; or fear of losing their job altogether.”  

 

Including people in every stage of development, and providing them with opportunities for learning, will allay those fears and show that they matter to your organisation.  

 

This tip applies to volunteers too. Volunteers, like paid employees, are a precious resource for charities and can be your most vocal supporters. Fundraising is very often part of their remit, too, so putting the focus on them when adopting new methods makes sense. 

 

It can be harder since volunteers work more sporadically with charities compared to full-time staff, but this is where communication comes into play again. Keep it regular, ensure they know who they can contact if they have any questions, and extend any learning opportunities to them too.  

 

Ultimately, if they do not feel fully involved with the process, they can become disillusioned with the work they do for your charity and find another that can meet their needs instead. 

 

“Volunteers are the heroes of the charity world,” says Perestrello. “We depend on them, but we need to recognise that their time is precious and valuable. Making each interaction simple and rewarding is key. Start by doing user research to understand their needs and what you can do to meet them.”

 

 

The Eight ‘Ates 

 

Trillium’s e-book, Managing Change in Charity Organisations, has a lot of handy tips for charities leading digital transformation projects. It provides information on change management models, how change affects individuals, and how to better engage them as you take on new tech. 

 

The Eight ‘Ates are particularly useful for charities in keeping themselves on track during times of change. These are eight elements that organisations should consider throughout a project, identified by Trillium’s Head of Strategy, David Spector.  

 

The Eight ‘Ates are Demonstrate, Motivate, Facilitate, Educate, Fractionate, Accelerate, Iterate, and Communicate. The e-book explores them in more detail, but Spector recommends taking an honest look at how you are dealing with each element, especially if things aren’t going so well. Follow the ‘Ates and you can’t go far wrong.

 

 

Three starter questions to ask when implementing new fundraising tech 

1. How will this make our lives easier? 
2. Is this tech delivering what my team needs/is asking for? 
3. Are my team on board with this project? (And if not, how can I help them?)