Best online courses for the charity sector

Charity sector finances have taken a battering in recent years, especially with fundraising curtailed amid the pandemic.

 

2022 looks to be another tricky year for charities to navigate, as they continue to face a twin threat to their finances, of falling income and increasing demand for services.

 

Despite the lack of funding, charities still need to ensure their staff and volunteers are equipped with the skills they need to support beneficiaries and good causes.

 

This is where free or low cost online courses can really help, offering good quality training to charities cost effectively.

 

Here we look at some of the best online courses available to support charity workers.

 

 

Training with the National Cyber Security Centre

 

Increasing areas of charity’s organisation and services are being delivered online, most notably by the proliferation of home working.

 

This makes cyber security training even more vital. A good source of cost-effective online training is the National Cyber Security Centre, which offers remote learning options for newcomers and cyber security professionals alike.

 

This includes e-learning courses that focus on cyber security for trustees as well as advice on cyber security awareness for all staff, including a specific e-learning course looking at cyber security issues.

 

The NSCS’s certified training scheme is provided by a range of providers and the certification process is carried out by certification body APMG.

 

 

Free Google courses to upskill staff

 

For charities, particularly small organisations with limited resources, there is a raft of free online digital skills training courses being offered by Google on topics including online marketing and coding.

 

Some are for only a few hours, while others can be lengthy.

 

Among the longest is a 26 module, 40-hour course on the Fundamentals of digital marketing, which carries accreditation from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and is aimed at beginners.

 

Among the shortest courses on offer is a two-module, one-hour course to improve mobile marketing, called Connect with customers over mobile.

 

 

Training with the Directory of Social Change

 

Charity sector organisation Directory of Social Change offers several training courses with charity sector experts over Zoom.

 

Recent courses include a one-day course looking at the Duties of a Trustee. This is aimed at both new and long-standing charity board members. The cost to take part is £199 for small charities and £249 for larger organisations with a turnover above £500,000 a year.

 

Another course offers advice on Dynamic Leadership Approaches for those new to a leadership role or existing leaders looking to hone their skills. This half day course over Zoom cost between £99 and £149 depending on the size of the charity booking.

 

 

Training with the ACEVO

 

Charity chief executives organisation ACEVO has several online training options for leaders in the sector. 

 

This includes a discounted e-learning programme that is being offered by the Institute of Leadership and Management and made available to ACEVO members at a reduced rate.

 

The programme is run around the learner’s own availability, to fit around their workloads and responsibilities.

 

ACEVO is also offering training in mentoring skills to charity leaders. Its online mentoring training scheme is being run in partnership with Scottish Mentoring Network, for ACEVO members who are mentors. This gives charity mentors access to a free online accredited course in advance knowledge and understanding in mentoring.

 

 

Complete an MA in a day

 

For charity professionals looking to advance their academic understanding of fundraising, the University of Kent is offering free online access to lectures and resources for its MA in Philanthropic Studies.

 

The aim of its MA in a Day online training is to offer charity professionals a better understanding of the latest academic ideas and perspectives in giving.

 

This includes lectures on Philanthropy and the Human Condition as well as sessions on volunteering and the Art and Science of Fundraising.

 

 

 

LinkedIn courses for staff and volunteers

 

Workplace focused social media platform LinkedIn offers access to more than 16,000 online courses from experts in several fields. Its LinkedIn Learning hub includes courses areas such as Excel Data Visualisation as well as understanding Google Apps and Writing Ad Copy.

 

LinkedIn offers a free subscription for a month and pricing options aimed at non-profit organisations.

 

 

Webinars and workshops

 

Online webinars and workshop events can offer a more relaxed form of training for charity professionals.

 

For example, Charity Digital offers a range of such webinars focusing on issues such as digital strategy, email marketing and honing social media skills.

 

Among the most recent is a Five steps to improve charity security event in February 2022, featuring advice from experts from Microsoft Tech for Social Impact.

 

Another source of charity webinar training is online fundraising platform JustGiving. This has a webinar library covering issues such as How to run a successful Christmas appeal and Practical tips for successful virtual event fundraising.