What does the future hold for charity offices?

Rethinking charity office spaces

Driven by digital, many charities will soon be asking why they are renting offices spaces at current levels, and what purpose they serve.

Navca, the local infrastructure charity shifted almost entirely to remote working in 2018. The charity found a new, much smaller office space, fit for a different purpose. Driven by the shift to remote working, the charity reduced spending on rent by 50%.

Jane Ide, Chief Executive of Navca, says, “We were an almost entirely office-based organisation. We have switched it around completely so that we are almost 100 per cent remotely mobile. We do have a very small office, but it is more for administrative purposes and giving us a place to come together for meetings than to house the team.”

For those rethinking space, offices could be reimagined and converted. Larger meeting, event, and shared spaces could mean that charities use their offices for other mission-driven purposes.

Could there be a rise in virtual office spaces?

Remote working could spell the end of fixed desk spaces and office cubicles, and see them replaced with hot-desking and virtual spaces. With the reduction in charity staff coming into the office, hot-desking is an option where staff share spaces. Coordinating digitally, rotas can be organised to make sure that everyone who needs a desk gets one.

Taking digital tools further, virtual office spaces could become more popular as charities look to reduce costs and shift more towards remote working. Virtual offices spaces are services which enable charity staff to work remotely while providing a physical presence in key areas. Physical mail collection, receptionist, scanning facilities, and phone services can be part of the virtual office space package which charities can look at. In effect, virtual offices spaces in London hubs can enable charities to achieve a desirable postcode at a lower cost when compared with renting.

As an example, CAN Mezzanine specialises in providing virtual office space to charities and non-profits. Standard ‘spaces’ include a mail collection service, where charity workers could go in and collect post, but actually be working remotely. Other perks include hiring out meeting rooms and spaces as an when charities need them, rather than paying the ongoing costs to maintain the space. For charity digital leaders thinking of new spaces, virtual offices could provide a neat bridge between physical and digital locations.

What will your charity do?

Ultimately, the decision will come down to individual organisations to decide what they do with their office space going forward. But one thing that lockdown has taught us is that the capability is there. The sector has become more creative through remote working and we’re excited to see what the future brings. Let us know what your Charity’s plans are in the comments below.