Charity Factors

Project-based funding cycles averaging [14.3 months] prevent multi-year digital roadmaps, forcing perpetual short-term tooling decisions. [89% of charity leaders] report that outdated technology directly impedes service scalability and impact measurement Volunteer management systems in small charities operate at [47% lower efficiency] than sector benchmarks due to technological limitations Digital inefficiencies are estimated to reduce overall fundraising effectiveness by 25%, as manual processes and fragmented systems drain valuable time and resources. 4

Only 12% of charities rate their digital skills as excellent. 71% of small charities lack the internal expertise to implement digital solutions. 49% of charities lack a basic digital strategy. 50% of small charities report that a lack of in-house IT expertise significantly impedes their digital transformation efforts. 2

Change Resistance: [Charity Excellence Framework][5] notes that 50% of staff in small charities feel unequipped to adapt to new digital tools due to lack of training and fear of workflow disruption.

The Facts

The Drivers

Gaps In Strategy

Strategic Disconnect: A survey by Charity Digital indicates that only 30% of small charities have a digital strategy that aligns with their overall mission.

Awareness Gap: Charity Digital Skills Report highlights that 65% of charities struggle with understanding what constitutes a basic digital infrastructure.

Many small charities lack a clearly defined mission, vision, and strategy, making it challenging to align their efforts.
Where those do exist, digital and operational technology strategies are often disconnected from the broader organisational strategy.
There is limited awareness of what a “digital baseline” entails, leaving organisations unsure of where to start.
Decision-making around technology adoption is often fragmented and uncoordinated, leading to inefficiencies and delays.

Breadth & Depth of Operations

Small charities must manage an immense breadth of activities, often spanning multiple areas like fundraising, service delivery, and stakeholder engagement, with limited resources.
Coordination with a wide array of stakeholders, including donors, beneficiaries, volunteers, and regulators, adds significant complexity to daily operations.
Overwhelmed staff face constant reactive work, leaving no room for proactive planning or long-term strategic initiatives.
Silos and unclear communication between departments create inefficiencies and duplication of effort.
Lack of streamlined processes for integrating new tools hinders operational efficiency and exacerbates resistance to change.

Resistance & Barriers To Change

Many staff and volunteers lack familiarity with digital tools, reducing the effectiveness of their adoption.
Training and resources to build internal digital capacity are scarce, leaving organisations ill-prepared for digital transformation.
Lengthy and complex onboarding processes deter staff and volunteers from embracing new technologies.
Fear of disruption to existing workflows fosters resistance to change, stalling digital initiatives.
Without systems to effectively manage data, charities struggle to analyse and leverage donor and beneficiary information.
Time constraints prevent thorough research, evaluation, and implementation of suitable digital solutions.