Small Charities' Struggle with Digital Tech

Welcome to day 19 of our 'Tech for Good reality checks' series. Today, we explore different challenges small charities face in terms of utilising digital technology.

Small charities operate on tight budgets and often lack the resources and expertise needed for effective digital transformation. Most can't afford to compete with other companies hiring in-house software engineers, and they can only afford to pay less than for-profit companies working with external agencies.

Many charities rely on funding, but in the current funding landscape, it’s often easier to win funding for specific projects than one-off costs. This can make it hard not to lose in-house technical capacity when projects come to an end.

As things currently stand, almost half of charities urgently need funding for devices, software and digital infrastructure.

As a result of the above issues, charities miss out on opportunities to develop digital technology that could assist them in their core goals. They never even get the chance to join the Tech for Good scene, even though they certainly have a lot of good to give.

This digital gap also limits these charities' ability to serve their communities effectively. For instance, without the right skills or budget, a charity might struggle to maintain an accessible website or leverage social media for fundraising.

To do our part in helping resolve this problem, we offer a reduced day rate to charities because we recognise that they operate under challenging economic conditions, and we find working with them meaningful.

Have you seen examples where great charities were held back by a lack of opportunities to access digital technologies?