Underwriting the success of charity change
After having to adapt to remote working practically overnight, charities should now look to assess the effectiveness of the changes they’ve made in order to prepare for a more remote future. From moving databases to the cloud to taking elements of fundraising online, charities need to ensure the important work they carry out can continue in any climate. So, how can they do this successfully?
Over the last year, charities have had to make a number of changes to their ways of working. Fundraising has had to be undertaken remotely, some projects and services have had to go virtual, and technology has had to be updated to facilitate this digital transformation.
Although the majority of businesses have had to adapt their ways of working in a similar way, the challenges that these changes have raised have impacted charities particularly hard. Being unable to engage with the public in person has made it more difficult to create the buzz needed for many people to consider donating.
Elderly people
Additionally, the switch to online fundraising has meant that those without internet access, such as some elderly people, may not be able to donate. In 2019/20, 85% of 75 year-olds and over donated to charity, meaning that a large amount of donations may potentially have been missed in the last 12 months.
In terms of administration, charities have had to rely on reporting more than ever before to assess their outcomes. For charities where systems and databases are not aligned, or accessible to all staff, this has made performing everyday processes more challenging. Without a reliable reporting system, the full picture of the charity’s operations cannot be seen, and issues can lie undetected.
Charities have also faced challenges when it comes to upskilling their workforce, with employees having to adapt to new processes and technology as remote working becomes the norm. For some, this could mean having to learn skills from the ground up, potentially causing their day-to-day work to take longer as they learn. In an already time-poor sector, this could put extra pressure on staff.
However, it’s important to recognise that these changes to ways of working have been necessary for charities to survive, and many have overcome the related challenges successfully. By assessing their people, processes and systems, charities have delivered transformation at a pace that the charity and its workforce can keep up with.
In general, charities have become more innovative, moving away from set structures and embracing a more modern way of operating. Technology has come to the forefront, with charities using it to improve their efficiency levels. It has also offered a new way to reach out to people, providing the digital generation with an easier way to donate and engage with charities.
Temporary hiring
Blended teams, involving the temporary hiring of external support, has also been trialed. Gaps in knowledge and skillsets have been identified and charities are taking steps to bridge them through collaboration with third party experts.
However, moving forward, it’s vital to ensure that changes to ways of working add long term value. Therefore, charities should assess the effectiveness of any processes and systems that have been introduced. This can be done in two ways: by using data and by talking to employees. Improvements in outcomes may show that changes have increased productivity and work quality across the charity, but this shouldn’t be the only consideration. Charities also need to ensure that improvements haven’t been made at the expense of employee wellbeing.
These checks can be done by conducting internal surveys, which ask people what they believe has worked well and what hasn’t. By making these surveys anonymous, charities can be sure they are receiving honest feedback that they can then compare with data findings. Once a full assessment is complete, charities should have a clear idea of the changes that have not only improved outcomes, but also benefited employees.
Prioritisation is key
Once a process or system has been established as effective, it’s important to build on the momentum that it has created. Charities should consider whether it could improve other aspects of the organisation, or if more could be done to optimise its effectiveness. With many charities operating on limited resources, prioritisation is key. By considering which changes are going to have the biggest impact in the shortest period of time, charities can channel their resources into transformation projects that will truly benefit the organisation.
It is likely that many of these positive changes will centre around technology. As well as cloud-based services having proven their worth over the last year, making data more accessible to all, video conferencing software has opened up a new world for charities. Removing the need to hire meeting rooms or venues, and highlighting that offices aren’t always necessary, have meant simple ways to cut costs can now be implemented as part of charities’ everyday business strategy.
As well as this, video conferencing could help to improve service offerings in the long term. Enabling ‘face-to-face' meetings without the need for travel, service users can stay in their home environment, where they’re most comfortable, while minimising travel costs for employees.
Nevertheless, it’s important to bear in mind that transformation is personal. Charities must recognise that some employees may require extra support to carry out their role, particularly if there has been a substantial switch from in person to remote working.
Bringing in external support can help with this, forming blended teams that combine the experience of internal employees with the skillset of a third party expert. This can be a more cost-effective approach than hiring a new staff member or investing in a training course, enabling the work to be completed while internal employees gain valuable new skills.
Personal development
An efficient way of upskilling charity workers, external support provides a personal development opportunity for existing employees. Once the work is complete, staff will have a new set of skills which can then be applied to future projects or tasks, keeping important knowledge in-house.
However, the nature of the charity sector means charities often go above and beyond when it comes to the work they do. As a result, employees are often incredibly busy, with limited resources and time available. Therefore, before introducing external support, they must be able to justify the spend and the time investment.
A combination of blended teams and remote working can fill skills gaps and improve wellbeing, enabling staff to make the most of improved flexibility. By upskilling existing staff and providing improved ways of working, charities can ensure that their operations are fit for the future, no matter what challenges lie ahead.
