Charity IT issues
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Making data sharing work successfully in charities
Arguably no sector has felt the weight of the cost of living crisis more than charities. As the public feels the squeeze to their purses it feels like there has been a three-pronged attack. Demand has risen sharply with more people turning to charities for support, running costs have increased dramatically and volunteer numbers have dwindled as more people return to work or work longer hours to make ends meet.
According to the National Council for Voluntary Organisation’s (NCVO) Time Well Spent report published earlier this year, the reduction in people volunteering is continuing to cause major disruption to UK charities. A recent survey from Pro Bono Economics and Nottingham Trent University found that 70% of charities felt their workloads had increased due to recruitment challenges.
For this reason, it’s crucial that charities consider how they can use their resources and data to support their teams, while simplifying and streamlining the work they do. Fortunately, technology can take on some of the strain in helping charities to achieve their missions while data can open up new insights that enhance the work already being done in the sector.
Maximising data
For many years, the way charities used data has been held back due to being siloed in separate departments, meaning that sharing data across the organisation in a safe and secure way was not always possible. Even in larger charities with specialist data teams, resources would be so stretched they couldn’t get the data to all those who needed it.
This shouldn’t be the case anymore. With the flexibility and accessibility of modern systems, every department in a charity can use technology to achieve more with their work, and in turn, it can help them save time.
The important part here is to avoid managers being flooded with every data point available, as this is likely to swamp them. Instead, while different departments might be using the same system, individual customised “portals” can be set up to give each department the information that is relevant to them in a clear and understandable way.
For example, using a specialist customer relationship management (CRM) system, donor relationship managers and fundraising teams can track donations, and identify regular givers who are at risk of disengaging. The donor is then flagged to receive a phone call or automatic customised messaging to try to keep them onboard. This supports more predictable income generation and tailored messaging can be sent at the right moment to improve donor retention.
Donor journeys and activity
The CRM teams can directly see donor journeys and activity in one place - incuding communications, donation history and event attendance, which can be used to make more informed decisions about future planning and maximise the charity’s efforts.
When it comes to reporting on campaign performance, having all the data to hand takes out the guesswork on what is working and what isn’t. Instead of having a report at the end of the campaign to understand how it performed, campaign managers have access to a live dashboard throughout the whole process. This function can be one of the most advantageous. From one place they can track the overall performance of a campaign or drill down into the data to make real-time decisions on their approach and fine tune their fundraising.
Capitalising on these insights and using them to drive good decisions can help smaller charities to work at the same levels that much larger and more established charities do. Simplifying the day-to-day work that goes into getting results allows staff more time to build great donor relationships and allocate resources to where they will have the most impact.
Showing the value of tech
It is easy to see on paper how integrating data and technology into a charity could help, but to get a true understanding of the benefits, you only have to look at the success of charities which have been making the change.
St. Petrocs, an independent charity that supports homelessness in Cornwall, was already embarking on a digitalisation journey to implement a CRM and build an online donor platform when the pandemic hit. However, their systems were still totally separate and data was spread across two different platforms. Their limited online abilities and heavy use of spreadsheets made launching and managing digital campaigns a frustrating process during this period - as their 60 staff members suddenly found themselves working from home.
Overnight, the charity transferred their online presence to one that could integrate with their back of house CRM and the change brought on many small but impactful changes for their employees, volunteers and users.
By having all their data joined up and in one place, small things like knowing each donor’s name made it easier to build stronger relationships and ensured information did not get lost in their previously confusing system. Managers could also identify donors in a more simplified way, without having to wrestle with several spreadsheets.
Setting the standard
Many charities are only just beginning to use technology to improve their offerings and workloads. It can be a big change that requires a lot of work to get started, especially when it comes to establishing new working habits and changing the attitudes of existing staff and volunteers. So integrating data into the team’s day-to-day toolkit should be a step that everyone takes together.
It’s important for those introducing new tools into a workplace to remember that getting to grips with new tech can be a lot of extra work for staff - especially those who have been in their role working a certain way for a long time. Old habits die hard, after all. But, it is important to reassure teams that new tech will help save them time in the long run. This will help with adoption.
Many charities already sit on lots of data, often both digitally and in physical files. When data is scattered it adds a whole new layer of difficulty before getting to useful insights. Simply put, there is no use having all this data if the systems or knowledge to support utilising are not in place.
Getting managers on board with big changes can be one of the hardest tasks during a digital transformation. Launching tonnes of data or analysis at them without proper training is likely to do little more than put them off engaging with the system, so it is vital they lead the charge on the transformation. Focus on taking the time to create “data champions” - people who know the system and its benefits before rolling it out across the whole charity.
Working with new technology provides a great opportunity to upskill staff and volunteers, which can also improve their own personal development. The longer someone works at the charity, they will become more familiar with the platform and eventually their progression and training will be easier to manage. As they become confident using the toolkits, some employees may also have their own ideas of how to further refine working practices.
Open and cooperative approach
An open and cooperative approach is always best when introducing new systems. Ensuring that teams are a part of the discussion during all stages the transformation will help iron out bumps and clear up any questions right from day one or as they crop up.
From simple changes like donor names being synced up across your whole database, right up to delving into the numbers of what makes a successful charity campaign, the benefits from data are huge. At a time when charities are under so much pressure, even the seemingly straightforward changes that could go unnoticed can make all the difference.
Charities remain an undeniably important part of our society, and by equipping them with better tools - staff, volunteers and beneficiaries will feel the positive impact. Charities will be able to maximise their resources and have a bigger impact on the people they support every day.
"When data is scattered it adds a whole new layer of difficulty before getting to useful insights."