Storytelling is a very important part of charity work – it boosts their ability to fundraise, helps them to reach and motivate more supporters, and as we’ll see in this podcast, gain more recognition for their hard work in serving their communities.  

This episode gives nonprofits and mission-driven leaders practical tips on how to create award-winning submissions. We are joined by Megan Waters, Director of Community Engagement at Public Interest Registry, the organisation behind the .org domain name and the .ORG Impact Awards.

Megan shares insights from reviewing thousands of .ORG Impact Awards applications — with a focus on storytelling, clarity, alignment to criteria, and demonstrating real impact.

• Find out more about the .ORG Impact Awards and how to enter here.
• Read 2024's .ORG of the Year, Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation's story.

Charities of all sizes can reap the benefits of awards and grants. Massive budgets and huge teams are not necessary to get recognised – charities just need a compelling story and the right strategy in order to stand out.  

This episode is the first of a three-part podcast series with Public Interest Registry that pulls back the curtain on how to successfully apply for awards, amplify your recognition, and turn visibility into meaningful funding, attention, and donor support.  

In this podcast, we’re joined by Tony Connor, Senior Director, Product Marketing at Public Interest Registry and Darren Dannelly, President & CEO of The Center for Courageous Kids, who will walk us through what makes an application shine. Our guests will talk candidly about crafting a standout submission, how to showcase impact with clarity, and what judges actually look for.  

Whether you're a first-time applicant or refining for a second shot, this is your inside edge. 

Find out more about the .ORG Impact Awards: https://pir.org/for-orgs/org-impact-awards/

The last few years have been challenging for charities. A global pandemic hastened the speed of digital transformation for the entire sector, widespread inflation led to growing costs and more precarious fundraising, and charities have had to balance rising service demand with an uncertain economy.  

But many of these challenges have predated the pandemic – what’s changed is the way we rise to them. Evolving technology has allowed charities to innovate more than ever before, with advances in everything from web accessibility to digital fundraising. 

In this podcast, we’re joined by Tony Connor, Senior Director of Product Marketing at PIR.org, the organisation that looks after the .org domain name, to discuss how technology is developing to meet charity’s challenges, both old and new.  

Resources:

• .ORG Learning Center - .ORG Learning Center - .ORG Learning Center
• Charity Digital - Charity Digital - Home
• Top tech trends for 2024 - Charity Digital - Topics - Tech trends for 2024

Most of us have had an argument over which is better: Zoom or Teams. It’s an argument that has probably taken place over Zoom or Teams. And it’s an important topic, as we spend an increasing amount of our time on those two platforms, whether for quick catch-ups, team stand-ups, or to host webinars. We want to bring that argument to our audience. 

We want to settle the debate. The guests on today’s podcast have been carefully selected because they have a dog in this fight. They are Team Zoom or Team Teams. 

Our host Raabia Fazil (Customer Service Manager) is joined by Chris Hall (Marketing Manager), Stewart Barber (Client Account Specialist), and Elizabeth Carter (E-Comms Manager).

Social distancing restrictions have led to huge changes in the way charities operate. Fundraising efforts have become increasingly digital, physical events shifted to the virtual, and service delivery has moved almost entirely online. Social media was important before the pandemic, but now it’s absolutely essential. 

In today’s podcast, we discuss the future of social media. We examine the major platforms that charities are using and the platforms charities should be using. We discuss the best ways to reach your audience, the importance of scheduling and planning, tone and authenticity, and much more.

And, finally, we look at future social media trends to help charities stay ahead of the curve. We encourage charities to practice boldness and creativity, innovation and experimentation, in order to support fundraising efforts and showcase the brilliant work they are doing. 

Today’s podcast features all Charity Digital employees. E-Comms Manager and host Elizabeth Carter speaks to Sacha Dhabalia (Marketing Intern), Chris Hall (Marketing Manager), and Nick Wyatt (Growth Marketing Executive) about the future of charity social media.

The Access Group have enabled thousands of not-for-profit organisations run more efficiently and raise more money. Whether you’re attracting supporters or members, fundraising, managing visitors, controlling finances, or dealing with staff, their integrated not-for-profit software makes it easy to do more.

The process of digital transformation is a frequent topic of sector discussion. But there is sometimes a misunderstanding as to what this means and how it can be applied.   When we discuss a digital future, sometimes people can overlook the human element. But a digital-first approach must also be a user-centred approach.   In this podcast, we discuss the importance of developing user-centred solutions, rather than splurging on exciting new tech that may not be useful to your audience.   In this episode, we are joined by Shaf Mansour, Product Manager at The Access Group, Jill Haines, Marketing and Communications Manager and Anna Pangbourne, Chief Exec at the Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust.

We've been through three lockdowns and a year of social distancing. We've experienced the loss of physical support systems, the absence of defined structures and routines, and the seemingly endless repetition of negative news. It can feel daunting. It can feel isolating. It can feel scary.

In today’s podcast, we want to talk about digital and self-care. We talk about some of the ways that we at Charity Digital are managing. We discuss the platforms that help us get through the day and the apps that help us at the end of the day. We talk about the ways in which we step away from digital altogether. 

Content Editor and host Ioan Marc Jones is joined by colleagues Chris Hall (Marketing Manager), Sacha Dhabalia (Marketing Intern), and Elizabeth Carter (E-Comms Manager).

2020 was an exceptionally challenging year for charities in the UK, but it proved that the sector is versatile and resilient, ready to meet the demands of the moment. 2021 will be another challenging year, even with the easing of social distancing restrictions.

The Charity Digital podcast discusses, among other things, how to connect with supporters on a personal level, how to make the most of the tools that charities have at their disposal, and how to review and improve existing campaigns.

Customer Service Manager and host, Raabia Fazil, is joined by Emily Casson (Digital Marketing Manager at Cats Protection), Samantha Doe (Digital Engagement Lead at Action for Children), and Matt Collins (Managing Director at Platypus Digital).

This podcast is sponsored by the National Cyber Security Centre, who provide specialised cyber security guidance for charities.   Charities have historically provided an attractive target for cyber criminals. There is a perception that charities will not take the rigorous actions to protect themselves that a corporate organisation would.   The attitudes of charity leaders have played into this perception. Our data suggests that interest among charities in cyber security has actually dropped during the pandemic. But the risk to charities in this time has only increased. Many charity leaders have not considered themselves at risk, or have prioritised putting resources into other areas at the expense of cyber security.   This podcast explores the reasons behind this. Why aren’t charity leaders prioritising cyber security? We will look into a few possible explanations and discuss them, before moving onto why charities should be more concerned.   In this podcast, Business Development Manager and host Lisa Chomette is joined by Cub Llewelyn-Davies (Charity Sector Lead from the National Cyber Security Centre), Michala Liavaag (charity sector expert and former Head of Information, Governance and Security at Marie Curie), and Claire Parris (Strategic Communications Manager from the Communications & Policy Directorate at the Charity Commission).

The social distancing restrictions that came with COVID-19 forced a period of digital acceleration on the charity sector. Zoom replaced meeting rooms, Miro replaced office brainstorming sessions, and Teams and Slack replaced coffee break chats. 

In this week’s podcast, we look at some of the essentials of working from home. We discuss, among other things, how to plan your days, how to keep yourself and your teams motivated, and how to protect remote computers from cybersecurity threats. 

Content Editor and host Ioan Marc Jones is joined by colleagues Lisa Chomette (Business Development Manager), Chris Hall (Marketing Manager), Stewart Barber (Client Account Specialist), and Sacha Dhabalia (Marketing Intern).

On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. After four years of uncertainty, four years of unanswered questions, the UK finally reached a trade agreement on 30 December 2020. The next day, on 31 December 2020, the UK officially left the EU.

 In the Charity Digital podcast, we explore the impact of Brexit on the UK charity sector. We discuss, among other things, the charity elements in the UK/EU trade agreement, the creation of the Civil Society Forum, changes to immigration policy, data protection and data transfer, the EU VAT regime, environmental and land management issues, and much, much more.

Panel speakers: Geoff Nuttall (Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the NICVA), Naziar Hashemi (Partner and National Head of Non-Profits at Crowe UK), Caron Bradshaw (Chief Executive of the Charity Finance Group), and Richard Sagar (Policy Manager of the Charity Finance Group).

What a year 2020 has been. Charities have been through ups and downs, faced challenges they never thought they would and gone digital like never before.   As we prepare to wrap up this crazy year, we’ve bought back some of our previous podcast guests (and friends of Charity Digital) to discuss the year 2020 has been and what charities might expect for 2021. The conversation covers everything from cybersecurity to remote working, to sector predictions. By popular demand, for our final episode of 2020, we also bring back Charity Digital or Charity Dodgy.   In this podcast episode, Charity Digital’s Marketing Manager, Chris Hall, is joined by Aika Peto (Head of Marketing at Trillium), Michala Liavaag (Charity Cyber Security Leader) and Dean Gillespie (Digital and Data Manager at All We Can).

When Mary Stevens Hospice fell victim to a cyber-attack in April 2019, they couldn’t believe that online criminals would target their small organisation.  

Many charities don’t think they could be the victim of an attack, but in this podcast episode, we’re joined by an organisation who has experienced the damage firsthand. Mary Stevens Hospice are sharing their cyberattack story to help other organisations learn from their mistakes and take cybersecurity seriously. They want other charities to know how easy it is to fall prey to cybercriminals and just how detrimental this can be. But also, they want charities to know that they’re not alone and that there is lots of help and understanding out there.  

Now, over a year later, Mary Steven’s Hospice has tightened their cybersecurity measures and is doing everything they can to protect their staff, donors and service users from cybercriminals.  

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Gerry Crow, Director of Operations & Support at the hospice, who talks openly and honestly about their experience as victims of a serious cyber-attack. Learn what happened, what they did and what they’re now doing to ensure they’re as protected as they can be. Gerry is also joined by Cub Llewelyn Davies (Charity Sector Lead at the National Cyber Security Centre) who offers his expert opinion on the incident, as well as some advice for charities who may face the same thing.  

No charity will ever be 100% secure, as cybercriminals are continuously evolving their methods. But, charities can learn from the mistakes of others and continue growing and thriving together.  

Climate change is a recurring news topic, perhaps the most pressing issue of our age, and it’s essential that charities take action. It’s time for charities to build environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies into day-to-day work. Our panel of experts discuss ESG and consider how charities can build it into strategies so they can implement meaningful changes. 

The session, taken from a recording from our 2023 Conference, features Jen Lowthrop from Feel Good Do Good, Charity Digital Senior Content Writer Laura Stanley, Charlotte Washe from In Kind Direct, Jessica Wrigley from Sage, and Amy Moore from Marie Curie.

This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce.org - the dedicated social impact team of Salesforce that delivers technology to nonprofits, educational institutions, and philanthropic organisations so they can connect with others and do more good. Catch up with the Salesforce.org Gaming for Good podcast series here!
We’re back with a second Gaming for Good episode. This time, we focus on how gaming can be used to design services that put your users at the heart.  
In this podcast episode, we hear how Women’s Win has embraced gaming as a key element of their service delivery. Hear how they used online gaming to strengthen their mission, better understand the needs of their service users and support them in a creative and innovative way.   

Charity Digital Marketing Manager, Chris Hall, is joined by Shay Thompson (Founder at Level Up Link Up) and Nicole Matuska (Senior U.S. Program Manager at Women Win) to discuss how gaming can be incorporated into charity service design.

We’re living in a golden era of content. Charities are engaging with their audiences, donors and services users through digital content and channels like never before. But the demand for new content is continuing to grow.
But how can you win at content with limited time and resources? 
Today’s podcast episode is another release from our conference back in March. Charity Digital’s Marketing Manager Chris Hall is joined by three content experts. They chat about how you can create effective content, reach new audiences, build content into your digital strategy and much more!
Panel speakers: Rebecca Rae-Evans (Founder of Replay and Tech for Good Live), Donna White (Senior Head of Digital Marketing at The Prince's Trust) and Simon Banks (Video Strategist, Author and Speaker). 

This week, we bring you another session from our March conference. For this podcast instalment, we have an amazing case study showcasing how DataKind UK and The Welcome Centre worked together to implement AI tech to visitor data to work smarter and deliver more impact for their beneficiaries.  

AI can often seem like a scary, far-away concept for charities, when in fact it offers huge potential when it comes to service delivery, data and much more. The Welcome Centre’s innovative partnership with DataKind UK resulted in a programme that allowed them to help their service users at their most critical point.  

In this podcast, hear Welcome Centre Trustee Dr Andrew Tomlinson explain how innovative analytics and machine learning has helped them get a clear picture on their user’s needs and given them the confidence to go forward on their own.  

For this week’s podcast episode, we’re bringing you another release from our #BeMoreDigital conference back in March of this year.     This session is particularly relevant now. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, charities everywhere have had to quickly up their digital strategy, with some organisations starting from scratch completely. Digital is becoming such an important part of charity operations that it begs the question - "Should all strategy be digital or is digital part of a strategy?"    This episode brings together digital pioneers in the charity sector to discuss how strategy can make digital transformation a reality, the role of culture and leadership in implementing successful change and the steps to take towards a #BeMoreDigital strategy.     Charity Digital CEO, Jonatha Chevallier, is joined in the conference release by Caroline Rennie (Product Lead at Comic Relief), Lara Burns (Chief Digital Officer at The Scouts) and Pauline Roche (Producer, Broker & Journalist & Trustee of the Small Charities Coalition).  

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, charities everywhere have had to adapt to new ways of working. For most charities, this meant a full, or at least part, conversion to remote working.     Now more than six months on, many organisations are still adopting ‘work from home’ as the norm. But the main question now is how are charities setting up remote or hybrid IT for the Long haul? What processes, tools and steps are they sticking with and what is being phased out, or twisted away from?     It’s clear that the topic of remote or hybrid working is an ever-evolving one. But the key question we explore in this podcast episode is, what does this mean for our IT systems?     Charity Digital CEO, Jonathan Chevallier, is joined by Sarah Broad (COO at NPC) and Philip Anthony (Co-Founder at Coopsys) to discuss what the new office looks like. The conversation centres around our tech learnings over the past few months, what charities have to do to keep secure, how they can best support their staff through changes, and much more. 

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This podcast is supported by CoopSys, the IT enablers for Charities.  For more info see coopsys.net.

Oops! Uploaded the wrong podcast, listen to Cub from the NCSC now! 

For a long time, cyber security has been seen as a purely technical issue, which in turn limited senior leaders ability to understand the risk and ensure it was being mitigated.   We have taken this session from our #BeMoreDigital conference back in March where the NCSC will explore how to prioritise the limited resources charities have at their disposal, focus on the biggest risks and reshape attitudes towards cyber security in your organisation.   Even though this session was recorded in a pre-COVID world cybersecurity needs to be applied now more than ever. Cub provides some top tips to keep the digital safety of your charity front-of-mind when considering digital tech.

Resources can be found online - https://charitydigital.org.uk/podcasts/embedding-cybersecurity-in-strategic-decision-making

This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce.org - the dedicated social impact team of Salesforce that delivers technology to nonprofits, educational institutions, and philanthropic organisations so they can connect with others and do more good. 

The world of gaming sometimes gets a bad reputation. However, time and time again gaming is proving itself otherwise and has become a highly lucrative fundraising market for charities.  
In this podcast episode, we discuss what gaming for good actually means and how charities can tap into this relatively new fundraising market. We also chat about the creative ways organisations have been using gaming as a tool for social good, as well as offering key tips for charities on how to get started with using the world of gaming for fundraising. Our guests also explain why charities of all shapes and sizes should be harnessing the power of gaming to raise money, start conversations and spread their message. 

For this episode, Charity Digital’s Marketing Manager, Chris Hall, is joined by Shay Thompson (Founder of Level Up Link Up and Video Game Host for McLaren and Bafta) and Will Coleman (Creative Lead at Salesforce.org).  

In the age of digitalisation and the internet, organisations need to be doing more to stand out above the noise to achieve influence and brand originality. When starting out with digital, it's easy to lose focus on your brand in the noise of transformation. So what does it take to embed the brand into digital?

This panel discussion brings Collette Philip-Keen (Managing Director and Founder at Brand By Me), Zohra Vermani (Brand Marketing Lead at Parkinson's UK) and Kellie Stewart (Head of Communications and Marketing at The Sick Children’s Trust) together to argue why digital is integral to both your brand and org-wide digital strategy, providing tips and tricks for how you can make your brand stand out digitally with authenticity and inclusivity, personalisation, partnerships, and entertainment.

This session was brought to our audience live at our #BeMoreDigital conference, this podcast includes the session from the day and live Q&A to the experts. 

If our digital teams are not diverse, how can we as charities expect our diverse range of service users to benefit from all the great things digital can bring? Digital, like anything, can only thrive and achieve real impact in an organisation if it’s being implemented, designed and run by a diverse range of people and perspectives.  

Jason Caplin and Meera Naik from Barnardo’s join us to share their successes, failures and learnings when it comes to being digitally diverse. They discuss how their transformative and diverse approach to #BeMoreDigital can help other charities navigate a more diverse digital transformation. They cover not only how organisations can be more digitally diverse, but why it is so important for charities to be representative of the people they’re trying to help with digital.  

Every day, charities are providing their vital services to beneficiaries. Providing this excellent service delivery is just one of the many things that charities have in common- so why not share each other's processes?

In a collaborative effort, CAST have worked to create just that- service recipes. Service recipes are a free online resource that collects practical examples to help charities learn from one another’s digital services. They aim to reduce the duplication of time, money, and effort within charities- but how well do they really work? 

In this podcast episode, we’re joined by Eve Critchley (Digital Innovation Lead at Hestia) who’s charity adopted a service recipe and Fareeha Usman (Founder of Being Woman) who’s charity provided one. Chris Thorpe (Head of Technology at CAST) also joins the conversation to discuss the service recipe initiative, the process, and how this has been working for charities in real-time.  

In this podcast, taken from a recording from our 2023 Conference, we aim to demystify artificial intelligence (AI), explain some of the best ways that charities can use it, illustrate some of the core benefits for charities, and suggest some of the ways you should practice caution.

The session, delivered by Phil Dearson, Digital Director at WPNC, explores practical applications for charities, including decision-making, content generations, analytics, summarisation, prioritisation, and broadly expanding your knowledge of potential donors. 

Digital transformation is really about people, not technology. Your employees, members and donors need to be on the journey with you. 

Typically, people can be resistant to change and learning new systems. It is essential that your digital transformation is able to create a digital culture within your organisation, that both internal and external stakeholders can buy into. Communication is key if you want to secure engagement from everyone, from your members and donors to your Board of Trustees. 

In this podcast episode, Co-Founders and Directors at Trillium, Gavin Pollock and Alan Perestrello, talk about how you can create the right digital mindset and successfully engage your various stakeholders.  

If you create an inclusive culture and use inclusive tech it can drive social change. How did the move to online working and service provision effect inclusivity in your organisation?   Over the past few months, we have seen businesses embrace working practices and new digital tools they previously deemed as ‘not possible’ or ‘not yet’. Alternatively, did the move to home working and service provision exclude anyone?   This week’s podcast episode brings you a panel discussion from the Microsoft Radical Accessibility event. The panel discusses working in COVID-19 and how we can take lessons from this to inform a more inclusive re-emergence from the pandemic.   Panel host Krissie Barrick (Head of Digital Influencing at Scope) is joined by Vimla Appadoo (Co-Founder and Chief Culture Officer at Honey Badger), Kamran Mallick (Chief Executive of Disability Rights UK) and Elisabeth Ward (Content Designer at Scope).

In a digital advertising world dominated with cat videos, how do you break through the attention wall and get your charity’s message heard through the noise? In this week’s podcast episode, WWF UK’s Senior Online Acquisition Manager, Joe Trigg, will share successes and failures of navigating a saturated ad market and the strategies they use to piggyback trends.  

Joe uses examples such as Black Friday, Christmas, and Emergency Cash Appeals, to show how WWF UK has managed to drive strong ROI at scale in an ever-changing digital landscape. He explains how allowing real-world events to filter through into your charity’s paid social, paid search, and display strategies can be an amazing force for impact, growth and donations.

Alongside service delivery, how charities raise funds has been one of the biggest changes to happen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  
  But what exactly does the lockdown fundraising environment look like?  
  Blackbaud Europe and the Institute of Fundraising conduct a Status of UK Fundraising report every year, and the 2020 Benchmark Report has captured how the sector has truly been affected by coronavirus. The data was collected in May and June 2020 via an online survey of 66 questions and just shy of 2,000 people from organisations of all types, shapes and sizes completed the survey. 
  The report came out yesterday, Monday 20th July and we caught up with two curators of the masterpiece Sally Falvey, Head of Corporate Marketing, EMEA at Blackbaud and Daniel Fluskey Head of Policy and Internal Affairs at the Institute of Fundraising to chat through the findings and how to take them forward as a sector. 
  Download the report here. 
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This podcast is sponsored by charity technology partner Blackbaud Europe. Their fundraising CRM software supports over 1,500 charities in the UK, while JustGiving from Blackbaud powers the digital fundraising of over 26,000 good causes that have raised £4 billion since 2001. To get your copy of The Status of UK Fundraising 2020 Benchmark Report, visit: hub.blackbaud.co.uk/soukf 

‘Data’ is often a daunting word for many charities. However, if used correctly and embraced, data can be one of the most effective tools for growth, engagement and efficiency a charity can have.  
Charities deal with data on a day to day basis, yet not all charities know what to do with this data or how to use it to its fullest potential. This #BeMoreDigital conversation shows charities that implementing a data-driven culture and kick-starting your charity’s journey to data maturity is easier and more manageable than you may think.   

In this podcast episode, Executive Director at DataKind UK, Giselle Cory, breaks down what charities can really do with data to make it work for them. She breaks down what data science actually is and how this applies to charities and their everyday operations and service delivery and provides immediate, actionable next steps for charities when it comes to data.  

As charities, impact is our aim. Achieving real impact and making a difference is what we strive for on a daily basis. However, reporting this impact is equally as important as achieving it.  
This week we continue our #BeMoreDigital conversations from our March conference with a powerful and important session on just this. Kate Rees, Impact Manager at the NSPCC, delivers an insightful and engaging discussion on measuring and reporting social impact.  

Kate shares an effective five-step process aiming to help charities leverage the data they collect into engaging stories, powerful reporting tools and ambitious goal-setting.  

In this episode, we’re bringing you another release from our March conference. Following the success of our recent #BeMoreDigital Leadership Day and the amazing sessions we had, this panel discussion seems particularly relevant to inspire charities to use everything they’ve learnt and put #BeMoreDigital into action. 

Charities have the tools, knowledge and resources on all things digital, but knowing where to start can be challenging. Transitioning your charity into anything new is never without its difficulties, but sometimes the biggest issue is knowing where to begin.  

In this panel, our three fantastic speakers from Home Start, Shout and The Children's Society each share their varied experiences with implementing digital. They discuss the digital projects that changed their organisations, what was required to drive digital innovation, how they were able to grow and how they’re looking towards a better and brighter digital future.  

More charities than ever before are embracing digital in their day-to-day working lives. However, while this is a great thing, our increased use of digital is giving way to more cybercrime and charities are still at risk.   With so many charities now relying on digital, we must be extra vigilant when it comes to cyberthreats and ensuring we are protecting the sensitive information that charities deal with on a regular basis.   As many organisations say goodbye to the office (at least for now), this episode discusses how charities can look to protect themselves in this remote environment and the steps they should be taking to ensure they are resilient. There are still threats lurking out there, and charities must be aware.
Chris Hall, Charity Digital’s Marketing Manager, is joined by Cub Llewely Davis (Charity Sector Lead from the National Centre Cyber Security) and Jan Rock (CEO and Case Manager at Matrix Neurological).

This episode continues our releases from our #BeMoreDigital conference back in March. With everything happening in the world currently and the ever-important Black Lives Matter movement, we’re revisiting a pertinent panel discussion centering around inclusion, diversity and equality in the charity sector.  

The charity sector needs to be doing more to be inclusive and diverse across all areas. We must hold ourselves accountable and start implementing real changes now so that we can achieve permanent difference. Movements such as #CharitySoWhite have been incredible eye-openers for the sector, but there is still a long way to go before we can call ourselves inclusive.  

Our panelists each offer a fresh perspective from the range of charities and experiences they represent.  The conversation isn’t about why inclusion and diversity work, we already know they do. It is about how we as organisations and as individuals can ensure that change is made.  

For this conversation our panel host, Debbie Forster (CEO at Tech Talent Charter), is joined by Ursula Dolton (CTO at the British Heart Foundation), Danny Attias (Chief Information Officer at Anthony Nolan), Tiffany Hall (CIO at Cancer Research UK) and Monica Shafaq (Chief Executive at The Kaleidoscope Plus Group) to discuss where the sector is currently at and the actions that need to be taken by charities everywhere to achieve all aspects of diversity. 

This episode of The Charity Digital Podcast concludes our mini-series focusing on digital ethics in the charity sector.   Following on from our previous two discussion, this final episode looks at how charities can be ethical when it comes to their digital services. Our speakers break down the relationship between digital ethics and service delivery, offering practical guidance for charities and key takeaways when it comes to digital safeguarding.   Charity Digital CEO, Jonathan Chevallier, welcomes back Giselle Cory (Executive Director of DataKind UK), Chris Martin (CEO of The Mix) and James Mullarkey (Head of Digital Engagement at the Royal College of General Practitioners) for another informative and thought-provoking discussion.

This podcast is sponsored by Avast Business Antivirus, who provide a continual stream of data that helps quickly identify and destroy any cyber threat and predict future ones.  

As custodians of huge amounts of sensitive data and funds that are needed to deliver essential services, charities are under a great deal of pressure to ensure their charity is properly protected against a cyber breach. And proper protection includes that which we’re most familiar with: passwords. 

In this episode, we speak to Rick Wilhelm, PIR’s Chief Technology Officer, to explore the significance of strong, unique passwords, the role of password managers, and tips for creating and managing passwords effectively. 

• .ORG Learning Center - .ORG Learning Center
• Charity Digital - Cyber Security
• Charity Digital – How to make your passwords stronger  
• Charity Digital - Why your password probably isn't good enough 
• NCSC.GOV.UK – Password Guidance – Simplifying your approach 
• Charity Digital – How your organisation can build trust 

Back in early March of this year, we hosted our second annual conference- the #BeMoreDigital conference. This episode marks the first in an exciting new series, where we'll be releasing some of the content from the day for those of you who couldn't make it, or, for those of you who want to experience the fantastic conversations we were having all over again. 

In this episode, Ellie Scouller, Brand Experience Specialist at charity: water, takes us through how digital storytelling can help to build more authentic connections with your donors and ultimately drive growth. 

By challenging the traditional donor/charity relationship and using digital to adopt more innovative methods of storytelling, Ellie reveals how charities can drive more donations and create strong, genuine and lasting connections with donors and ensure their communications are meaningful.  

Watch this space for more #BMD releases! 

In a previous episode, we answered a selection of the COVID-19 questions charities have submitted to us so far, focusing more on the products and platforms available. In this episode we’re back with more for a second time around, this time looking at the more operational side of things for charities. 

Once again, we’re joined by four members of the Charity Digital team who have come together virtually to offer their help. Questions cover inventive ways to continue activities online, cyber security, text donate and so much more.  

It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by digital right now, but that’s why we’re here to help and show charities that they can thrive digitally during COVID-19 and beyond.  

In this episode of our weekly podcast, we’re joined by Davinia Batley (Director of Fundraising and Engagement at Become) and Suzy Edington (Account Manager at JustGiving from Blackbaud), who consider their experiences of fundraising in isolation so far- what's been working well, the hurdles they’ve faced and the impact digital has had.

They also share the various fundraising trends, initiatives and digital options they’ve seen thriving in lock down and the many ways charities have been adapting their fundraising methods and communications.

This podcast is sponsored by charity technology partner Blackbaud Europe. Their fundraising CRM software supports over 1,500 charities in the UK, while JustGiving from Blackbaud powers the digital fundraising of over 26,000 good causes that have raised £4 billion since 2001. For support and resources to help your organisation respond to COVID-19, visit hub.blackbaud.co.uk. 

As the dust begins to settle, charities may be wondering what the future holds. Now past the initial upheaval, there is time for reflection: what has happened so far, what does the future look like and what can be learnt from your charity’s response to COVID-19?

In this episode, our three guests come together to discuss their own learnings. They reflect on where we are right now and how they believe organisations can begin to work towards both an immediate and long-term future, including the challenges this may come with. Vicky Charles (Associate Director of Technology at CLIC Sargent), Simon Davey (Managing Director at Omega Alpha) and Barry Antwi (Technical Manager at Coopsys) all offer professional insight into how charities can make use of what they’ve learnt and take this forward into their long-term goals and strategies.

Transformation has been seismic for a huge number of organisations. Yet, despite the unprecedented and unfortunate circumstances surrounding these changes, the recent pandemic has been a catalyst for a positive change in many charities when it comes to digital. The question is now how to harness these changes and move forward.

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This podcast is supported by CoopSys, the IT enablers for Charities. For more info see coopsys.net.

As we are well aware by now, the charity sector is changing. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a complete upheaval for charities, demanding a ‘new normal’ everywhere. 

With such a seismic shift in such a short space of time, charities have been left with questions about their new remote ways of operating and their increased reliance on digital. We've been asking charities to submit these questions to us and on this episode, four members of the Charity Digital team come together remotely to answer some of the questions submitted so far. 

The conversation delves into everything from the most beneficial digital platforms for charities, to how digital can help you keep you workers, volunteers and donors engaged. We also talk you through the eligibility of our Charity Digital Exchange programme. 

COVID-19 has impacted charities everywhere, but we must continue to ask questions, learn and iterate so that charities can use the tools available and thrive digitally.

As charities continue adapting to, what is for many, a new way of working we are forced to consider some elephants in the room. Although it might have been a painful transition for some, has Covid-19 ultimately been a good thing in terms of digital transformation for charities? Organisations everywhere have been forced to adapt quickly and efficiently to rapidly changing circumstances, navigating new digital territory that might have previously taken a long time to embrace.  

In the fourth episode of our Covid-19 podcast series, we’re joined by two members of the Trillium team to discuss how the global pandemic has impacted digital transformation for charities. Alan Perestrello, Co-Founder and Director, and Aika Peto, Head of Marketing, talk us through the ongoing digital journey charities are dealing with. Budgeting, time, data and digital inclusion are some of the topics discussed as we delve into how things have changed and the digital impact we’ve seen so far, with key actions for charities going forward.   

Whether you're just getting started on your digital journey, or consider yourself a fully-fledged digital leader, one thing is for sure- it's more important than ever to be more digital.  

Want to share how your charity is becoming more digital as a result of Covid-19? Share it with us here. 

As we forge on through the Coronavirus pandemic, many charities are having to adapt to maintain their services in a whole new environment, literally overnight. Face to face contact is no longer an option, causing multiple issues for many in the sector. But the ingenuity of the charity worker is prevailing.

Alongside the need to re-skill staff in digital, transform ways of working and bring fundraising online, we’re starting to see inspiring examples of charities who are pulling out all the stops to still be there for their service users in digital form.

In our latest podcast Rosie Milsom, Fundraising and Communications Manager at Caudwell LymeCo and Joyce Borgs, Digital Practice and Learning Associate at CAST and The Catalyst join us for a chat on how charities can quickly move their services online, how to overcome barriers and how you can help your service users to migrate with you. We also take a look at some of our favourite tools that charities can use to deliver digital services.

Want to share how your charity is becoming more digital as a result of COVID-19, share it with us here.

Inboxes and news feeds are dominated by information about COVID-19. Everyday users and donors are being inundated with letters from CEOs, service updates and special offers. It's imperative that charities are able to carry on the amazing work they do during uncertain times, so, how can you ensure that your message is being heard in a time of heightened content saturation?

Our very own Chris Hall shares his session from the recent Project Everyone conference where he shared the to-do and not-to-do's of crisis content creation, how to distribute it correctly and how to follow audience trends to remain accurate and relevant.

Have a question about your digital transition - ask us here.

Want to share your COVID-19 story with other charities - share here.

In the current environment of COVID-19, charities have been thrust headfirst into the world of digital fundraising. Fundraising during coronavirus is critically important to charity survival and while making the rapid change to digital is a necessity, how can you set yourself up to support the transition long term?

We answered some of those questions in a podcast we ran fro our Digital Fundraising Day last November, and thought now would be a perfect time to share this with the rest of our audience as we navigate the murky waters of digital working. 

Original blurb below:

People often see the word digital and think they need to be running viral campaigns, deploying innovative tech platforms and using jargon words (like innovative) to drive their fundraising goals. But, in reality, it's the organisations who are getting the basics right that are setting themselves up for long-term success.

On this pod we're joined by 3 incredible guests from the charity sector as we strip back digital fundraising to its core and ask the question, well what does it really mean?

With new social distancing rules in place, we're now confined to working from our homes. This has some profound implications on how charities operate from a digital technology perspective.

Join Charity Digital CEO, Jonathan Chevalier, Phil Anthony, co-Founder of CoopSys and Kate White, Manager at Digital support charity Superhighways as they discuss how you can get your charity up to speed to support remote working through COVID-19, what tech can help you stay connected to colleagues, donors and networks and how we can operate in a secure, collaborative and productive manner.

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This podcast is supported by CoopSys, the IT enablers for Charities.  For more info see coopsys.net.

With the combination of sensitive data records, funds, and limited cyber security resources to protect them, charities can look like prime targets for cyber criminals. The 2024 Cyber Breaches survey from the UK Government revealing that around a third of charities identified cyber breaches or attacks in the last 12 months.
 
For today’s podcast, sponsored by PIR.org, the organisation that looks after the .org domain name globally, we are joined by Vinita Srivastava (Executive Leader - Product Development, Strategy, & Operations, PIR.org) to discuss the importance of maintaining a secure online presence, exploring the potential risks of neglecting security measures and sharing tips to keep you and your mission-driven organization safe online.

RESOURCES:

• .ORG Learning Center - .ORG Learning Center  
• Charity Digital - Cyber Security  
• https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024  
• Secure Your Website, Save the Internet 
• Small Charity Guide (NCSC) 

In the past couple of years, accessibility has gone from being an afterthought at best, to an often spoken about subject at conferences and water coolers alike. Inclusive design is now close to joining buzzwords like blockchain, machine learning and big data. But it’s not without its merit. This year’s Lloyds bank charity digital index found that 51% of charities are not reaching vulnerable people, including those with disabilities due to not having accessibility procedures built into their website.  

And it goes beyond goes well beyond design, we’ve talked in previous podcasts about the sector's lack of employment inclusion for people from BAME backgrounds. It’s a similar story for disabled workers, with the sector missing out on a vast amount of untapped talent from a highly skilled and motivated workforce. 

In our latest pod, we're joined by Eve Joseph and Brett Johnson from Microsoft and Adi Latif from AbilityNet to talk about how technology can help charities be more prepared to support people with disabilities both inside and outside their organisations.

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This podcast is supported by The Microsoft UK Philanthropies team are aiming to help charities and young people across the UK develop digital skills and they'll be working with us over the next few months to produce a short series of podcasts and webinars. If you'd like to learn more about accessibility tech and how it can help your charity, head over to the charity digital website or sign up for the Accessibility skills webinar on 23rd April, where we'll dive into how your organisation can use tech to achieve its accessibility goals. 

The Charity Digital Ethics Podcast returns for a second episode focusing on the important topic of digital ethics.   When charities innovate, they create new ethical debates around how charities should use data, as well as around what role charities must play in safeguarding against unintended consequences and unethical future use of any new technologies. 

This episode continues our previous discussion and delves deeper into the ethical debates around charity use of data analytics and data science.    Jonathan Chevallier welcomes Giselle Cory (Executive Director of DataKind UK), Chris Martin (CEO of The Mix) and James Mullarkey (Head of Digital at The British Veterinary Association) for the second installment of an informative and thought-provoking discussion.

With great power comes great responsibility.

As technology progresses and charities become more digital, so do the risks that come with it. So, how are we as charities faring against arguably our biggest threat, cyber-security?

Our latest podcast discusses the good, the bad and the ugly of charities and cyber-security.

Alongside Cub Llewelyn-Davies, Charity Sector Lead from the National Cyber Security Centre and Michala Liavaag, Head of Information, Governance and Security at Marie Curie, Charity Digital Marketing Manager Chris Hall reviews how successful charities were at combatting cyber-security in 2019. The panel also discusses what new threats to expect in 2020 and what resources, new and old charities should be looking to for information.

We also celebrated our 10th episode with a brand new segment - Charity Digital or Charity Dodgy? Make sure to play along and let us know how you got on via twitter or email.

Have a question for the pod or want to get involved, reach out to us at podcasts@charitydigital.org.uk

This week's guests

Cub Llewelyn-Davies, Charity Sector Lead from the National Cyber Security Centre the government agency responsible for cyber security. They help protect the UK from cyber attacks, manage major cyber incidents, and provide advice to citizens and organisations on how to keep themselves secure online. 

Michala Liavaag, Head of Information, Governance and Security at Marie Curie Michala discovered the joys of information security 8 years ago and has since developed information governance and cybersecurity programmes in local government, the NHS and before landing the role of resident cyber-crime fighter at Marie Curie.