Digital teams lack sufficient input in charity tech choices
Melanie May | 14 January 2016 | News
Charities are failing to adequately involve their digital teams in the decision-making process when investing in new technology, according to a report from CharityComms and digital agency Positive.
The report, Pick ‘n’ mix: a guide to technology choices for charities, looks at the technologies charities are using and the challenges their digital teams face, questioning 74 digital leads working in charities and including a roundtable discussion with eight digital experts working in or with the sector. Participating charities include Diabetes UK, The Children’s Society, and British Heart Foundation.
In terms of fundraising technology, it found that JustGiving, Virgin Money Giving, and BT MyDonate are the most popular online giving and payment gateways for charities, with 92% using JustGiving, while 52% use Virgin Money Giving, and 21% BT MyDonate. The most popular campaigning and advocacy tools were Engaging Networks, which is used by the majority at 71%, followed by Blackbaud at 49% and Raising IT at 18%.
As well as identifying the most popular technology choices, the report revealed that while a wide and ever-growing variety of web-based technology is available to charities, too few are involving their digital teams enough in the decision-making process. Less than half (45%) of digital departments currently have the final say on new web technologies.
Among the associated issues identified in the report were lack of internal support and lack of investment, with IT and digital teams too often divided, and rigorous procurement processes preventing some digital teams from responding rapidly to new technologies, while other charities have difficulties getting buy-in from their management team.
Mike Jenkins, MD at Positive, said:
“Developments in technology are increasingly putting digital at the forefront of organisational change. But while describing the biggest challenge you face as an organisation might come easily for some charities, pinpointing what technology provides the best, most cost effective, solution is a different matter. If this is to be done well, digital teams must be given the opportunity to get involved in these decisions and demonstrate the value they can add to meeting organisational objectives.”
Image: technology for good – heart and tech by sabri deniz kizil on Shutterstock.com
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.