New digital resource for charity trustees launched
The tool, developed by the Commission, Grant Thornton and Zoe Amar Communications, outlines what questions charity boards should be asking about digital.
The Charity Commission, Grant Thornton and Zoe Amar Communications have today launched 12 Questions about digital for trustees, a new resource intended to help trustees exploit digital for their charity. The guide contains examples of key questions that every board should be considering when approaching digital. They cover 12 wider areas relating to charity activity, such as fundraising, governance, brand, and service delivery.
The tool aims to facilitate conversations between trustees as well as between the board and charity staff, and to raise awareness amongst trustees of the strategic importance of digital. It looks at the opportunities digital can bring for charities, including better governance, and how trustees can ensure they are prepared for the potential challenges of digital.
Zoe Amar and Sarah Atkinson from the Charity Commission will be available on Twitter today to answer any questions that trustees might have about using digital to enhance their charity’s work. The public are also encouraged to share the questions they think boards should be asking about the topic using the hashtag #digitaltrustees.
Zoe Amar, Founder and Director of Zoe Amar Communications said:
There are wide-ranging benefits and exciting possibilities for charities in adopting digital, including ease of collaboration, reduced costs, and greater audience reach. As a trustee of a charity myself, I appreciate how daunting technology can seem, but not adopting technology can present as much of a risk as adopting it, and in the long term digital will only help charities be more sustainable and future proof the sector.
Louise Hughes, Marketing Manager – Not for Profit at Grant Thornton UK said:
Without buy-in from trustees, digital projects can lose focus and momentum so it’s crucial that digital transformation and culture change are driven by the board. Whilst IT literacy is an important factor for boards, having the right attitude and appetite for innovation is just as important. Whether charities want to demystify technology or just sense check their approach, this new checklist should help.
Sarah Atkinson, Director of Policy and Communications at the Charity Commission added:
As we encourage users to increasingly engage with the commission online, we want to reassure users and trustees with low IT skills or confidence levels that there is support for them.
Our questions by no means cover every single aspect of digital, but we hope trustees can use them to start a conversation about how they can plan for and respond to digital change in their organisation and determine where technology can add value.
The resource signposts to other relevant guidance and advice for trustees such as Get Safe Online. Grant Thornton, Zoe Amar Communications and Green Park Interim & Executive Search, supported by the Commission, are also planning future informal events to support charity leaders on their journey with digital. For more information, keep an eye on their social media pages (@zoeamar, @GrantThorntonUK).
The resource is available on GOV.UK.
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