Blog

21.06.2021

Free support to improve your charity’s digital outreach

Has your charity started using digital in new and different ways over the past year? Or perhaps you’re keen to better connect with your target audience through digital, but aren’t sure where to start? You’re not alone – over the past year a number of charities have taken on new digital approaches and one question I hear often from charity staff is what should my charity be doing digitally and how can we do it well?

As manager of Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network – a network of professional volunteers keen to support charities across Scotland – I’ve seen many enquiries for website or app development support, writing digital strategies, increasing digital impact and how best to keep digital information and beneficiaries safe. There are several free resources available, but sometimes choice can be overwhelming to sift through and find best practice – so I’ve pulled together 4 key free resources that every charity in Scotland looking to enhance their digital position can benefit from.

1. If you need support with digital projects: Set up in 2020, the Scottish Tech Army mobilises Scotland’s tech talent for good and they’ve already worked on a huge variety of projects. They are a great resource for charities that need digital support but don’t have in-house capacity to deliver it. If you’re interested, get in touch and explain your challenge or project – the team will assess what is required to deliver and let you know if they can help.
2. If you’re designing new digital services or taking existing services online: I highly recommend reviewing Catalyst’s Guide to Digital Safeguarding. It’s an easy-to-use digital tool designed to support you to keep privacy, safety and consent in mind when evolving your digital footprint.
3. If you are concerned about your organisation’s cyber security: With charities increasingly reliant on IT and technology, it is important to protect your organisation from malicious cyber activity – however it can be daunting thinking where to start if you’re not an expert in this area. The National Cyber Security Centre has prepared an easy to follow guide for charities to improve their cyber security “quickly, easily and at low cost”.
4. If you’re looking to skill up with digital best practice: Maybe you’re looking for the best new digital tools, or looking to increase your impact online? The Curve, set up by Third Sector Lab with support from 5 funders including Inspiring Scotland, offers third sector organisations free digital training in 90-minute workshops on a variety of topics, from online facilitation skills to developing a digital strategy.

Elaine manages Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network, a network of professional volunteers keen to support charities across Scotland. If your charity could benefit from our support, do get in touch.