How COVID-19 made charities ‘think digital’
31st January 2023
Third-sector organisations were among that hardest hit by the swift digitalisation early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Just under half had no access to digital funding, and one in five cancelled services because they lacked the skills or technology to deliver them.
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at Essex Community Foundation (ECF), an independent charitable trust which awards around £4.5 million in grants to Essex- based charities and voluntary groups annually, explains how the pandemic was a catalyst for change for many local charities.
“The first COVID-19 lockdown happened so quickly that many charities had little time to prepare. Their work was often carried out in person, so not only did they need to rethink how they could continue to deliver their services differently and from a distance, but they had to find the money necessary to equip themselves to work digitally.
“When we surveyed our grant partners to find out what they needed, 75% of them highlighted ‘digital’ as a key issue for their organisation. Thanks to emergency relief funds, and the generosity of our fundholders who choose to support their local communities through us, we were able to award £1.6 million to Essex charities and voluntary groups to help them navigate their way through the pandemic. This included funding to help move services online, upgrade IT equipment and upskill staff and volunteers.
“The pandemic exposed the digital divide for the voluntary and community sector, but it also provided the catalyst for change and charities were quick to respond to the needs of their communities and their beneficiaries and consider different ways of working.
“It is vital we continue to invest in the digital capabilities of charities so they can future proof themselves. Our ‘Digital Grants Programme’ helps voluntary organisations in Essex to improve how they operate using technology and enable people to access services through digital platforms.
“We encourage those supported by the Programme to collaborate with each other, share their learning and come together to hear from digital experts who can help them to think differently about how they deliver their services.”
How we have helped
Using technology to streamline services
We funded Cool to be Kind to set up an easy-to-use digital platform, in partnership with the Chelmsford Homelessness Forum. This will connect charities and collate information for people who are homeless in Chelmsford or are at risk of becoming so. The platform also helps organisations to share best practice and intelligence between themselves so they can develop their services, collaborate and address the needs of the homeless community in the future.
Keeping people connected
Our funding helped charities to use social media and engage with their beneficiaries in a new way. Abberton Rural Training is an educational charity that provides horticultural skills training alongside therapeutic support and mentoring opportunities to a wide range of people from their base in rural Colchester. When participants could no longer physically attend their centre, they came to us for funding for the innovative ‘Grow Your Own’ project.
They sent out seed packs to over 1,000 households across six Districts and encouraged people to grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs at home, supported by online videos. Then they asked them to share photos of updates in a Facebook group.
This was an excellent boost to residents’ physical and mental health by helping them to learn new skills and stay connected during lockdowns.
Future proofing
Essex Blind Charity, received £9,265 to help redevelop their mobile IT infrastructure and CRM system. Jonathan Dixon, General Manager of Essex Blind Charity, said: “Our referrals are often newly diagnosed people who are struggling to come to terms with their sight loss. We visit them in their homes and our new CRM system means we can collect client information all one place, and as it is cloud based, the whole team can access it both on the move and at the same time.”
How can you help local charities?
- Make a donation online here
- Consider becoming a Trustee for a local charity and share your knowledge and expertise
- Share our work and funding opportunities when you can
ECF works with a number of businesses in Essex, helping them to support local communities, engage with their staff and embed a long-term approach into their corporate ethos. This includes Teledyne e2v, Birketts, Beresfords, Britvic and Saffron Building Society. For more information, click here or call Perry Norton on 01245 355947.