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.
Funding available to help improve charities digital services
17th September 2021
Voluntary and community organisations in Essex are invited to apply for funding to develop and improve their digital services.
The Digital Grants Programme, which is managed by the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF), helps voluntary organisations to make use of digital technology and improve the experience their beneficiaries have.
The Programme has now reopened for its second round of applications and will not only provide vital funding, but also create a network of organisations in Essex that have an interest in developing their digital skills for the benefit of the wider community.
Examples of grants previously awarded:
- £4,000 to Teen Talk (Harwich) to develop a new website and improve their social media presence to better represent a charity supporting young people in Tendring.
- £5,180 to Peaceful Place to buy a CRM system to help the Basildon-based organisation support people with young onset dementia.
- £10,000 to YMCA Essex to upgrade their WiFi network and improve internet connection at a YMCA housing facility for young people in Colchester.
- £9,265 to Essex Blind Charity towards the redevelopment of their mobile IT infrastructure and CRM system. were involved in the Programme last year.
Jonathan Dixon, General Manager of Essex Blind Charity, explains the difference their grant has made:
“It has truly transformed the way we work and how we can support people with a visual impairment. 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, purchased with this grant, 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.
“This grant has helped us to support people in a timely manner, capturing all their needs with minimal fuss and being able to recall that information with ease.”
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at ECF, said “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the digital gap across the voluntary and community sector, and through our conversations with our grant partners, we have seen a renewed interest in developing the use of digital platforms.
“We are happy to consider applications for simple digital solutions, but also welcome innovative projects. Understandably, digital projects can take some time to implement, so multi-year grants are possible too.”
The average grant from this Programme is £9,500, however, there is no maximum grant limit.
ECF are keen for organisations involved to collaborate with others that have received funding, and will host events where they can share their learning and hear from digital experts.
How to apply:
Please call the ECF grants team on 01245 356018 to discuss your ideas in advance of applying. Alternatively, you can email grants@essexcf.org.uk.
There is no deadline, but please be aware that funding decisions may take up to two months.
For more information on eligibility and to complete our online application form, please click here.