Future Charity: Saving the sector that saves lives
Two years ago, we set out to discover why charities weren’t making enough headway in their ambitious plans to transform. And, as consultancies working with the sector, we wanted to know what we needed to do differently to really make a difference.
We gave ourselves six months to find out why digital transformation wasn’t going much further than a shift to new technologies and re-wrap existing fundraising products, and (we secretly hoped) to find the ground-breaking innovation that would lead to the sector disruption we’ve all been waiting for.
Six months later, we weren’t nearly close to an answer...
When we set out on our journey, Brexit had an end in sight, children weren’t striking for climate change, and the crisis the charity sector was already facing wasn’t talked about that much.
Two years later, everyone that’s close to the sector knows that a bold new approach is required, if it’s to stand up against the rapid pace of technological and societal change. But, to know that isn’t enough. Indeed, to talk about it isn’t enough. To hide behind it definitely isn’t enough.
“We are falling behind and we don’t know what we don’t know.”
But what we have discovered are people who, despite being hampered by cultural inertia and a fear of getting it wrong, are filled with passion and ideas. This piece of work has drawn on these ideas and tried to turn them into practical steps for overcoming the fear, helping organisations build confidence, try new things out, and to look at their existing challenges through a new lens.
Our research has taught us that the change that is required applies to every single one of us that interacts with the sector. It requires us to be brave and take risks. It requires us to think about how we collaborate beyond borders, who we work with and how, and how we measure our impact.
Major cultural shifts are needed within charity organisations, and across the sector as a whole
These won’t just be organisational risks, they will be personal risks, and sometimes it’s going to feel uncomfortable.
But breaking through the barriers is the only way we’re going to have a sustainable, positive impact on humanity. And that’s going to feel incredible.
Take a look at the full report to see how you can be part of the change.