A Charity Today report, published by ACEVO, the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), the Institute of Fundraising and CharityComms, provides an insight of what charities do, how they operate and how they improve people’s lives. It also looks at how charities in the UK are changing and the digital challenges they face.

The Importance of Charities

With more than 160,000 registered charities in England and Wales employing around 827,000 people, charities are a crucial part if life and society in the UK.

The Charity Today report revealed that charities spend £136.4 million every day improving lives and communities. The report also emphasised the importance of the role charities play; for example, charities spend £500,000 every hour on medical research, hospital and rehabilitation, and £11 million every day in housing animals and people.

Charities and Technology

The rise of digital technology both challenges and encourages charities.  Instead of solely relying on traditional methods to raise funds, there is now a focus for charities to invest in technology and develop an online presence to appeal and empower the new generation of fundraisers and donors. Recent years have seen the rise of social media, crowdfunding and petition sites as a means of raising money. For many millennials, these platforms, alongside new mobile and contactless payment technology has proven very influential in the decision-making process when contributing to a charity.

This means that in order to remain relevant and thrive in this digital era, charities have to utilise opportunities in a world where people purchase, sell, trade, talk and meet online. Effective implementation of digital practices or in-store technology such as CHARiot will ensure that charities continue raising funds, increasing efficiencies and boosting their revenue.

Vicky Browning, ACEVO’s Chief Executive, says that “charities measure their success by the good they do, not the profits they make. As organisations driven by values, it’s vital we operate to high standards and with real transparency.”

Therefore, even though charities are operating in a digital world and need to adapt to thrive, they also need to continue making positive contributions to society.

You can find the full report here if you want to take a deeper look at these digital challenges.

We understand the importance of technology and offer the best retail systems for your charity. By using technology that helps you maximise your income, you can continue your work with the peace of mind that comes from knowing your shop is modernised and appealing to the millennial generation.