Annual digital assessment shows progress, but some concerns [THIS YEAR’S Charity Digital Skills Report has
been published, reporting on how charities have coped with increasing digital skills in the face of recovery from the pandemic. Established in 2017, the report acts as an annual barometer of digital skills, attitudes and support needs across the charity sector. Introducing the report on the Charity Digital website, the report’s authors Zoe Amar and Nissa Ramsey said: “The sector has had a tough time since we went into lockdown in 2020. In the 2022 Charity Digital Skills Report we wanted to find out more about what support the sector needs, as well as the funding and other resources that funders can provide, particularly for organisations of different sizes, at different stages of digital and for those led by and serving groups facing structural inequity.” This year, the survey was extensively redeveloped to capture a snapshot of the sector at this pivotal moment of change and to discover where it needs help with digital to maximise its impact. The report aims to: • Map charities’ digital priorities as we enter the next phase of the • pandemic. How important is digital in their future plans and where • do they see it in their future? • Understand the key trends in how charities’ use of digital has • changed over the past year, so that they can benchmark their • organisation. • Track progress made over the past five years and what it means for • the sector. • Measure where charities have skills gaps and what they need to • grow their digital knowledge and confidence. • Gather data on what funding and support needs charities have • to help them move forward with digital so that they can take those • findings to grant makers and recommend what they need to do • more effectively. Zoe Amar is widely regarded as one of the charity sector’s leading digital experts. She founded digital agency and social enterprise Zoe Amar Digital in 2013. Zoe is chair of the Charity Digital Code of Practice and co-authored The Charity Commission’s digital guidance for trustees, Making Digital Work.
Nissa Ramsay is the founder of Think Social Tech, providing independent research, learning and evaluation consultancy. She helps organisations design funding and support services, with a dedicated focus on digital skills development in the charity sector. The report is published by Catalyst – a collective of individuals and organisations with a shared vision for a digitally enabled and resilient social sector. It is supported by Comic Relief, The Clothworkers’ Foundation, M-hance and Digital Wonderlab. A main result of the report is that 82% of charities see digital as more of a priority and 72% are using tools, skills, infrastructure and service delivery to progress with digital. However, those with a digital strategy in place is down from the previous year: from 60% to 56%. Charity Digital CEO Jonathan Chevallier, who contributed to the report, struck a warning note regarding divergence between those with and those without a strategy. He commented: “It is worrying to see the growing digital divide between organisations who are approaching digital strategically and those who are at an earlier stage. I am particularly concerned that many organisations that are less developed digitally and most at risk of being left behind are small charities.” q
Caring for chelonia [THE BRITISH CHELONIA GROUP publishes six newsletters
a year containing details of meetings, short articles, news items and veterinary notes. Their journal Testudo is published annually and contains original articles and reviews on all aspects of turtles, terrapins and tortoises – their biology, conservation, welfare, veterinary care and husbandry. The group also organises symposia. As well as the yearly appeals in aid of specific international causes in chelonia research and survival, the BCG assists other worthy causes in support of its aims with grants. They invite grant applications from organisations and individuals engaged on the work of chelonia conservation – such as zoos, universities, zoologists and students in this country and overseas. q
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