Charities have become an increasingly popular target for cyber criminals in recent years, due to the sensitive data they look after and the limited resources they have to protect themselves.   Although most organisations will have a cyber security strategy or team in place, the unfortunate reality is charities are particularly vulnerable to disruptive attacks such as phishing, malware, and denial-of-service (DOS) attacks.   In this bonus podcast, listen to a recording from Etienne Greeff, chief executive of Flow Communications, speaking at one of our recent webinars on cyber security. He explains in detail the most prevalent threats that charities are likely to face and what can be done to prevent a cyber attack in the future. 

Charity Digital Podcast

65: October Special: What you need to know about cyber crime

It has never been more important to stay in control of IT, and arguably, it has never been more difficult. Cyber threats are on the rise, remote working is becoming the norm, and everything we work on is kept in a cloud.   Yet these are just a few of the challenge facing charity IT services in 2021. Managing online events, keeping data safe, and employee retention and recruitment are all major IT concerns for the charity sector. Today’s podcast will look at these issues, and more, and show us how charity IT can move forwards in this brave new world.  Charity Digital’s Elizabeth Carter is joined by Mike Carruthers, former Head of IT at Fusion Leisure, a registered charity that operates more than 80 leisure centres across UK, and Philip Anthony, founder and managing director of CoopSys, an organisation that provides vital IT support to the non-profit sector. 

64: Post-COVID IT – the brave new world

Hybrid working has been hyped by employers and employees, with many charities adopting the working model post-COVID-19. But, as we return to the office for a few days a week, many of us are noticing some small and not so small issues. Lack of equipment, the complexities of social distancing, the sound of several Zoom calls in the background, half-virtual meetings, scheduling issues, and so on. We know such problems from experience. We at Charity Digital are adapting to the challenge of hybrid and we want to share our experience with listeners. Today’s podcast will discuss, among other things, what the perfect hybrid model would look like, the major pitfalls facing charity professionals, how charities can support individual needs and requirements, and so much more. Charity Digital Content Editor and host, Ioan Marc Jones, is joined by three esteemed colleagues, Raabia Fazil (Customer Service Manager), Stewart Barber (Client Account Specialist), and Laura Stanley (Content Lead).  

63: How to avoid the pitfalls of hybrid work

Virgin Money has announced the closure of Virgin Money Giving (VGM). The announcement follows a strategic review of the fundraising platform following the end of its partnership with the London Marathon. The closure is massive news for the UK charity sector, as it raises important questions about the viability of donation platforms, the viability of older models, and the future of fundraising. Today’s podcast explores the future of fundraising considering VGM’s closure. The podcast will discuss, among other things, how big players are challenging the peer-to-peer model, the viability of third-party fundraising platforms, and the need for charities to futureproof against potential risks. Our host, Raabia Fazil (Customer Service Manager at Charity Digital) is joined by Meredith Niles (Former Executive Director of Fundraising and Engagement at Marie Curie UK), Matt Smith (Senior Consultant at Think Consulting Solutions), and Heather Stanley (Fundraising and Marketing Manager at Wycombe Homeless Connection) to discuss the future of online fundraising platforms.

62: Virgin Money Giving and the future of fundraising platforms

Choosing the right CRM can be difficult. Most charities undertake a major software review less than every five years, making it a daunting project requiring a lot of big decision-making.  With so many options available, all wrapped up in hefty jargon and acronyms galore, charities often struggle to pick the CRM that best suits them. But worry not. We are here to help.  In this podcast, Charity Digital's host Lisa Chomette is joined by Colin Grove, Head of Data at London's Air Ambulance, and Asher Simpson, Principal Account Executive at Blackbaud Europe, as they discuss the benefits of CRM systems for charities, the key considerations when it comes to implementing them, and the cultural impact of getting it right.

61: How to choose the right CRM system

Charity Digital has been hosting a podcast for more than two years. We’ve learned a lot of important information in that time. We’ve mostly learnt what not to do. For today’s podcast, Nick Wyatt is joined by Lynsey Sweales, CEO at SocialB, Bex Rae Evans, host of the Tech for Good Live podcast, and Samuel Davies, producer and chair of the Charity Chat podcast. We come together to reflect on our shortcomings and discuss how we might do things differently a second time around. The conversation will cover the mistakes to avoid, the things you won’t want to avoid, and some post-production nuggets of wisdom that’ll help your podcast stand out in a crowded field.  We hope you enjoy the recording!  

60: How not to host a podcast

Over the past year, charities in the UK and across the world have understandably focussed on immediate solutions, finding short-term fixes to short-term problems. But the emphasis on the short-term means that charities have often overlooked, neglected, or simply ignored elements of charity work that promote sustainability. That is particularly true when it comes to financial management - and that's a problem. Today’s podcast aims to help. Host Ioan Marc Jones is joined by Braam du Plooy, Finance Controller at Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Joan Benson, Director of Non-profit Industry Marketing at Sage Intacct, to explore the state of financial management in the UK charity sector.  The podcast covers the contributing factors to low financial literacy, how charities can improve financial literacy, how improvements can benefit the charity sector, and so much more.

59: The state of finance management in the charity sector

The charity sector is experiencing burnout. Many of us are feeling fed-up with the persistence of COVID-19. We are frustrated by the permanence of transition, the promise of the so-called new normal that never arrives. We are struggling to find enthusiasm amid the ever-growing list of compliance and logistic demands, all stemming from constant change.     Simply put, the UK charity sector is feeling a little tired. Today’s podcast addresses burnout that is felt across the country – and particularly in the charity sector. It will explore how charities can counter burnout by supporting staff and volunteers, ensure a healthy work-life balance, tackle post-lockdown anxiety, and much more.    To discuss burnout in the charity sector, our Charity Digital host Sacha Dhabalia is joined by esteemed colleagues Stewart Barber (Client Account Specialist), Lisa Chomette (Business Development Manager), and Mimi Morrill (Events Manager).  

58: Burnout and the UK charity sector

Back in May 2021, we hosted #BeMoreDigital Marketing Day. Throughout the event, we hosted five fantastic sessions covering some of the most important digital marketing topics for charities. Now, we’re releasing some of these as podcasts for you to listen to any time!  With a small team of just three paid staff, 15 Square were struggling to find the time and resources to market the great work they do. They had lots of content and resources available for people, but all tucked away on their website, hard to find. They needed to continue supporting their vulnerable service users, whilst reaching and acquiring new ones. In 2020, they decided to hire a digital marketer to make their organisation more discoverable, create new, informative content, drive more website traffic and increase their overall engagement.  Within just ten months they were seeing a return on investment. Their social media following increased by 337%, their website traffic was up by 407%, and their member sign ups more than doubled. In this session, Louise joins us to tell you all about why their small charity chose to invest in the talent and expertise of a digital marketer and the impact they’ve seen from this.  

57: Why do small charities need a digital marketer?

In March 2020, we held our annual #BeMoreDigital Conference virtually. Now, we're bringing you some of the best sessions as podcast episodes for you to enjoy! The Data Protection Act of 2018, commonly known as GDPR, has now been in place for nearly three years. Most organisations will have seen their working environment has changed drastically since GDPR was first enforced. But charities are still dealing with large amounts of sensitive data on a daily basis. Now that you find yourself in a new operating environment, it's a great time to revisit your data security approach.   In this episode from the conference, The National Cyber Security Centre will present their GDPR Security Outcomes, written jointly with the ICO. They’ll help you to understand whether you are still taking appropriate measures to secure your data.

56: GDPR three years on: where is the sector at now?

Charities Against Hate (CAH) recently released 16 recommendations for social media companies to tackle online abuse. The recommendations arrive as the government aims to introduce the Online Safety Bill. The Bill will establish more regulation for social media platforms, but CAH are concerned the Bill may not do enough to protect the most vulnerable. Today’s podcast will take a look at what charities can do to tackle online hate. We will discuss, among other things, short-term actions charities can take and long-term goals they can develop, how charities can support staff and volunteers, and what social media companies should be doing to tackle online abuse.  Our host Nick Wyatt is joined by Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Alex Hodges, Head of Corporate Comms and Public Affairs at Help for Heroes, and Aisling Green, Digital Marketing Strategist at Parkinson’s UK. 

55: How charities can tackle online hate

Although life is returning (somewhat) to normal, our working practices are still a grey area. Some charities continue to work from home full-time. Others are embracing the office once again. Many are adopting a combination of the two.    This week, we discuss findings from Blackbaud's ‘Future of Work’ report and what these mean for the charity office landscape. Among other things, our speakers chat about our changing expectations of the office and how these will impact charity leadership, diversity and technology.   Alison Lowe, Chief Executive at Touchstone, and Phil Hunt, Campaign Marketing Manager at Blackbaud Europe, join Nick Wyatt, Growth Marketing Executive at Charity Digital, for today's episode. Click here to download the Future of Work report for free! 

54: What is the future of work for charities?

 This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce.org - the dedicated social impact team of Salesforce that delivers technology to nonprofits, educational institutions, and philanthropic organisations so they can connect with others and do more good.In today’s podcast episode, we discuss findings from the Salesforce.org Global Online Fundraising Scorecard Report. The report analyses the online giving experience of over 600 organisations. It's fascinating findings reveal the state of online giving right now. This includes the successes and pitfalls of charities across the globe.  We discuss, among other things, what these findings mean for charities in practice. We chat about persona building, user design and emailing. We also consider the importance of a frictionless giving experience and what charities can do to keep donors coming back.  Charity Digital’s host, Raabia Fazil (Customer Service Manager), is joined by Andréa Goezinne (Product Marketing Manager at Salesforce.org), and Brady Josephson (Managing Director, Next After Institute). Click here to download and read the free report!

53: Turning one-off donors into repeat supporters

Most of us have had an argument over which is better: Zoom or Teams. It’s an argument that has probably taken place over Zoom or Teams. And it’s an important topic, as we spend an increasing amount of our time on those two platforms, whether for quick catch-ups, team stand-ups, or to host webinars. We want to bring that argument to our audience. We want to settle the debate. The guests on today’s podcast have been carefully selected because they have a dog in this fight. They are Team Zoom or Team Teams. Our host Raabia Fazil (Customer Service Manager) is joined by Chris Hall (Marketing Manager), Stewart Barber (Client Account Specialist), and Elizabeth Carter (E-Comms Manager).

52: Teams vs Zoom: videoconferencing face off

Social distancing restrictions have led to huge changes in the way charities operate. Fundraising efforts have become increasingly digital, physical events shifted to the virtual, and service delivery has moved almost entirely online. Social media was important before the pandemic, but now it’s absolutely essential.  In today’s podcast, we discuss the future of social media. We examine the major platforms that charities are using and the platforms charities should be using. We discuss the best ways to reach your audience, the importance of scheduling and planning, tone and authenticity, and much more. And, finally, we look at future social media trends to help charities stay ahead of the curve. We encourage charities to practice boldness and creativity, innovation and experimentation, in order to support fundraising efforts and showcase the brilliant work they are doing.  Today’s podcast features all Charity Digital employees. E-Comms Manager and host Elizabeth Carter speaks to Sacha Dhabalia (Marketing Intern), Chris Hall (Marketing Manager), and Nick Wyatt (Growth Marketing Executive) about the future of charity social media. 

51: The future of charity social media

Looking to stay ahead of the digital curve? Kickstart your digital journey? Or just see how other charities are making the most of technology? The Charity Digital podcast looks to inspire, educate and connect charity pro's to the latest trends in the (sometimes) scary world of 'digital'. With guests from all walks of the sector, we'll be discussing poignant topics, pain points and success stories driven by you the audience. Have a question or discussion topic for our pod? reach out to us at podcasts@charitydigital.org.uk. Don't forget to subscribe through your usual podcast provider to be the first to know when our next pod drops!

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Charity Digital Podcast

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