Why digital work gets harder as charities get bigger
As your charity grows, managing digital work becomes harder. Tools for small teams may not fit as you add staff, programs and audiences.
This isn’t just your charity. Across the sector, the NCVO UK Civil Society Almanac 2024 says the UK voluntary sector now employs nearly a million people, about 3% of the UK workforce, and has grown a lot in the last decade. But the Charity Digital Skills Report 2025 found that fewer than half of charities now have a formal digital strategy, and that number continues to decline each year.
I’ve seen digital work become much tougher as organisations expand. For example, when your charity starts a new fundraising campaign, different teams might need to update the website, set up donation forms, and track results. If no one knows who’s in charge or where to find information, things slow down, and mistakes are more likely.
Managing digital work is usually straightforward in small charities.
You know who looks after the donation form because you can see them right from your desk.
When a campaign starts, you call out, update the homepage, and get instant approval.
As your team gets bigger, if something stops working, everyone still knows who has the passwords.
But as your organisation grows, three things start to change at the same time:
New services, campaigns, and partners all need space on your website, need to be tracked in your analytics and often require their own digital journeys.
With remote work, part-time roles and outside agencies, there are fewer casual chats and more handovers.
Data protection, safeguarding, fundraising rules and brand standards all become stricter as your reach grows.
Old small-team methods no longer work, slowing progress and causing frustration.
You need a new way to manage digital work. One that relies on the team, not just individuals.
I have touched on this before in my post about the 4 layers of the digital engine room.
Start by naming who is responsible for each digital area. Simply listing update, approval, and management roles reveals gaps and overlaps.
This creates a starting point for better processes. Break digital work into: Governance, Operations, Technical and Growth.
Is your digital setup strong enough to support your mission? Ask your leadership team these questions:
Can a new hire find your “Brand Guidelines” or “Gift Aid Policy” in under 60 seconds without asking for help?
Is there a clear internal owner for your website’s long-term health, or are you just “leaving it to the agency”?
If your lead developer won the lottery tomorrow, would your digital operations survive the week?
I think the solution is to create an operating model that can adapt as you grow. As a next step, review your digital processes and map out who does what.
Even a quick team chat can help you spot what’s working well and where you need clearer roles or better systems.
Taking this first step will help you build a digital setup that truly supports your charity’s growth.
If you’d like guidance with any of these steps or support in building your charity’s digital operating model, get in touch, and I’ll be happy to help.
Adam
UK‑based. In person, where possible.