Listen Now

This episode is produced as part of the Heritage Digital project.  Heritage Digital provides heritage organisations with standalone learning resources that answer the sectors most pressing digital questions about digital content. Heritage organisations are in the business of telling stories. And there is perhaps no better way to get your story out there than with a podcast.  Podcasts are designed to be listened to at your own leisure, they provide ample space for an in-depth discussion online, and they can help you build a personal connection with your audience.   Starting your own podcast might seem like a daunting prospect, but in this episode, we want to show you how easy it can be. Join Heritage Digital and three esteemed guests from the heritage sector as we discuss what you’ll need to get going on your podcast journey, including the ideas and the tech, and the questions you’ll need to ask yourself along the way.   For this conversation, we’re joined by Amy Sykes, Development and Digital Engagement Officer at Bodmin Keep; Daniel Watkins, State Rooms and Guides Manager at Alnwick Castle; and Michael Netter, Professional Services Officer at the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. You can find links to their own podcasts below.   Bodmin Keep War Stories   The Alnwick Castle Podcast  IHBC@COP26  The Digital Heritage Hub

What will working life look like in ten years’ time? Will robots perform volunteer services, while we wear virtual headsets? Will the future consist of entirely virtual platforms, held together by self-managed teams under flat organizational structures? Will we work four-day weeks, six-hour days, with unlimited holidays? Or, perhaps more likely, will things look quite similar, with some small adjustments.  The world of work has shifted monumentally in the past few years. We’ve moved from in-office working, to entirely virtual, to hybrid. Charities have played with internal structures, offered new forms of compensation, allowed flexibility, banished bureaucracy and bottlenecking, and generally changed the way they approach work.  In our podcast, we discuss all the above and so much more. Charity Digital’s Business Development Executive Lisa Chomette is joined by Content Editor Ioan Marc Jones, and Content Lead Laura Stanley, as they discuss the working models of the future.     

Our brand new podcast series, ‘How did you get there...’, delves into the lives of inspirational people working in the charity and tech sectors.  We are going to talk to CIOs and MPs, lifelong volunteers and tech innovators, to learn about their experience and to learn from their experience.   We want to celebrate the people who inspire, energise, and educate us.  In our first podcast of the series, our host, Sacha Dhabalia, talks to Danny Attias, former Chief Digital and Information Officer (CIO) at Anthony Nolan and ranked the number one CIO in the UK by CIO 100 for 2020 and 2021.  Danny’s story is one of passion and innovation, incorporating his quest for digital transformation, his various forays into podcasts and mentorship, and what’s coming up in the future.  

Get ready for a brand new Charity Digital podcast series - coming soon! ‘How did you get there...’ will delve into the lives of inspirational people working in the charity and tech sectors, helping us to learn more about their career and experience in their field.  In our first podcast of the series - launching on 4 May 2022 - our host, Sacha Dhabalia, talks to Danny Attias, former Chief Digital and Information Officer at Anthony Nolan and ranked the number one CIO in the UK by CIO 100 for 2020 and 2021.  Make sure you’re subscribed to the Charity Digital Podcast wherever you listen from so you don’t miss it!

High-tech is rapidly shifting the world of fundraising. Blockchain is increasing transparency, cryptocurrencies are expanding income streams, NFTs are offering new fundraising avenues, VR is digitally demonstrating impact, AI is automating the act of appealing to donors, and so on.  It’s an interesting time. It’s exciting. But it’s also a little overwhelming. So we thought we’d gather together some Charity Digital podcast regulars, force them to brush up on the latest high-tech fundraising trends, and ask them to demystify the art of using high-tech for fundraising.  Host Elizabeth Carter (E-Comms Manager) is joined by Chris Hall (Head of Marketing), Laura Stanley (Content Lead), and Ioan Marc Jones (Content Editor) to discuss how charities can use high-tech to raise funds, how charities are already raising funds, and what that means for the future of fundraising.

Creating content is becoming more and more important for charities. A nice blog post isn’t quite enough. You need to think about house style, formatting, imagery, tone of voice, consistency, titles, subtitles, hyperlinks, SEO, and so much more. One article requires a lot of attention.  And that’s just articles. You may also need to consider videos, podcasts, webinars, interviews, case studies, infographics, and more. But worry not. In this episode of the Charity Digital podcast, our experienced guests offer best practice advice and some digital hacks that will help you create attractive, edifying, and entertaining content without breaking the bank.   Our host Sacha Dhabalia is joined by Chris Hall (Head of Marketing), Laura Stanley (Digital Content Lead), and Ioan Marc Jones (Content Editor) to discuss all things content, with tips raising from writing high-ranking articles, filming videos on smart phones, creating podcasts on Zoom, and much more.  

The role of the Charity Board is evolving. Having guided charities through the all the tumult of the last two years, 2022 is all about stability. Boards need to take on the lessons of the past two years and use them to build towards the future.   Have boards fully embraced digital, for example? Are they doing enough to address diversity? And what are the big trends that trustees and board members need to be aware of for the coming year?   In this podcast, our panel will answer all these questions, and more, as they discuss the future of the Board. Our host Chris Hall, Head of Marketing at Charity Digital is joined by Claire Tavernier, Chair of Trustee Board at Charity Digital; Thomas Pickford, Fundraising Trustee at the Latin American Foundation for the Future; and Josh Palmer, Head of Content at Board Management at OnBoard.  

This podcast is being released as part of our content take-over week, to access more visit: Digital Transformation Week.  The positive impact of digital transformation on charities is unmistakable. Throughout the sector, you can find so many examples of best practices, learnings and success stories. But we rarely address the challenges that get charities to this point. Whilst a positive mindset is always important, we can’t forget that digital progress is built off the challenges we’ve had to overcome... so we need to talk about what these are! Whilst digital changes are amazing, they aren’t always easy. They require bravery. The transformation journey to get your charity to a point of digital success is just as important as the success itself. As a sector, we need to foster working in the open...so others can learn from the challenges of peers and like-minded organisations. By sharing stories of our own digital transformation challenges, we can help make those of other charities smoother.   That’s why we’ve bought together a selection of charity speakers, each willing to share the challenges they face on their ongoing digital transformation journeys. Chris Hall, Head of Marketing at Charity Digital, is joined by Sorcha Dallas, Custodian at the Alasdair Gray Archive; Janine Woodward-Grant, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Carers’ Centre Bath and North East Somerset; and Dave Grant, Head of Products Charities at Torchbox. In the episode, we discuss each speaker’s experience, what they would do differently looking back, the role of charity leaders in transformation, the risks involved, and so much more. We also talk about why the sector is so reticent to discuss the fears and challenges involved in digital transformation, as well as the necessity of a digital culture shift.  

This podcast is being released as part of our content take-over week, to access more visit: Digital Transformation Week.  In 2020, 51% of charities said they didn’t have a digital strategy in place. But this is changing. Just one year later, there was a 10% increase in charities saying that they did now have a digital strategy. It’s clear the sector is improving rapidly when it comes to digital strategy, but the journey is ongoing.  Charities have been pushed from every angle to be digital over the past two years. It’s been hard to find the time to plan ahead and create robust strategies when organisations have had to be so reactive. As the effects of the pandemic begin to settle, charities are at a digital crossroads. Where do they go and how do they create strategies for the future? Some charities are still starting out for the first time with planning a digital strategy, while others are on the road already. No matter where you are, it’s time to take a holistic view and understand where the sector is at, so we can progress together.   Charity Digital’s CEO, Jonathan Chevallier, is joined by two digital strategy experts: Zoe Amar, a digital pioneer in the sector and founder of Zoe Amar Digital, and Lara Burns, Chief Digital Officer at The Scouts. In the podcast, they discuss all things digital strategy. They provide advice and guidance on developing a strong digital strategy to support your organisation at every stage of its digital transformation. We chat about the basics: what it is and why you need one, as well as delving into some more complex areas, such as the development process and possible barriers you might face. The episode also looks at their learnings over the past two years, and how these can be applied to your digital strategy roadmap 

Social media marketing sounds like it should be easy. But it rarely ends up being that way. For charities, it can often feel like it isn’t worth investing your time and money, but with more than half the world’s population using social media daily, it’s almost impossible to ignore. We recently ran a webinar with Nick Wyatt, Charity Digital Growth Marketing Executive, that aimed to help charities start their social media marketing journey, examine how social media can improve fundraising, service delivery, and so much more. With such a high turnout and rating, we decided to share with our podcast listeners the audio version! To watch the full recording, just head over to our site. 

2021 proved another tumultuous year for digital fundraising, with new lockdowns and restrictions, new rules and regulations, new obstacles and challenges. But, as the year came to an end, normality seemed within touching distance and a sense of stability emerged. In 2022, charities can finally develop their long-term digital fundraising goals. They can master hybrid events, conquer the world of Gaming for Good, perhaps embrace virtual reality and artificial intelligence, maybe even delve into the complex worlds of blockchain and NFTs. Ioan Marc Jones is joined by Emily Casson (Digital Marketing and Fundraising Manager at The Salvation Army), Samantha Doe (Head of Digital & Engagement at Sands), and Matt Collins (Managing Director at Platypus Digital) to discuss the challenges and obstacles, and the hopes and ambitions set to define digital fundraising in 2022.

Tech has become increasingly important over the past few years. Tech helps charities to streamline processes, automate services, and improve day-to-day operations. Tech is essential, but it can be costly, especially high tech. But, if they research, if they find unique deals and options on the market, charities can access high tech and a low cost.  Today’s podcast discusses the main problems confronting charities purchasing tech. We discuss the obstacles and we help charities overcome them. The conversation includes tips on the best places to find cheap tech, how to save money on software, how to find decent second-hand hardware, and so much more.  Host Ioan Marc Jones, Content Editor at Charity Digital, is joined by Joel Hogan (Cloud Account Manager), Stewart Barber (Client Account Specialist), and Lisa Chomette (Business Development Manager) to explore the best low-cost tech options available to charities.

Cyber attacks happen – and charities are not immune. Around a quarter of charities in the UK were affected by a cyber attack in 2020, including half of large charities. Yet nobody seems to be talking about them.  Part of the reason these attacks succeed is a lack of awareness in their methods and how to defend against them. Cyber security experts Symantec estimate that there are 135 million phishing attacks attempted every day alone, relying on relevance (usually something being talked about on the news), emotion (fear or urgency), and authority (messages from your bank or employer).   We can only learn from our mistakes if we know what they are – this means talking openly, as a sector, we talk about them. In this podcast, Charity Digital’s Laura Stanley is joined by Gerry Crow, Director of Operations and Support at The Mary Stevens Hospice; Clare Mills, Director of Communications and External Affairs at the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action; and Chris Hall, Head of Marketing at Charity Digital, to discuss why charities are reticent when it comes to cyber security and how we can remove the stigma in the future.  

Successful fundraisers tend to rely on two core elements: laughter and tears. If you make people cackle, if you make them chuckle, then they’ll reach to their wallets. If you make people cry, if you draw sympathy, if you conjure an emotive reaction, people will almost certainly give you money. In today’s podcast, we are talking about fundraising ideas. We will discuss, among many other things, what makes a good virtual fundraiser and what makes a good physical fundraiser. We will talk about the importance of hybrid and also throw out some of our favorite fundraising ideas. Charity Digital Content Editor, Ioan Marc Jones, is joined by three esteemed colleague, Laura Stanley (Content Lead), Lisa Chomette (Business Development Manager), and Stewart Barber (Client Account Specialist) to discuss their thoughts on fundraising ideas.

The pandemic may not be the only source of change in the charity sector but it certainly has accelerated the pace. Virtually overnight, charities moved their work home, adapted how they delivered their services, and started fundraising online. It’s a lot but we embraced it – and with 2022 on the horizon, we need to get ready to embrace even more.  In this podcast, we’re joined by Sarah Cousins, Head of Organisational Change at the British Heart Foundation, Greg Edwards, Head of Development at Open Door Charity, and Simon Givens from the Soil Association as they talk us through how they handled change in the charity sector, from organisational restructuring to adopting new tech.   Alan Perestrello, co-founder of Trillium will also join the conversation to add his insight on how charities can best manage their transformation projects and how they can successfully prioritise “people over platform”.  

‘Tis the most obvious time of the year. And we are going to do the most obvious podcast, based on the one Charles Dickens book that isn’t 900 pages. We are going to make egg-nog, drink in the office, and use our expertise to tell you about the past, present, and future of fundraising. The past will cover the joys and authenticity of in-person fundraising, the immediacy and the emotive connection, but the mistakes of ignoring the digital. The present will future on the effects of COVID-19, the mistakes charities are making, and the way to overcome those problems. The future will show the mistakes charities might make and what they could do to ensure perpetual happiness. Charity Digital Content Lead and host, Laura Stanley, is joined by three esteemed colleagues, Ioan Marc Jones (Content Editor who did not die), Lisa Chomette (Business Development Manager), and Sacha Dhabalia (Marketing Intern) to discuss their thoughts on fundraising.

To paraphrase the Spice Girls, cyber security never ends. With new threats surfacing every day – one every 19 seconds, according to some calculations – charities in particular are facing an uphill battle when it comes to protecting themselves against them.  But we know that we’re trying. The recent NCSC survey showed us that the overwhelming majority of charities understand the importance of cyber security, but lack time and resource to fully dedicate to it.   But this is just one of the many issues charities are facing when it comes to cyber security. In this podcast, we will hear from Jane Atkin, from Mayday Trust, Gerry Crow from Mary Stevens Hospice and Emma Boyd from Sheila McKechnie Foundation as they chat through their experiences of cyber security and how they match up with the findings of the NCSC survey.  

In cyber space, no one can hear you scream. That’s a touch excessive, but we have your attention. Cyber attacks are often treated like scary stories, something we imagine will never happen to us, something that we know are true but sometimes treat as though they are phantoms. For the last few years, Charity Digital have been talking openly and honestly about cyber security. We’ve been inviting others across the sector to talk about stories, too, attempting to undermine the stigma that seems to follow data breaches, ransomware and malware attacks, social engineering, cloud vulnerabilities, and so much more. And as we approach Halloween, we are going to be as open as ever, discussing not only the horror stories we have heard, but the solutions that help charities avoid being part of that story. Charity Digital Content Lead and host, Laura Stanley, is joined by three esteemed colleagues, Chris Hall (Head of Marketing), Mimi Morrill (Events Manager), and Nick Wyatt (Growth Marketing Executive) to talk, to provide comfort, and to ultimately stop cyber security seeming so scary.

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. 

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.