In their 2021 Digital Skills Survey, online donation and fundraising platform CanadaHelps found that a majority of charities believe that digital adoption is important, yet more than two-thirds of charities report the adoption of digital tools is a lower priority for their organization. Furthermore, more than 55% of charities expressed either a lack of funding or the skills, expertise, and knowledge for greater use of digital tools.
Now, thanks to Mastercard and their new Changeworks initiative, CanadaHelps is giving 11 charities the opportunity to undergo digital transformation initiatives, completely free.
Changeworks is a new social-impact program that helps not-for-profits across Canada “harness the power of technology and data to create positive change.” The program supports these organizations through grants, partnerships, volunteer programs, hackathons, and data-thons.
Their first anchor grant has gone to CanadaHelps, who have launched a digital transformation program for charities across Canada. This program, called Charity Growth Academy, will help address some of the biggest barriers to digital adoption, including understaffing, a lack of funding, an increasing demand for services, and a scarcity mindset.
“The prioritization of digital transformation is well understood and underway in the business world,” explains Lizz Bryce, SVP, Community & Strategic Initiatives at CanadaHelps. “Charities need the same support to go digital that has been offered to small businesses.”
“The prioritization and advancement of digital transformation in Canada’s charitable sector is at a critical point.” Continuing, Bryce outlines that the program will leverage the best practices of the for-profit world to address the “unique challenges” of nonprofits.
The Charity Growth Academy has three phases for participants. First, an assessment will indicate where the charity is currently, so they can set the right goals. Second, through expert support, resources, and online courses, charities will implement an action plan to build both skills and an overall digital-first mindset. Finally, participants will have access to ongoing support through Grants, training, resource guides, and volunteers.
The 11 organizations currently in the pilot program include:
