Cloud is Key to Making Charities Fit for Future

New research from Advanced has revealed that many charities in the UK are not fit enough for the digital era. According to the Advanced Trends Report 2017, 65 percent of charities use cloud-based technology, yet nearly one in four (26 percent) do not have access to real-time data and 40 percent do not have the right tools to do their job effectively.

The British software and services company believes charities will be held back if they don’t embrace the cloud at the heart of their operations and use it to run core functions such as donor interactions and financial management.

“Charities are under immense pressure – they need to be communicating closely with donors, efficiently and effectively, to maintain and grow revenues. This is coupled with the challenges of having the right digital technology so that staff can streamline administrative tasks, to save costs and allow them to invest more time in the people that matter – supporters, members and stakeholders,” said Mark Dewell, MD – Commercial and Third Sector, at Advanced.

“But, the reality is that charities need to have the confidence to embrace cloud technology fully, to ensure they can transform into digital-first organisations. This will ensure they are fit for the future, ready for real and present challenges around GDPR and better prepared to address threats such as cyber security.”

Advanced is using the cloud to help charities move forward in the digital era. It has accelerated its plans to deliver a new cloud-first strategy. It has introduced CloudDonor, an intuitive donor relationship management system, to help charities process fundraising income, build marketing campaigns and manage merchandising and Gift Aid for example – this includes all the core elements of fundraising management. Its web-based portals provide information for both staff and donors which is accessible at all times, from one source.

This adds to Advanced’s portfolio of Software-as-a-Service solutions, such as Advanced Business Cloud Essentials, which incorporates financial management to ensure charities have a unified view of their financial affairs.

Allen Reid, director of Client Projects at Hart Square – an independent not-for-profit consultancy, concludes: “It’s fair to say that charities know the time is ripe for transformation as the digital era impacts every aspect of life – for members, supporters and stake-holders, as well as staff.

"But, not-for-profits want to be confident they are making the right technology choices. Getting on board with Cloud technology is without doubt the right choice for many charities wanting to harness the value of their data to drive engagement whilst ensuring the change process is successful – we’re definitely big advocates for moving to the Cloud.”