Embracing new technology is vital for the third sector

Embracing new technology is vital for the third sector

The government's recent giving white paper sets out a number of proposals to transform the giving culture in the UK. One of the issues at the forefront of this transformation focuses on how people across the UK donate their time to organisations in need of support. The white paper positively highlights the huge number of people who are already active in their local communities – in fact these people make up a quarter of the population.
Initiatives such as Volunteer's Week, play a positive role in celebrating these people – all 22 million of them – who generously give their time on an annual basis in the UK. But the future of volunteering also needs to focus on reaching a far broader audience of people who want to make a positive contribution to the societies they live and work in.
Fundraising gets it right
In recent years, fundraising has embraced technology to make it easier for people to raise funds and donate quickly and easily. What's encouraging is that the enthusiasm spans beyond fundraising departments of charitable organisations, and now whole companies have sprung up exploiting this potential. JustGiving, the online donation platform celebrates its 10th birthday this year, and VirginMoneyGiving has reported an increase of more than 60% of donations during the Virgin London Marathon in 2011, compared to last year.
In essence, the third sector is switched on to online giving. In the case of volunteering, we need to embrace new ways to help make volunteering more efficient and build on the good work that is already underway, because as long as budget cuts continue to shake up the sector there will always be a heightened need for volunteers.
A step change
Considering we know how receptive audiences are to volunteering, it's essential to look at new ways to work together to develop initiatives to help tap into these people in a different way.
At the forefront of this step change in the approach towards volunteering has to be the innovative use of technology. For the last ten years, Do-it, an online service with a database of volunteering opportunities run by YouthNet, has offered hundreds of thousands of people the chance to get involved with their local community and commit their time, energy, enthusiasm and skills to organisations who need help and support.
While Do-it's online database of one million volunteer opportunities enables people to give their time, sharing information on volunteering opportunities from more than 28,000 organisations in the UK, there's still a part of the population that aren't yet reached but who may still want to find ways to give their time. The use of smart phones, reportedly used by more than 11 million people in the UK alone, offers a potential for the third sector to tap into this space and reach broader audiences.
The capabilities of smart phone technology enable both volunteers and charities to be much more specific in their approach. For example, GPS functionality means it is now possible to utilise geo-location technologies and match people with opportunities that are very local to them. One of the first applications to pilot this is +U, the final concept of Sony's Open Planet Idea's initiative. The application, developed in partnership with Do-it, will combine real world volunteering opportunities with social and gaming benefits.
One of the benefits of this application is peer engagement. User driven content in the form of shared experiences generates a very positive story for volunteering, and in turn, will likely create a ground swell of supporters who feel empowered to volunteer. The cycle begins.
And for charities, the development of applications such as +U and Orange's Do Some Good means they can offer up opportunities which fit with their mission and reach out to a new base of supporters, driven by what's right for the individual who wants to dedicate their time. Tailoring opportunities to people is hugely significant. For instance, some charities now offer "bite-size" volunteering opportunities, making volunteering more accessible. It's a win-win situation for charities and supporters alike.
Implications for the sector
Of course, there are a number of considerations as technology in the voluntary sector takes off. Will charities be able to manage the scale of the interest that these new apps can bring? Will organisations be flexible enough to deliver the anticipated demand for more tailored opportunities? And the reality is, smart phone apps won't suit everyone. The value of face to face support in finding the right volunteering opportunity through volunteer centres for example, will still remain high in helping match people with opportunities that will suit and inspire them.
Embrace technology
Yet, the truth is that technologies such as these have the potential to open up volunteering to whole new audiences, who haven't previously engaged. What's more, with technology such an integral part of young people's lives, it is an important way of growing the number of young people involved in their community and developing valuable life skills.
Embracing new technologies will be critical for the sector now more than ever, as we look to harness the true potential of giving through collaboration- bringing together our technology expertise, contacts and know-how to drive local giving and social action, helping to build sustainable communities.
Emma Thomas is chief executive of YouthNet, a youth charity dedicated to providing frank and unbiased information to enable young people to make informed choices