Guest blog: “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change”

This is a guest blog by Mandy Johnson, Congratulations on your new role, Mandy! ** On 1st August 2017, I will be starting a new role as CEO of the Small Charities Coalition. I cannot wait to start but I am also appreciating having the time to reflect on what I would like to achieve when I do. There are a whole range of issues facing small charities, however, I have identified three key themes that I would like to remain mindful of as I embrace this new challenge. THINKING “DIGITAL FIRST” The House of Lords Select Committee’s Report, published earlier this year, highlighted many of the benefits that digital technology can deliver to the charity sector. Digital technology provides small charities with solutions that can make everyone’s lives easier. Yet the charity sector is yet to wholeheartedly embrace the opportunities that digital technology can provide. The Skills Platform’s Charity Digital Skills Report, revealed that only 9% of charities have been through digital transformation and embedded it. The gap between the potential opportunity and the current reality is an obstacle that needs to be overcome. The world has changed so much since the mainstream adoption of computers, the internet, and smart phones. I believe that if the charity sector is going to grow successfully then we must embrace digital technology. It reminds me of the quote from ‘The Leopard’ by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have t