Digital transformation has been a hot topic since the start of the pandemic. Over the past year organisations have been pushed to adapt and improve their digital presence and practices. In the fall of 2020, we launched a Digital Transformation Challenge pilot program for community foundations who were going through a digital change process to support them on their journey and to document their learning.
From my observations there are three types of digital transformations occurring across organisations and I believe they apply to community foundations as well, especially to the ones we work with in Europe who are diverse in terms of life cycles and development.
1. Accelerated change – the type of digital transformation that needed to happen in an organisation even before the pandemic, for example online donation pages, donor/grant platforms or database automations for communication purposes.
2. Enforced change that will stick – this refers to the digital transformation of practices or tools we were forced to use because of lockdowns and social distancing, but that can actually make work more efficient, for example working collaboratively without being in the same room with colleagues, partners or other stakeholders.
3. Constant change – this type is a testimony to the agility muscle a lot of organisations have had to flex, adapting their operations, physical programs and human interaction services to virtual or online ways, for example community programs, fundraising events and community engagement, some aspects of which will continue in a complementary manner.
When working under the pressure of a crisis certain processes can feel reactive and expeditious but hopefully in the coming period organisations can take a step back and reflect strategically on what and how has worked under the extraordinary conditions of the past 14 months and what tools and policies could sustain the progress made so far. Community foundations should assess what remains in place and what still needs to undergo change from a digital standpoint so as to serve their communities in the best way possible.
Below is a rundown of digital challenges tackled by the fourteen community foundations affiliated with our pilot programme. We hope that by sharing these reports, (which can be found in our Knowledge Centre – search topic ‘digital transformation’) other organisations can benefit from the knowledge and feel emboldened to start their own digital transformation journeys.
List of organisations and issues addressed in the Digital Transformation Challenge.
1. Nitra Community Foundation – Slovakia – “Interactive map showing community projects supported by the foundation.”
2. Podilska Hromada Community Foundation – Ukraine – “How to support start-up social entrepreneurs with online services.”
3. Step Forward Community Foundation – Serbia – “Developing a peer-to-peer fundraising platform.”
4. Tyne & Wear and Northumberland Community Foundation – UK – “Online donor engagement strategy and implementation”
5. Two Ridings Community Foundation – UK – “Online stakeholder engagement for strategy review and design.”
6. Northamptonshire Community Foundation – UK – “Digital Transformation Journey – how to use social media to engage with new and prospective donors.”
7. Banatul Montan Community Foundation – Romania – “How to develop the foundation’s strategy through online consultations with stakeholders.”
8. Sibiu Community Foundation – Romania – “Adapting tools and processes to work collaboratively and remotely as a team”
9. Munus Community Foundation of Parma – Italy – “Website redesign to include better digital communication with stakeholders.”
10. Canavese Community Foundation – Italy – “Digitalise processes for remote work and engagement with community.”
11. Oradea Community Foundation – Romania – “Adapting two fundraising events into successful online versions.”
12. Bucharest Community Foundation – Romania – “Developing the first digital campaign targeting individual donors for support towards the community foundation.”
13. Community Foundation for Ireland – Ireland – “Implementing a donor portal for donors to access information though the community foundation’s website.”
14. Healthy City Community Foundation – Slovakia – “Adapting in-person programs to online delivery.”
