Lasa: Lack of cash and confidence leave charities reluctant to try new technology

Lack of cash and confidence leave charities reluctant to try new technology

Eight out of ten charity workers say technology has a role to play in building the Big Society – but funding cuts mean only one in three workers has time to try new tools, according to a survey launched today (May 12).

Social welfare law and technology charity Lasa and Civic Regeneration, in partnership with RegenerateIT, surveyed nearly 160 people about how charities and not-for-profit organisations in the UK use cloud technology.

The survey of 157 people found that:

- 80% of charity workers believe technology has a role to play in delivering the Big Society
- With the funding cuts affecting the voluntary sector, only 29% believe that charities have the confidence and the time to try new technology solutions such as the cloud
- 45% of those surveyed have considered using cloud technology in the next financial year

Lasa’s Chief Executive Terry Stokes said: “When charities make the most of technology, it means better services for the people they support. Although many cloud applications are low cost, funding cuts mean charity workers don’t feel they have time to try new things. Lasa helps charities make the most of technology by providing practical advice and support.

“Despite the pressures of the recession, charities need to make the most of the resources they have to provide the best services to their clients. That's why Lasa is holding a summit on 7 June when experts will be looking at how technology can help charities manage their relationships.”

Robin Knowles, Managing Director of Regenerateit, said: “There is an irony that spending cuts are being delivered across all departments in charities, making it even hard for ICT to deliver the operational and service efficiencies it otherwise could. The sector needs to make both its leaders digital and its digital community into leaders. The days of Boards delegating anything with Digital in the title downwards are fast coming to an end.”

Notes to Editors:

For further details, please contact Liz Nightingale, email liz.nightingale@freelancepr.org, tel 020 7275 8759, mobile 07773 350833. Please let us know if you would like a case study to support this story.

A summary of the survey follows below. To find out more about the summit on 7 June, visit http://bit.ly/kw1Wne.

1) Lasa is a leading charity and strategic provider of knowledge, support and resources to third sector and government bodies. Lasa helps thousands of organisations across the UK each year including Age UK, Shelter and Citizens Advice Bureau. It helps organisations to get better social welfare advice to their clients; deliver more effective and efficient services; influences policy for advice and legal services; and raises awareness of the third sector's technology needs with funders and government. For more information, please visit www.lasa.org.uk/

2) RegenerateIT is the UK’s leading provider of free to end user hotspots in public libraries including the UK’s busiest hotspot, at the British Library. It is also a leading provider of Wi-fi in social housing with over 1,000 homes in London involved in early pilots and it is rolling out a new service in Council owned Leisure Centres. It has recently launched a new Charity Cloud Service and Thin Client solution specifically to the non-profit sector, please visit www.regenerateit.co.uk

Charities in the Cloud

Lasa and Civic Regeneration, in partnership with RegenerateIT

Survey Responses

This survey received feedback from 157 charitable organisations. The majority of these organisations were small, 77% having less than 30 employees, and 88% of these organisations also had under 30 computers.

How many paid members of staff are there in your organisation?

None: 2%

1 to 10: 42%

11 to 30: 33%

31 to 50: 11%

Over 50: 12%

How many computers are there in your organisation?

None: 0%

1 to 10: 43%

11 to 30: 45%

31 to 50: 11%

Over 50: 0%

The first series of questions asked about perceptions of the cloud, and whether organisations used it, if they intended to use cloud services in the future, and the rationale behind these responses.

Do you use cloud services within your organisation?

Yes: 54%

No: 44%

Don’t Know: 2%

When asked whether they were considering using cloud services in the future, 45% reported that they intended to use cloud services, while 55% reported that they were either not planning on using the cloud or were unsure that they would.

Are you considering using the cloud in the next financial year?

Yes: 45%

No: 34%

Don’t Know: 21%

Of those who were not using the cloud, and were not planning on using it, the main reason cited was a lack of understanding of the cloud and what it has to offer charities. A perceived lack of security with cloud services and the implications this has for online data safety was an important factor. Many charities hold a considerable amount of sensitive information about their service users.

Why are you not using the cloud?

Unsuitable broadband coverage: 4%
Not enough knowledge / understanding about what is available: 21%
IT advisors don't recommend it3%
Concerns about data protection and/or security: 16%
Not convinced it will save money: 11%
Concerns about service availability: 11%
Others in organisation resistant to change: 7%

Respondents were also asked to highlight what benefits they thought the cloud offers. The vast majority (84%) suggested that being able to access information and data from anywhere with an internet connection is a key advantage. These were followed up by the perception that it would save time and money; very important factors in a period when budgets are increasingly constrained.

What advantages do you think your organisation gains or could gain from using the cloud?(tick all that apply) 

Save us money: 54%
Save us time: 50%
Access our data and software from anywhere: 81%
Save on infrastructure costs (we don't need to install our own hardware): 55%
Fixed budget (we know what we will be paying each month): 29%
Support costs and upgrades taken care of: 47%
Wide range of cloud services available to pick and mix from: 40%
Affordable (many cloud services are free or low cost): 44%

The questions then focused on the degree to which the perceptions of cloud services had changed over the previous year: 93% of respondents said that their perception had not changed or was more positive.

How has your perception of the cloud changed over the last year?

More Positive: 49%
The Same: 44%
More Negative: 7%

Two thirds (70%) of respondents felt that technology had a medium to strong role in delivering the Big Society. Charities need to able to take advantage of new technology so that it delivers greater efficiency and does not hinder service delivery. 

How much of a role do you believe that technology has to play in the delivery of the Big Society? (Please rank on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being a very strong role)

1: 9%
2: 11%
3: 32%
4: 26%
5: 22%

Looking more broadly at the wider economic environment and its implication on the confidence of charities to make the most of these advantages, there was a less positive response. Nearly half (46%) of respondents suggested that their organisations were unlikely to have the confidence to try new technological solutions at the moment.

With the funding cuts affecting the charity sector, do you believe that charities have the confidence and the time to try new technological solutions such as the cloud?

Yes: 29%
No: 46%
Don't Know: 25%