How Blockchain Gives Transparency to Charity Spending

The future of the financial industry is changing rapidly. Cryptocurrency is no longer an obscure payment system but is now a mainstream economic opportunity for businesses and consumers. With this rise of cryptocurrency comes a great deal of challenges and opportunities for all manner of people, businesses and even charities. With this in mind, what are the risks and benefits that cryptocurrency and blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrencies, for charities and aid organisations when it comes to trust and transparency?

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is the technology that supports forms of cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin. Blockchain technology creates a ledger of transactions that can be accessed and maintained by all users of the cryptocurrency system, rather than just a single entity or person.

Essentially blockchain is a decentralised public ledger. A bank or financial institution do not hold it. It is accessible by everyone. As well as recording financial transactions, it can record all manner of other information, such as members of the charity, smart contracts, processes and non-financial donations. With this decentralised public ledger, it is no longer about cryptocurrency transactions, but about making organisations, charities and businesses more transparent.

With blockchain, charities have to opportunity to accept both tangible and intangible assets. From a financial donation to intellectual property, blockchain gives charities the opportunity to receive and record all manner of assets and gifts, which could significantly change the function of charities and the way that donors support their chosen charities.

How can blockchain boost transparency and trust in charities?

One of the most significant aspects of blockchain is the fact that it enables total transparency. Blockchain is a public ledger that is accessible to all. Whilst donors remain anonymous, the system is transparent, so you can trace donations and expenditures.

No third-party involvement

One of the ways that blockchain can enhance trust in charities is the fact there is no single entity or bank who oversees and controls the finances. Everyone has access, and there is no requirement for a trusted (or untrusted) third party such as a bank to manage the finances, giving a degree of security.

Donation trail

Another way that blockchain can boost transparency is that donors can follow their donation throughout the blockchain process. This means they can see where their money goes and the end product of their contribution. Providing charities are honest about their financial system, this can give trust to donors, that their donation is actually going to a worthwhile cause and is being used in a preferred manner.

With donations being completely traceable, donors may be more inclined to give more support to charities who are doing noticeable good and spending money wisely. Conversely, this transparency may mean donors stop donating to charities whom they do not believe are spending money appropriately. This, of course, can be entirely subjective to the donor but carries implications of trustworthiness for charities.

Charity regulation

Blockchain supports systems known as smart contracts; these can be set up to ensure that certain stipulations, rules and regulations cannot be broken. This works through an algorithm, making it impossible to violate set terms that are stated in the smart contract. With this in mind, it could certainly make charity regulation much more efficient.

Governance can be conducted through algorithms with transparency always shown. This reduces lengthy and difficult audit processes, which can be both time and resource-draining. Instead, regulations are always enforced, making it impossible to break the rules and, therefore, make regulation streamlined, effective and cost-efficient.

Real-time finances

Annual financial reports for charities can be eye-opening for all interested parties. However, blockchain would allow real-time financial reporting and analysis, further adding to the transparency. Instead of a yearly review, everyone knows the state of the financial affairs at any time which can help instil trust and support. It can also help with crucial decisions for action needed by the charity.

The fact that finances are reported in real-time makes it easier to instigate changes and be adaptable to the financial situation, the level of trust between donors, the charity and suppliers can be enhanced with detailed accuracy.

Charity members

If blockchain technology were utilised to create and oversee charities, then it would be easy for everyone to access their legal entities. It would enable people to see which people are registered for the charity. Individuals could also access the documents of the charity. This can allow people to see who has an overriding interest, or works, in the charity and understand more about the goals of the charity.

Not only would blockchain technology give people a clearer idea of the charity but it can also help to streamline the registration process making it much easier, quicker and cost-effective to manage.

While there are many ways that blockchain technology can help to instil trust in charities, it is these same methods that can make people lose confidence and trust in the organisations too. It is vital that charities start to think about the implications of blockchain in their transparency so that they can be prepared for the future of the finance, regulation and transparency.

Managing Volunteer Teams Through Good Technology

Coordination and communication are key to running a successful charity campaign. Organisations often want to bring together large, transient teams of volunteers to raise money. Making sure everyone works from the same playbook to the same ends can be difficult and time consuming.  

Getting the management of volunteer teams right, of course, ensures more money is raised while overheads are reduced, and efficiency and engagement improved.  

The good news is that today’s digital options are helping many charities achieve their campaign goals in more flexible and beneficial ways. 

The Challenge of Organising Remote Volunteers 

There’s no doubt that volunteers are the life blood of all charities. They give their time and effort to raise money and promote important causes across the UK and around the world on a daily basis. Many small charities have very few full-time or paid staff on board, so volunteers are vital factors for any campaign and ongoing fund raising.  

Charities, particularly smaller ones, operate on a tight budget and building effective relationships with volunteers is necessary. Even the simple act of thanking someone for all their work can prove challenging if you don’t have the proper resources at hand.  

Better engagement requires charities to find new and innovative ways to reach out to volunteers as well as organise remote teams when campaigns are running to achieve maximum results. Focused and flexible solutions such as cloud technology are attractive options, certainly for charities that are seeking to improve performance and lower costs at the same time.  

The Benefits of Cloud Technology  

  • Cloud technology meets the challenges of working with large remote teams, especially volunteers. 
  • It allows charities to access better communication management, collaboration tools and benefit from online date, whether staff are working at the head office or in a remote team. 
  • Cloud services can quickly be scaled up and down to meet needs of any campaign. 

In its simplest sense, cloud technology is a way of storing and accessing files and programs on a range of different devices and locations independent of where you are and what time it is. Someone can sign onto a cloud service and access all they need on their tablet, laptop or smartphone, wherever they are in the world. All they need is an internet connection.  

What is more important for charities is how scalable cloud technology is. This delivers high degrees of flexibility for organisations who can expand or contract their services depending on their current needs. For example, if a charity is running a campaign, it can roll out services to volunteers and improve communication and coordination. Once the campaign is finished they can then scale back that provision.  

Cloud technology brings a high-value solution that can be tailored to each charity’s specific needs. It greatly reduces the cost of administration and can certainly help charities spend more of their time raising money rather than administrating. Neither is there the need to worry about licences and permissions which can all be handled by the cloud provider.  

Most charitable organisations are worried about security because they hold sensitive data on everyone from donors to volunteers. This is another area that cloud services generally cover more effectively than inhouse IT providers nowadays – security is updated automatically to help keep users safe online, wherever they are in the world.  

The Apps Helping Charities 

Better connectivity and the fact that so many of us have smartphones and tablets nowadays has also begun to change the way organisations such as charities view the use of apps. Developing an app is becoming increasingly common but there are also many off-the-shelf solutions available now that are aimed at volunteers and improving communication and engagement in the third sector.  

Charities often have large numbers of volunteers working across different departments and areas, sometimes all around the world. Checking what they are up to, producing reports and maximising performance has often depended on an old-fashioned form-filling exercise. An app like Track It Forward allows volunteers to log their activity and for charities to quickly access information that, in the past, would have taken weeks or even months to collate. Another similar app is Sign Up which helps get volunteers onboard and track their progress.  

Attracting volunteers has always been challenging for smaller organisations that don’t have the visibility or advertising power of some of their third sector peers. An app like VolunteerMatch is designed to put people in touch with their perfect charity – they sign on and browse for organisations in a particular area and which meet their criteria. Charities can post their details for free and reach new volunteers within a matter of minutes.  

The Challenge of Embracing Tech for Charities 

A survey carried out by Blackbaud in 2016 found that just over 7% of all charitable giving is carried out online. It’s a potential that smaller organisations have been slow to grasp but which presents a huge opportunity for not only encouraging donations but engaging with volunteers more effectively. Larger organisations like Oxfam have been moving forward in this area for a few years now, for instance, introducing opportunities for people to donate using contactless payment systems at points around the UK.  

While for smaller charities, who make up the vast majority in the third sector, it can be difficult to develop a dedicated app, there are plenty of low cost solutions out there than can improve efficiency and engagement, particularly when it comes to organising volunteers.  

Today’s cutting-edge cloud services not only provide a range of on demand IT support services that many can benefit from, they are highly scalable. That means charities can keep a tight control on where their IT is used and how budgets are spent. It also means that smaller organisations now have the capacity to explore new and exciting ways of bringing volunteers together and coordinating them during important campaigns.  

 

Cyan Solutions are the perfect fit for charities that want to be empowered using technology. Highly scalable cloud solutions mean that you can tailor your IT support to meet your immediate needs, including organising and communicating with networks of volunteers during campaigns. If you want to find out how the cloud can revolutionise your organisation, contact our friendly team today.    

How GDPR affects charities

In addition to understanding the General Data Protection Regulation in businesses, it is also essential to understand the role of the GDPR in non-profit organisations. Any organisation that will hold personal data will need to comply with the new GDPR. The new regulation can be an opportunity for charities to rethink the way they store data, and whether or not the processing of sensitive data is effective. There are a several ways the GDPR might affect the way charities manage data and consider their current processes.

Volunteers

The information about volunteers and the training they receive should be just as employees, and this might result in a processing rethink. An audit is a preferred method of beginning to prepare for the GDPR. This will identify what information you hold, the place of origin, and where you will use that data.

The audit will provide a basis for what needs to be done to comply. The location of the information is essential, as well as the length of retention, and most importantly the risks associated with holding the data. These are all things that might need reconsidering; it may be worth following best practice in business to make sure non-profit organisations comply with GDPR.

Volunteers should also have the necessary and sufficient training for GDPR. This will include making sure there have refresher training sessions to keep data protection issues at the forefront of staff minds. Training can consist of training on transferring data securely and the importance of complex and regularly updated passwords. Any policies that you create as a result of the GDPR need to be distributed, and these policies need to be fully understood.

Individual consent

The individuals whose data you hold need to be able to provide explicit and educated consent. The information about consent will need to be separated from the terms and conditions and will need to be presented in a way that the individual can fully understand. Approval must be actively acquired and reviewed to ensure understanding and avoid miscommunication. Information about what data you store about an individual must be easy to find, and always present.

Consent will cover the donors as well as individuals that your charity helps.

Encrypted technology

Ensure that all technology used to store personal data is secure and encrypted. This should include hard drives and memory sticks. Encrypting technology can avoid data breaches, and protect the data of the individual, as well as protecting the charity.

Charities may need to include in their budget the scope for enhanced IT solutions, to make sure all of the technology they use complies with the necessary regulations. At Cyan Solutions, we can help to ensure you have the right IT solutions in place that will conform to the essential requirements.

Microsoft Office 365: Discounts and Subscriptions for Charities

All charities need to be careful about their spending, especially when it comes to administration. For many, it’s a constant challenge to find areas where savings can be made while ensuring that everything works as it should and donations are maximised.

Getting it right means more cash available for the good cause that is being supported. Getting it wrong can quickly drain valuable resources.

One area where charities always look to make savings is on IT licences and supply. The good news is that cutting-edge packages like Microsoft 365 come with heavily discounted rates for charities in the UK

Microsoft Office 365 For Non-Profit Organisations

Microsoft has a pretty good track record of working with charities around the world, providing cut price IT solutions with superb functionality. It’s one of the reasons why Microsoft Office has long been the industry standard for all sorts of organisations. The vast improvement in technology with cloud-based services nowadays provides all users with an excellent range of highly useful tools that can be used absolutely anywhere.

Microsoft are currently offering either free or heavily discounted licences for non-profit organisations. There are two packages available for small and medium size charities:

  • Non-Profit Business Essentials: For charities that are simply looking for email provision, cloud storage and sharing facilities for files as well as excellent team working tools, the donation licence is free for up to 300 users. Staff are able to access Office 365 tools such as Word and Excel through web versions.
  • Non-Profit Business Premium: For charities that require desktop business applications such as Word and Excel as well as all the usability provided in the Essentials package, the premium business licence is just £1.50 per user per month. That’s a massive saving compared to the normal premium business package which is currently £9.40 per user per month.

For larger charities there are 3 different licences to choose from:

  • Non-Profit E1: Similar to the Business Essentials package, this is free, available for up to 2,000 users, and comes with web access for Word and Excel.
  • Non-Profit E3: This provides desktop Office applications as well as a host of useful elements such as web conferencing, work management tools as well as the chance to broadcast to over 10,000 people via the internet. The licence costs £4.00 per user per month and allows unlimited accounts.
  • Non-Profit E5: The top package is aimed at large charitable organisations that need better security such as data protection with DLP, higher level analytics and advanced eDiscovery tools. The licence is £8.00 per user per month.

The Benefits of Office 365 For Charities

Apart from the low cost of running Office 365 and all its elements for your charity, these licences come with a lot of other advantages that make them some of the most powerful IT packages on the market today.

Many charities have workers that are mobile and out in the field. Office 365 is cloud based technology which means that files and other information can be accessed on the go, wherever someone is located. Everything can be synched across multiple devices in real time, so an employee can update files any time they want. It makes communication much more fluid and team working highly efficient, independent of where staff are based.

Changing to a service like Office 365 is also highly cost effective. Cloud based tech means that you no longer need to have expensive hardware driving your IT system. It’s simple to migrate everything to the cloud and easy to maintain at a much lower cost. The other good news is that it’s also highly scalable – the service grows or even shrinks to meet your personal demands as a charity and adding more users couldn’t be simpler.

Of course, one thing that all organisations worry about, particularly charities, is the issue of security. Microsoft have a strong reputation for providing a highly secure environment for businesses and charities of all types to operate in. Not only will you have all the tools you need, you can be sure that your data is well protected with security systems regularly updated to handle all current risks.

Eligibility for Microsoft 365

To qualify for the non-profits discounts and free subscriptions you need to be registered as a charity in the UK. In England and Wales, this means you need to be registered with the UK Charity Commission. In Scotland it’s the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and, in Northern Ireland, you have to be registered Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI).

Other non-profits need to be registered with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as tax exempt.

Get a Free Audit Today

At Cyan Solutions we offer a comprehensive free audit to all charitable organisations. We’ll be able to look at your current provision and advise which licence plan is best for you. If you want to save money and streamline your IT, contact our team today to see how we can help.

Cyan delivers sustainable solutions and increases confidence in IT at Sands

About Sands

The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society provides bereavement support services to anyone affected by the death of a baby, as well as working closely with health care professionals to improve the quality of bereavement care and promoting research to reduce infant deaths.

Sands’ operations are multi-layered, and the charity’s strategic objectives are delivered by a team of full-time and part-time employees who are based across multiple locations, as well as a large network of volunteers.

Transforming perceptions of Sands’ IT

On joining the charity in 2015, Danyanne Quemper, Director of Finance and Resources at Sands, was challenged with improving the IT infrastructure

“60% of our staff work outside of London, many of whom work directly with our Group network of 106 local groups across the country” she says. “There was absolutely no confidence in our ability to drive IT centrally and frustrations had led to a lot of people losing faith in the technology. It was considered average to have downtime of at least 30 minutes a day.”

Danyanne contacted the Charity IT Association (CITA), a network of volunteers to help not-for-profit organisations improve their IT.

“They helped us run our procurement process and the approach from Cyan stood out in terms of value for money, coupled with a perfect fit for the careful, understanding approach we needed.”

Plan

Expert IT guidance with charity-specific knowledge

After reviewing the plethora of existing vendors and uptime issues, we began planning a more efficient, centralised solution that would increase control and resilience of the charity’s IT estate. We also secured software licensing discounts available for the charity sector which Sands had not previously been aware of.

“There were immediate cost-savings in the model that Cyan proposed,” says Danyanne. “It was clear that the team understood the industry and how charities work. By replacing our IT as an integrated piece of work, Cyan delivered real synergy.”

A series of meetings and observations with Sands’ staff ensured the team felt listened to – an important first step in rebuilding damaged confidence in technology.

“From the start Cyan took a measured approach to delivering an integrated IT solution for Sands; they instilled confidence in the process and the team was great at communicating with us to find the very best solution to every problem.” adds Danyanne

Create

Bringing disjointed IT into a centralised platform

We developed a bespoke cloud desktop solution for Sands, centralising all the information and applications needed – accessible from anywhere at any time. Using this cloud platform, the team at Sands could consistently access up-to-date information and tools.

“The solution does exactly what we need it to and the feedback from our staff has been fantastic,” says Danyanne. “We were also impressed by how effectively everything was implemented. Within 4 months of starting to look for ways to improve our IT we were up-and-running with a more flexible, secure and resilient system.”

We also helped Sands transform its telephony infrastructure – an area where technology was also fragmented and inefficient.

“We had a designated helpline, but it wasn’t connected to any other phones,” says Danyanne. “This sometimes resulted in staff having to redirect bereaved callers which undermined the wonderful work of our staff team. Cyan provided a new hosted infrastructure for our telephony, as well as the training and support our people needed to use it.”

Maintain

Knowledgeable support at every level

We have continued to support Sands with day-to-day helpdesk services as well as more complex projects, including an office relocation and migration to a new datacentre.

“What makes Cyan unique is how kind, patient and knowledgeable people are at every level of the business. I’ve had experiences where the further you walk into an organisation, the less you see of the quality and skill that is evident at CEO level. Every member of the team at Cyan talks and walks the same consistent customer values.”

Our role in technical support provides a diverse network of employees and volunteers with a single point of contact.

A partnership built on trust

Sands continues to work to achieve its aims with its former myriad of complex IT structures now streamlined through a bespoke cloud platform supported by our expert team.

“I would absolutely recommend Cyan. At Sands, we have this thing about ‘feeling like you’re being held within a process’ – that level of safety and reassurance. That’s how Cyan has made us feel.  It gives us added confidence when we face new challenges, like GDPR compliance, to know that we’re with a truly supportive team who understand our organisation.”

 

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