The Charity Commission, Grant Thornton, and Zoe Amar Communications have launched a resource intended to help trustees exploit digital for their charity.

The guide, 12 questions about digital for trustees, contains examples of key concepts boards should consider when approaching digital.

The tool aims to facilitate conversations between trustees, and between the board and charity staff. It also seeks to raise awareness amongst trustees of the strategic importance of digital.

Zoe Amar said there are wide-ranging benefits and exciting possibilities for charities in adopting digital.

“As a trustee of a charity myself, I appreciate how daunting technology can seem, but not adopting technology can present as much of a risk as adopting it, and in the long term digital will only help charities be more sustainable and future proof the sector.”

Grant Thornton UK marketing manager Louise Hughes added that digital projects can lose focus and momentum without buy-in from trustees.

“It’s crucial that digital transformation and culture change are driven by the board. Whilst IT literacy is an important factor for boards, having the right attitude and appetite for innovation is just as important.”

Charity Commission director of policy and communications Sarah Atkinson said that as the regulator encourages users to increasingly engage with it online, it wants to reassure those with low IT skills or confidence that there is support for them.

“Our questions by no means cover every single aspect of digital, but we hope trustees can use them to start a conversation about how they can plan for and respond to digital change in their organisation and determine where technology can add value.”

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