Charities may have already asked for help in meeting the requirements for GDPR but it is their lack of digital skills which is the real cause for concern, with three-quarters doubting they have the expertise to protect themselves from fraud and scams, and more than half lacking even the most basic digital skills.
That is according to a new report from Lloyds Bank, entitled the UK Business Digital Index 2017, which measures the digital capability of 2,000 UK small businesses, including 500 charities, using a combination of online behaviour and survey analysis to understand their attitudes to digital technology.
Although 58% of charitable donations are given in cash, the growth in online payments and the rise in online accounting services means that there is a dire need for charities to improve their online safety and security, the report claims. But it notes that 75% of UK charities are not confident of preventing criminal activity.
The report says the number of charities using online analytics remains very low, although it has increased from 6% in 2016 to 11% this year, and 81% do not store digital information on their customers and suppliers.
The authors say this presents “a huge opportunity for charities to learn more about their donor and volunteer bases using free trails such as Google Analytics or Webtrends”.
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