Simple Tech for Small Charities: Do More With Less
Running a small charity or community organisation often means wearing many hats — fundraising, event planning, volunteer coordination, reporting, and admin. With limited time and tight budgets, it’s easy to feel stretched.
But tech doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. There are smart, low-cost tools out there that help small UK charities work more efficiently, stay transparent, and focus on what really matters: delivering impact.
1. Donation Management Made Easy
Modern fundraising tools make it simple to accept and track donations — online and in-person.
Options like Givey, Enthuse, CAF Donate, or PayPal Giving Fund let you:
Accept one-off and regular donations
Create fundraising pages for events or campaigns
Track who’s giving and send automatic thank-yous
Export records for Gift Aid or finance
Many offer discounted rates or are built specifically for UK charities.
2. Volunteer Coordination and Shift Planning
Even a small pool of volunteers needs structure. Free or low-cost tools like Teamup, SignUpGenius, or RotaCentral help you:
Create shift rotas
Track availability
Send updates or reminders
Reduce last-minute dropouts
These can also be used to organise trustees, events, or community sessions.
3. Keeping Your Data Safe and Compliant
If you store names, emails, donations, or personal records, UK GDPR applies — even to small charities.
Some essentials:
Use secure cloud storage (like Google Workspace for Nonprofits or Microsoft 365 for Charities)
Set strong passwords and enable 2FA
Store personal info only where necessary and document access controls
Keep a simple Data Protection Policy and log access or incidents
Tools like ICO’s self-assessment checklist are great starting points.
4. Communications and Social Media Tools
Getting the word out can be time-consuming — but smart tools help you punch above your weight.
Try:
Canva for easy posters, flyers, and social media images
Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule posts ahead of time
Mailchimp (free up to 500 contacts) for newsletters and appeals
WhatsApp Communities for internal team updates
Clear, consistent messaging builds trust with donors, volunteers, and the public.
5. Reporting and Governance Support
Even small charities must keep records for trustees, funders, and the Charity Commission.
Free tools like:
Google Forms/Sheets for event or impact tracking
Trello or Notion for simple project management
Xero for Nonprofits (discounted) for bookkeeping
…make reporting easier and improve transparency.
Start Small, Build Confidence
You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. Start with:
A better donation tool
A secure email and storage system
A rota app for volunteers
Each step reduces admin, improves impact, and builds trust.
Support When You Need It
At Infracto, we help small charities and community groups choose, set up, and manage the right tech tools — with a focus on ease, affordability, and sustainability. Whether you need one-off advice or ongoing support, we’re here to help you grow with confidence.
