The Digital Transformation All Charities Are Overlooking.

Companies like Spotify, Netflix, Uber, Amazon and OpenAI have changed the way donors interact with the world around them. Charities need remember that their donors have gone on a digital transformation of their own and it’s re-shaped the way they shop, engage, communicate and ultimately give.

We talk a lot about digital transformation in the not-for-profit world.

From CRMs to websites, cybersecurity upgrades to social media integrations—charities are pouring time and money into modernising their operations. And rightly so.

But there’s one crucial digital transformation that is almost always overlooked, rarely invested in and (to be honest) if not addressed can put your charity into a Top Gun like tailspin that not even Maverick could get out of.

And here it is…

In the last 5 years donors have experienced a life altering digital transformation of their own, and it has redefined the way they engage with the world around them.

Uber redefined convenience.
Air BnB redefined travel.
Netflix redefined choice.
Amazon redefined purchasing and delivery.
Spotify redefined personalisation.
ChatGPT expanded the view of the unlimited potential of technology.

Can you begin to imagine how each of these examples has changed the way donors are wanting to engage with your organisation?

Today’s donors live in a world of instant access, seamless UX, and unlimited options. They’ve been shaped by a digital culture that values frictionless functionality and intuitive experiences.

Here are three of the most common misses by charities when it comes to digital transformation:

1.     Charities are building systems from the inside out, not the donor back. Focussed more on creating internal efficiencies rather than external ones.

2.     Charities worry too much about competition and fail to realise the world is driven by marketplaces (e.g. Air Bnb, Uber) and if you make something more accessible the market is proven to grow.

3.     Charities focus more on where they want to lead donors (donor journeys) than how they want to land donors.

The point is simple: charities need to stop thinking about digital transformation as an internal project—and start seeing it as an external expectation.

And yet, many charities are still expecting them to give through outdated channels, complex forms, and clunky web journeys. It’s no wonder donor retention is dropping, and engagement is harder than ever.

This is one of the key reasons Microsoft backed Charitabl. through its global Tech for Social Impact program. Because we weren’t just digitising internal processes—we were reimagining the donor experience from the ground up learning all we could from the likes of; Uber, Air BnB, Spotify, Netflix and Amazon and applying it to charitable giving globally.

Charitabl. was built for the post-Spotify, post-Uber, post-GPT generation of givers. Fast. Frictionless. Familiar. A native app that feels like the platforms donors already know and love.

Remember, Digital transformation doesn’t stop at your firewall.

It’s not just about how your team works—it’s about how your donors give. If your giving experience doesn’t reflect the digital reality your supporters live in every day…They’re not going to adapt to you, they’ll simply disengage with you.